I love a sound chart
I have used a sound chart for years as an integral part of my kindergarten classroom. Originally, I used the sound chart provided by Fountas and Pinnell, but eventually I made my own. It is the first connection between letter and sound and it starts on the first day of school.
During calendar time, the sound chart is on a slide with our electronic calendar. EVERYDAY, my students chant the sound chart. “A…/a/…apple. B…/b/…bear. C…/k/…cat.” and so on. At first they echo me. Then, they echo the calendar helper. Eventually, it’s a choral read. To shake up understandings, we read it backwards. “Z…/z/…zipper. Y…/y/…yo-yo.” and so on. Then…we go crazy.
We read up each column from the bottom, down each column from the top, zig zag down and back on the rows, zig zag up and down the columns and any other crazy way we can think up.
My students KNOW the sound chart.
Classroom Sound Charts
Sound charts can be found all over the room. An enlarged poster (made at Office Max) is on the wall. 8 1/2 x 11 sounds charts are in their writing folders, their homework folders, and laminated at each center.
Laminated copies are also at the small group reading table. One enlarged sound chart is cut apart and the pieces are used for Word Wall Headers. They use the sound chart to connect, connect, connect.
I also provide a home copy of the Sound Chart.
Parents need to know what words and pictures we were connecting to the letters and sounds. We use short vowels and the hard c and g. I want to help the parents connect those letters and sounds, too. I made a Sound Chart Suggestion list for my parents. These suggestions can be done in the car, in a restaurant, at the dinner table, on the go.
I have three more blog posts about sound charts…so check them out for more ideas.
SOUND CHART: THE MOST VALUABLE CHART IN YOUR CLASSROOM
SOUND CHART: USING THE MOST VALUABLE CHART IN YOUR CLASSROOM
ENLARGING CLASSROOM POSTERS MADE EASY
