Activities: Sounds, Letters, and Words (Alphabetics)
Word Changing
Overview
Objective
The student must change individual letters in a word to form a new word.
Facilitation Tips
This activity can be done individually or in pairs. If a child makes a mistake, the teacher or another student can encourage the player to pay attention to the required sound.
Levels
Level 1: CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words. Only the first letter is manipulated.
Level 2: CVC words. All letters are manipulated.
Level 3: CVC words with long vowel sounds. Only the first letter is manipulated.
Level 4: CVC words with long vowel sounds. All letters are manipulated.
Activity Insights
What is Word Changing?
Students must first indicate the letter to be changed, and then find the correct letter to add to form the new word. This activity builds phoneme manipulation skills, which helps students recognize similar words (both orally and written).
Why do students struggle with Word Changing?
If students are having difficulty manipulating letters in a word to make new words, make sure that they are familiar with the onsets and rimes of familiar words (such as words in the ABRA stories).
How do I further support students?
Ensure that students have mastered segmenting words before manipulating them. Once students can successfully manipulate the beginning letters in three phoneme words, letting students experiment with nonsense words before moving on to manipulating ending or medial letters may be helpful.
Linked Stories
Darryl! Don't Dawdle
Feelings
Henny Penny
How a Bean Sprouts
I Can Move Like a ...
The Dove and the Ant
The Frogs and the Well
The Little Red Hen
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
When I Open my Eyes
Related Activities
Accuracy
Basic Decoding
Matching Sounds
Rhyme Matching
Same Phoneme
Word Families
Vocabulary (ESL)
Resources
Activities: Sounds, Letters, and Words (Alphabetics)
Word Changing
Objective
The student must change individual letters in a word to form a new word.
Facilitation Tips
This activity can be done individually or in pairs. If a child makes a mistake, the teacher or another student can encourage the player to pay attention to the required sound.
Levels
Level 1: CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words. Only the first letter is manipulated.
Level 2: CVC words. All letters are manipulated.
Level 3: CVC words with long vowel sounds. Only the first letter is manipulated.
Level 4: CVC words with long vowel sounds. All letters are manipulated.
Insights
What is Word Changing?
Students must first indicate the letter to be changed, and then find the correct letter to add to form the new word. This activity builds phoneme manipulation skills, which helps students recognize similar words (both orally and written).
Why do students struggle with Word Changing?
If students are having difficulty manipulating letters in a word to make new words, make sure that they are familiar with the onsets and rimes of familiar words (such as words in the ABRA stories).
How do I further support students?
Ensure that students have mastered segmenting words before manipulating them. Once students can successfully manipulate the beginning letters in three phoneme words, letting students experiment with nonsense words before moving on to manipulating ending or medial letters may be helpful.
Linked Stories
Darryl! Don't Dawdle
Feelings
Henny Penny
How a Bean Sprouts
I Can Move Like a ...
The Dove and the Ant
The Frogs and the Well
The Little Red Hen
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
When I Open my Eyes
Related Activities
If you notice your student struggling with this activity, suggest one of the following activities to further practice and reinforce the skill.
Accuracy
Basic Decoding
Matching Sounds
Rhyme Matching
Same Phoneme
Word Families
Vocabulary (ESL)