1. Sound – Print Connection
This is what we are aiming for connecting sound to print. When we go from sound to picture, to gesture to print…..? Need efficiency in recall of sound to symbol and symbol to sound. Automaticity.

2. Sound-print Connection
Reading Comprehension
Deriving meaning from the printed word.
Dependent on:
- understanding language
- decoding, the ability to derive
a word’s phonological
representation from sequences
of letters or letter groups
representing individual
phonemes
Graphophonic cueing system: individual speech sounds are
mapped E.g. b ough t
b a t
Phonemic Awareness
A cognitive skill consisting of three pieces
the phoneme is an abstract linguistic unit and not a unit of writing
the explicit, conscious awareness of that unit
the ability to explicitly manipulate such units
Specific Skills:
Isolating phonemes
Blending phonemes
Segmenting phonemes
Deleting phonemes
Substituting phonemes
Spoken Language
Phonological Awareness
Recognizing that sentences
Are made up of words
Recognizing word-length
Units in compound words
(e.g. cow/boy)
Rhyming
Alliteration (initial sound)
Onsets and rimes
Syllables: Blending
Segmenting (counting)
Isolating
Deleting
Recognizing that words and syllables are
made up of individual sounds
Alphabetic Principle
Phonemic Awareness skills help student access the print.
Listening Speaking Reading Writing

3. Alphabetic Principle Speech can be turned into print
Print can be turned into speech
Letters represent sounds in the language

4. Understanding the Sound-Symbol System

5. Concepts – provide explicit instruction in how sound-symbol system works
Letters represent sounds. /t/ /r/ /ee/
A sound can be represented by one letter and sometimes by two or more letters.
/b/ /a/ /t/ /c/ /oa/ /t/
There is variation in how we represent sounds in words.
came tail say break they eight
There is overlap in how we represent sounds in words.
ow = grow clown
There is variation in the both consonant and vowel sound-symbols

6. Skills needed to use a sound symbol system
Segmenting – the ability to separate sounds in words so when you hear the word ‘stop’ you can say the isolated sounds /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/
Blending – the ability to blend sounds into words, so when you hear the sounds /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/ you hear the word ‘stop’
Manipulate phonemes – the ability to manipulate sounds in and out of words, so that when you read ‘blow’ with the sound ‘ou’ as in cow, and you realize it’s not a word, you can drop the ‘ou’ sound and add the sound ‘oe’ and read ‘bloe’
We have taught students to segments a word and represent each sound with a line. They can the decide how to represent each sound. The are not simply remembering a visual sequence of letters for each word. Blending, as the student recognizes the sound symbols, they can then blend them into words. First blending auditorily then moving to internal talk.

7. Students must learn… explicitly how the sound-symbol system works
Implicitly
the skills needed to use the sound-symbol system
the symbols of the code
In an explicit manner; clearly; plainly – teach how the sound symbol system works. Model this in morning messages, teacher reading and spelling words.
Implied or understood though not directly expressed or learning by doing as in riding a bike. Student need practice using the skills and concepts of how the sound-symbol system works in the context of reading and writing real words in context. E.g Instead of saying sound this word out. Say, What is the first sound, what is the next sound… etc. The student is applying the skills in context with print.

8. Connecting Sound & Print
Sound symbol system doesn’t exist in isolation from the process of segmenting, blending and manipulating phonemes
These processes do not exist without the sound-symbol system
Each part is one half of the whole
Teach together in the context for which they exist to read and spell real words
Important these skills be embedded in the purposes for which they are used to read and spell connected text.

9. By teaching our students knowledge of our sound symbol system, they
Understand the concepts and skills
Perform the skills needed to use the sound-symbol system
Internalize information about the sound-symbol system
Know the point of reference is the sound, not the letter.

10. Introducing Sound Symbols
Various ways to introduce sequence of sound symbols:
Early Literacy Document p. 75
K-5 ELA curric. p
Specific programs
Assessment for learning – identify which sound-symbols students need to learn and provide specific instruction based on identified need in the context of the material they are reading

11. Activity: Categorizing Dolch Words
Individually look at all of the lists. Underline the sounds which are represented by more than one letter.
Look for commonalities between the lists e.g. variations of /a-e/ sound across the lists.
Note if there is overlap for any vowel symbol in a word e.g. got, most.
Use handout of sound-symbols provided
Refer to Grapheme (K) or (1-3) Sections of the Resource Binder for lists.
- 10 minutes

12. Group work Divide into 5 groups. (Maureen’s Mix)
Individual groups work with one of the Dolch lists: PP, P, 1, 2, 3
Group becomes the expert on that list of words.
Categorize your list of words into vowel sounds e.g. list all /ae/ sound may, tail, shape, paper
Use template provided
Some words may appear on more than one list
e.g. paper
Look for variation
Look for specific examples of overlap
(30 minutes)
On the last assessment, we noted that students had difficulty with the vowel graphemes. Today we will sort our words by vowel graphemes. Some words may appear on more than one list e.g. paper. If you come across overlap, give an example of that sound symbol used in another word. E.g. got (go)

13. Post Group Work
Post your categorized words into the vowel category sheets provided on the wall
Ensure that your lists are labeled
e.g. PP, P, 1, 2, 3
Stand back, look over all the lists
What pops out?
What patterns, categories, trends emerge?
Surprises?
What are some things that are not explored?
Record your information
(10 minutes)

14. Experts Report Report back to large group
- What commonalities within and across lists did
you find?
- What examples of variation and overlap
did you find?
- What strategies can we teach students to
use to handle overlap?
- How does an organization system help
students retain words? -
How did they handle words with multi-syllables?