Word Analysis:
Consonant Sounds
Introduction:
The TTS for Consonant Sounds provide two strategies for teaching and assessing consonant
sounds and for associating consonant sounds with letters. These strategies should be used
in succession. In the first strategy, the student is provided with a key word and an illustration
along with several example words from which to discover the relationship between consonant
sounds and letters. In the second strategy, the student is shown how to change consonants
at the beginning of a word family base to make new words. The second strategy should be
used after the consonant letters and sounds taught with the first strategy have been learned.
At the end of each instructional strategy, there is an activity for assessing the student’s
understanding and skill in using these consonant sounds and letters.
____________________________________________________________________________
Strategy: Learning Consonant Sounds
with Key Words and Pictures
Materials Needed:
TTS-WA-CSounds-KW and WF.pdf
Show the student the Key Word Card for s.
Say: Here is a picture of the sun. The word under the picture on the card is sun.
Point to the word sun on the Key Word Card.
Say: What letter do you see at the beginning of the word sun? (s) Put your finger on the s
in each of the words on this card, and I will read each word to you.
Read each word on the card when the student points to it.
Note: Letters in slashes, such as /s/, should be pronounced for the student as sounds only and not
read as letters.
Say: You hear /s/ at the beginning of these words.
- What letter makes the /s/ sound?
(s)
- Where in the word sun do you see the letter s?
(at the beginning)
- Where in the word sun do you hear the /s/ sound?
(at the beginning)
Try to remember the word sun for the letter s because it can help you to remember
the sound that the letter s makes in words. What sound does s make? (/s/) What
sound do you hear at the beginning of sun? (/s/)
Show the student the Practice Word Card beginning with sailboat.
Say: Here are some more words on this card. Point to each word, and tell me what letter
the word begins with. (s, p, s)
Which of these words begins with the /s/ sound? (sailboat and sandwich)
Point to each of these words again, and I will read them for you.
Read each of the three words on the second card as the student points to them.
Say: Which word does not begin with the /s/ sound? (paddle)
|
If the student is not able to identify which of the three words does not begin with the /s/ sound,
point to each word and read it aloud. Have the student read it aloud after you.
Say: What sound do you hear at the beginning of that word? Is that sound the same as
the sound you hear at the beginning of sun?
Have the student compare the sound represented on the Key Word Card to each word’s initial consonant sound. |
Teach the sounds of consonants m, t, f, b, r, and p using the same instructional procedure as
provided here for s. Use the Key Word Card and the Practice Word Card provided for each letter.
Next, place the letter tiles (s, m, t, f, b, r, and p) in a row before the student. As you lay out each
letter tile,
Say: What letter is this? What sound does this letter make?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s responses.
Say: I will read some words that begin with these letters. Listen to each word, say it after
me, and then choose from these letters (indicate the letter tiles) to point to the letter
the word begins with.
Read the word list (beginning with mailbox) from the Student Record Form.
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s responses.
Go on to Using Consonants with Word Families when the student seems comfortable with the
letters and sounds taught in this strategy.
______________________________________________________________________________
Strategy: Using Consonants with Word Families
Materials Needed:
Included in Strategy: Learning Consonant Sounds with Key Words and Pictures
Place the letter tiles (s, m, p, f, r, b, and t) in a row just above the student’s work area. Move the
letter tile for s so that it is isolated in front of the student.
Say: Here are some consonant letters you have learned. You know the names of these
letters and the sounds that they make in words. Here is the letter s. What sound does
s make? (/s/)
Show the student Word Family Card 1. Cover all the boxes but sat.
Say: This word is sat. If I take off the s in sat and replace it with a b, here is a new word
that I have made.
Uncover the row of boxes under sat. Place the b letter tile in the empty box beside at.
Say: What is the sound of the b? (/b/) This word is bat. Now you read this word.
Point to the word as you read it and as the student reads it after you.
Say: If I take the b off of bat and replace it with an r, here is another new word I have
made.
Place the b tile back in the row of tiles; put the r tile in the box.
Say: What is the sound of the r? (/r/) Can you read this word?
Point to the word as the student reads it.
|
If the student cannot read rat, read it aloud, then have the student read it. |
Continue to put consonant substitutions in the empty box and have the student read the resulting
words until all seven letter tiles have been used with -at. Repeat the procedure for each of the
remaining Word Family Cards, forming words with each of the seven letter tiles.
|
When nonsense words such as mun and pake and rall are constructed,
Say: These letters say pake. Is that a real word? (Clarify that “pake” isn’t a real word.) Just
as artists can use their drawing skills to draw imaginative pictures of things that
never were, when we have letter skills, we can pronounce some groups of letters that
aren’t real words. We have to use other parts of our minds and other things we
know about words to tell us if we are reading real words or “nonsense” words. |
On the Student Record Form, note whether the student was able read words when
consonants were substituted in the Word Family Cards.
After using the letter tiles with each of the four Word Family Cards, give the student the sheet
with four Word Family Lists. Using the section of the sheet that begins with sat,
Say: I will read the first word on each of these lists for you. Then I would like you to try
to read the other words to me as I point to them. If you need help, I’ll help you.
Point to each word after reading the word at the top to the student. Give assistance as needed,
and then have the student repeat the word after you. Repeat this procedure until all four lists have
been attempted.
On the Student Record Form, note whether the student was able to read the words on the
Word Family Lists.
Next, use the Assessment Word Family List to assess the student’s ability to convert consonant
letters into sounds at the beginnings of words.
Say: I will read the first word on this list for you: dug. Now you read that word to me.
(Allow the student to respond.) Please read the other words to me as I point to them.
Point to each word as the student reads it.
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s responses. Regardless of accuracy, be sure
to note whether the student was able to read the words easily, with difficulty, or very slowly.
Go on to the TTS for Word Analysis: Short Vowel Sounds and Consonant Blends after the student
seems comfortable using Consonant Sounds.
____________________________________________________________________________
Interpreting and Using TTS Results:
The first strategy for Consonant Sounds will indicate whether a student can identify consonant
letters and recognize corresponding consonant sounds at the beginnings of words. The
instructional strategy provided should be duplicated for use with additional consonant letters as
needed. For students having difficulty with naming letters and/or with hearing the differences
between consonant sounds, refer to the TTS for Phonological Awareness: Hearing Initial
Consonant Sounds and for Letters and Sounds: Naming Capital and Lowercase Letters.
The second strategy will indicate through consonant substitutions whether a student can use
knowledge of consonant letters and sounds to read rhyming words with familiar consonant letters
and a known word family. For students who experience difficulty in acquiring this skill, refer to
the TTS for Letters and Sounds: Writing Words and Phonological Awareness: Rhyming Words.
Once the student is confident with about six or seven initial consonant sounds, those consonants
can be used to begin work with short vowels. Instruction on the remaining consonant letters
and sounds should continue until all have been mastered.
