The best way for kids to learn to read and spell is to learn how to separate and combine sounds in words. In this activity, your child will learn to use objects to visually represent the sounds in words.
three sounds: bus – /b/u/s/ bed – /b/e/d/ fish – /f/i/sh/ web – /w/e/b/ bath – /b/a/th/
four sounds steak – /s/t/a/k/ truck – /t/r/u/k/ block – /b/l/o/k/ brush – /b/r/u/sh/ skate – /s/k/a/t/
Step 1: Set the index card, counters, and one of the pictures on the table in front of your child.
Step 2: Say the word for the thing and ask your child to tell you how many sounds are in it.
You might say: “Listen. (bus) How many sounds are in the word (bus)? Let’s say it slowly. /b/u/s/.”
Step 3: Tell your child, “Put a counter in one of the boxes on your card for every sound you hear.” ”.
Step 4: Have your kid count the discs to see how many sounds are in the word.
Put a picture on the floor or table in front of your child if they can’t blend the sounds in the word. One sound at a time, you say each letter in the word and put a counter on the card for each one.
Invite your child to guess which word you are saying. “Listen. /b/u/s/ What’s the word? That’s right! (bus). Count the pennies to find out how many sounds are in (bus). ”.
Choose a picture randomly from one of your child’s favorite picture books. Be sure that the word has just three to five sounds. Say each sound in the word, one sound at a time. Then have your child find the picture that goes with the word you said. Have him then tell you how many sounds he heard.
For example, you might say: “I am looking at the /f/i/sh/. Touch the picture of /f/i/sh/. ” See if he can tell you how many sounds are in the word.
For beginning readers and phonics students, simple words can be broken down into individual sounds or phonemes. Grasping this skill, called phonemic awareness, is a fundamental building block for developing literacy. In this article, we’ll use the classic word “ham” to demonstrate phoneme segmentation and blending.
What is Phonemic Awareness?
Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify isolate and manipulate the distinct sounds in spoken language. Key skills include
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Identifying phonemes – understanding words comprise discrete units of sound
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Segmenting words into phonemes – breaking words into individual sounds (/h/ /a/ /m/)
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Blending phonemes to make words – combining sounds together (/h/ + /a/ + /m/ = ham)
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Deleting or adding phonemes to create new words – removing or adding sounds (ham without /h/ is am)
Mastering phonemic awareness gives children a huge boost in learning to read by enabling them to connect letters and sounds to unlock the written code.
Breaking Down the Word “Ham”
Let’s break the word “ham” into its phonemes using phoneme segmentation:
/h/ /a/ /m/
There are three letters in “ham” but only two phonemes – the distinct sounds forming the spoken word.
The two phonemes in “ham” are:
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/h/ – a glottal consonant sound
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/m/ – a bilabial nasal consonant sound
The letter “a” represents the vowel sound /a/.
So while “ham” has three letters, it contains just two phonemes or sounds, demonstrating the difference between letters and sounds.
Identifying the Phonemes in “Ham”
Let’s examine the two phonemes in “ham” more closely:
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/h/ – Called a voiceless glottal fricative. Produced by forcing air through the vocal folds without vibrating them, creating a hissing friction sound.
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/m/ – Called a bilabial nasal consonant. Formed by closing the lips and breathing through the nose, creating a humming nasal sound.
Understanding how these sounds are formed aids phonics and sounding out words.
Blending the Sounds in “Ham”
Once students recognize the discrete phonemes in a word, they can practice blending those sounds to build the word:
/h/ + /a/ + /m/ = ham
Blending is a key early reading skill that helps kids decode new words by combining sounds.
Some other examples of blending three-phoneme words:
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/c/ + /a/ + /t/ = cat
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/d/ + /o/ + /g/ = dog
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/m/ + /a/ + /p/ = map
With practice, blending becomes fast and automatic for beginning readers. Mastering it with simple words like “ham” paves the way for reading success.
Segmenting “Ham” into Phonemes
Segmenting is the reverse of blending – breaking whole words into individual sounds. Students can segment “ham” into its phonemes:
ham = /h/ /a/ /m/
Some other examples of segmenting three-phoneme words:
- cat = /c/ /a/ /t/
- fog = /f/ /o/ /g/
- bus = /b/ /u/ /s/
- lip = /l/ /i/ /p/
Practicing segmentation builds phonological awareness. Together with blending, it’s a foundational skill for fledgling readers.
Using simple words, teachers can demonstrate segmenting and blending to develop students’ abilities. “Ham” is the perfect example for introducing these pivotal concepts.
Grasping phonemic awareness through words like “ham” gives young readers a tangible way to understand the links between sounds, letters, and print. It lays the groundwork for connecting those dots on their exciting journey towards literacy. Recognizing the discrete sounds in language is the first step to cracking the reading code.
At-Home Activities by Age:
Reading to your toddler while talking and pointing to letters is a great way to get them interested in the alphabet.
In This Section:Learn how to
The best way for kids to learn to read and spell is to learn how to separate and combine sounds in words. In this activity, your child will learn to use objects to visually represent the sounds in words.
- There are pictures of things that make three or four different sounds. (Note: sounds and letters don’t always go together.)
three sounds: bus – /b/u/s/ bed – /b/e/d/ fish – /f/i/sh/ web – /w/e/b/ bath – /b/a/th/
four sounds steak – /s/t/a/k/ truck – /t/r/u/k/ block – /b/l/o/k/ brush – /b/r/u/sh/ skate – /s/k/a/t/
- five small objects to use as counters (e.g., pennies, buttons)
- index cards (blank)
Preparation
Step 1: Locate pictures of the objects shown above in the supplies list.
Step 2: Draw a horizontal row of five boxes on an index card.
Activity
Step 1: Set the index card, counters, and one of the pictures on the table in front of your child.
Step 2: Say the word for the thing and ask your child to tell you how many sounds are in it.
You might say: “Listen. (bus) How many sounds are in the word (bus)? Let’s say it slowly. /b/u/s/.”
Step 3: Tell your child, “Put a counter in one of the boxes on your card for every sound you hear.” ”.
Step 4: Have your kid count the discs to see how many sounds are in the word.
Step 5: Continue with several more words, assisting your child as needed.
Put a picture on the floor or table in front of your child if they can’t blend the sounds in the word. One sound at a time, you say each letter in the word and put a counter on the card for each one.
Invite your child to guess which word you are saying. “Listen. /b/u/s/ What’s the word? That’s right! (bus). Count the pennies to find out how many sounds are in (bus). ”.
Choose a picture randomly from one of your child’s favorite picture books. Be sure that the word has just three to five sounds. Say each sound in the word, one sound at a time. Then have your child find the picture that goes with the word you said. Have him then tell you how many sounds he heard.
For example, you might say: “I am looking at the /f/i/sh/. Touch the picture of /f/i/sh/. ” See if he can tell you how many sounds are in the word.
Counting Phonemes in Words
FAQ
How many sounds are in a word?
How many sounds are in the word bed?
How many words contain ham?
Found 2376 words containing ham. Check our Scrabble Word Finder, Wordle solver, Words With Friends cheat dictionary, and WordHub word solver to find words that contain ham. Or use our Unscramble word solver to find your best possible play! Related: Words that start with ham, Words that end in ham
How many sounds are there in the English language?
There are 44 sounds (phonemes) in the English language. They can be classified into two main groups: consonants and vowels. There are 24 consonant phonemes and 20 vowel phonemes, each containing slightly more complex sound categories.
How many different sounds are there in the English alphabet?
While there are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, there are 44 variations of sounds these letters can produce when spoken. These different individual speech sounds are called phonemes.
What are the smallest units of sound in language?
Phonemes are the smallest individual units of sound in language. Each word contains a different combination of phonemes. To understand words, we must be aware of their individual units and how they work together. Since phonemes are sounds (not letters), a single letter of the alphabet can represent multiple phonemes depending on the word.