When teaching students how to sound out words, the final sound in words sometimes comes easier than the beginning and medial sounds. This is especially true if the sound is very distinctive. Here are a few ways I make sure my students master the final sounds in words with these final sound activities.
Sounding Out with Movements
Through the years, I’ve seen many ways that students can sound out words. I’ve seen the head, shoulders, knees/waist. I’ve seen chopping down the arm in three place. There are many ways this can be done. The way that I like to teach my students is by using a multisensory approach. The tapping fingers to the thumb is sometimes difficult for kindergarten students that do not have the fine motor skills. Another multisensory was that I learned during a training was to have students hold up their hand with their four finger bent straight and their thumb sticking straight up.
For the beginning sound, they take their other hand and wrap it around the thumb. As they do this, they produce the beginning sound. For the middle sound, they take their other hand, open it up and slide their hand across the bent fingers (they only touch the index finger). For the ending sound, they take their other hand and drop it off and slide down the cliff. They touch the tips of their fingers for the final sound. It’s like the falling sound (final). This worked wonders with kids that I wasn’t able to get with the clapping or tapping.
If the clapping and tapping work for you and your students, keep doing it. If you need another way, I highly suggest doing this. I was in a training for dyslexia and this is the method they used. I thought it was perfect for the students that I had at the time. Ever since I’ve been teaching this to my students. It’s the perfect final sounds activity that can make students truly feel the final sound.
Focusing on Final Sounds Orally
A no prep idea that you can do while you’re waiting at the restroom or washing hands for lunch or during dismissal is to practice sounds orally. I have a ring of picture cards from a very long time ago. The cards are all on a ring. I flip through quickly and say the pictures as my students respond with the answer. This works perfectly so you don’t have to think too hard to come up with a word or read off a list of words. I use that same set of cards for beginning sounds, medial sounds and sometimes to have my students produce a word that rhymes.
Pocket Chart Games
During centers or independent work time, student can play games that focus on the ending sounds. This can be done with picture sorts very easily. If you’ve got a set of pictures, put them at the pocket chart and write some letters of some of the endings. Have your students to sort the cards by final sound. They will practice listening for the ending sound and practice how you’ve taught them to sound out words.
Similar Words
If you have a set of photo cards, you can use those to practice ending sounds in words. I will say a word and then place a few cards out on the table. My students will say each of the pictures. Then they will say the word again, but sounding it out and putting emphasis on the final sound. They will determine which card has the same sound as the word I said. When I first start doing this I try to make sure my words are all 1 syllable words so they are easier to sound out. You don’t want to have a child stumbling through a three or four-syllable word.
I hope some of these final sound activities help you when teaching the ending sound. Here’s something that may help your students. We do beginning, middle and final sound What’s Missing words. You can get these sent straight to your email, but be sure to use your personal email by clicking here or the above image. My emails love a school’s spam folder and I’d hate for you not to get it.
If you’d like to save these ideas, pin it for future reference. I’d love to know what some of your favorite final sound activities are! Leave a comment letting me know.
Interested in medial sound activities? Check out this post.