Teaching Onset Rimes
Teaching phonemic awareness can be, at times, a daunting task. As teachers, we know it’s an important component students need to have in place to become a successful reader. Solid, systematic instruction needs to happen in order for kids to build these skills, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring! I want my students to have these skills — and this unit helps me provide instruction they are excited to participate in.
There are several activities in this instructional packet that can be used in small groups or the whole class. I tend to use most of them for whole group instruction. Bookstore Sale is my favorite because the kids love the idea of working in the bookstore and helping customers find the books they need. I like to place the books in a pocket chart so we can spend a few days playing this game. After a child selects the book they are searching for, we then blend the onset and rime as a whole class to see if that matches the card. This way the kids can have individual and group practice all at once.
Planting Flowers is another great activity that can be done in either whole or small groups. I prefer to play this game in a small group because managing the flowers is easier. This is an easy game to hand off to a parent volunteer or aide if you have one. The more practice our students receive with phonemic awareness will have far-reaching benefits.
Both games can be printed and laminated for repeated use. I highly recommend taking that step and then creating a folder for all the activities so you can easily locate them when needed.
Color the Picture is a unique way for us to practice blending the onset and rime while assessing my students through observation as well. They don’t get bored either because they love the challenge of solving the word riddle and then coloring its match. Because these activities are research based and fun, I feel good about how I am teaching my students and I am confident that they are gaining skills to be excellent readers and writers.
