Phoneme Segmentation is separating a word into sounds or phonemes. 

Teaching your children to sound out words improves:

• Reading.
• Writing.
• Spelling.
• Auditory skills.
• Attention.

For this activity, you will need: 

• Printable pictures.
• Colors (optional – if the pictures aren’t colored).
• Scissors to cut the pictures into cards.

How to:

• Color the pictures.
• Cut pictures into cards.

Procedure: (Ages: 4-5)

Choose words that don't have many sounds, preferable CVC words (consonant-vowel – consonant). 

1. Place a picture card in front of the child. 
2. Ask the child to name the picture. 
3. Repeat the name of the picture while stressing on each sound as you say it. For example
   car - /kih/, /ah/, /rrr/
   box - /bih/, /oh/, /xx/
4. Repeat the individual sounds while placing the letter each sound represents.
5. Repeat, have the child sound out the word and place letters under the picture. 

Procedure: (Age: 5+)

Words can be more complex now that the child has become familiar with segmentation and individual sounds. Words can include long vowel sounds, diphthongs, diagraphs, and consonant blends.

1. Place a picture card in front of the child. 
2. Ask the child to name the picture. 
3. Repeat the name of the picture while stressing on each sound as you say it. For example
   fish - /ff/, /ih/, /sh/
   book - /bih/, /oo/, /kih/
4. Repeat the sounds while placing the letter(s) that each sound represents.
   *Note: For words that have more complex sounds. Some sounds will have 2 or 3 letters that represent one sound. It is important to highlight this to your child. Avoid placing 2-3 letter sounds separately. Example: fish – is /f/,/i/,/sh/ not /f/,/i/,/s/,/h/. The ‘s’ and ‘h’ have to be together.
5. Repeat, have the child sound out the word, and place letters under the picture.