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Building awareness of sounds in words through play

Claire Carter -Jones
Kindergarten teacher

The Crocodile game is a phonics-based game. I like to do phonics- based games playing with sounds. This is a bit of a silly game that the children really like where the crocodile’s learning to talk, but he gets all his initial sounds wrong. So it requires the children to, one, recognise the mistake. Also, I aim to segment that initial sound, and also to think of the right sound that needs to be put in its place in order for the crocodile to learn. And the children adore it because it puts them in the teaching situation, and they find it very funny.

Excerpt from class session

Claire

So these are the box of objects with all of these sounds in them. And I brought another friend for us today. This is Croc. Want to say hello?
Children Hello, Croc. Hello
Claire Now, Croc is just learning how to talk. He’s not very good, and he would need your help. So he’s learning lots of new words. Ryan, would you like to pick something from our basket and see if he can tell us what it’s called?

Croc

It’s a brambulance.

Claire

Is that right?

Children

No.

Ryan

It’s an ambulance.

Claire

What is it?

Children

Ambulance.

Claire

Can you tell him how to say it properly? What does it begin with?

Children

A, A, A, A …

Claire

Ambulance. Shall we see if he can say it properly? Ready?

Croc

Ambulance.

Claire

Was that good?

Children

Yeah.

Claire

Well done, Croc. We’ll put that one down. Katie, would you like to pick something out? Let’s see what Katie’s going to pick. Do you know what this is, Croc?

Croc

It’s a squenguin.

Children

Penguin.

Child

It starts with a K.

Claire

It starts with … What sound does it start with?

Children

P.

Claire

What sound does that make?

Child

Penguin.

Claire

Can you tell him that first sound?

Children

P, P, P, P ...

Claire

Let’s see if he can get right.

Child

Penguin.

Croc

Penguin.

Claire

Did he do it?

Children

Yeah.

Claire

Yeah, you’re very good teachers.

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