Sound Chart: Using The Most Valuable Chart in Your Classroom Part 2

Like I stated in the previous sound chart post, I love my sound chart. I believe this chart can be used in sort venter for more of the school year…it just depends how you use it. Abandoning the sound chart when your students know all their letters, would be a shame!

SOund Chart: Silly Sound Games

Using the Sound Chart to play silly sound games can be just the way to get those unenthusiastic learners involved and giggling.

Taking a cue from Ellen, you can make index cards with the sound chart letter and pictures and the students can play a sound chart version of Heads Up.

The beginning level can be for students to hold a card above their head and have a partner give them a sound clue. After the guesser is finished, the clue-giver gets to be the guesser.

This allows for everyone to be involved. The power up level is clue-giver needs to give new words with the same sound of letter on the card, but not the exact picture reference.

Another idea for getting them laughing is asking them to act out a letter/sound symbol without talking. The guesser has to say the sound and the picture representing it.

SOund Chart: Sorting Center

Having a sorting center can help students see relationships between words, sounds, and meanings and won’t even know they are doing all of it.

First, making centers that can be easily planned, easily organized, and easily maintained is a priority. I also believe in making sure the center has some accountability without necessarily being a worksheet they have to complete and turn in.

For quick organization, print the color or black and white sound charts that are reduced in size. Printing them on different colored papers can automatically organize lost pieces or messy students.

I laminated the pieces after cutting because I wanted a sealed edge on each picture. You can obviously laminate the whole page and cut apart.

Each of the sound chart pieces can be stored in buckets or reclosable bags, easily accessible to students.

SOund Chart: Same Pieces, Different Sort Mats.

Although the pictures are the same, the sort mats will change. Printing sort mats and laminating them or putting them in sheet protectors can allow you to store and reuse each year.

Students will sort the pictures, all twenty-six of them, and then use the student record sheet to be accountable to the task. Having students record all the words would be overwhelming and far too time-consuming. 

Choosing a specific number of items to record in each column can allow for differentiation, as well.

If students is asked to sort by Big/Little, they would sort them all and record five words in each column.

If students are asked to sort by syllable, they would sort them all and record five words in two of the columns and record two in the 3-syllable column, because there are only two 3-syllable words.

If the student is asked to sort by Long Vowel/Short Vowel and Oddball, they should be directed to only sort the one-syllable words. Students can also sort by Letters In My Name/Letters Not In My Name, then record the words for the letters in their name (highlighting the beginning letter of each) and also record 5 more words on the sheet. The number of ways a student can sort is limited by your imagination.

Check out the Sound Chart Set in my TPT store for ideas and options.

Cathy Collier

Leave a Reply