Summer Phoneme Segmentation Mats for Phonemic Awareness
These summer phoneme segmentation mats will provide lots of hands-on practice with blending and segmenting phonemes as we head into summer.
About Segmenting and Blending Sounds
One of the first foundational skills of learning to read is segmenting and blending sounds in words. This involves putting together and separating individual sounds in a word. These summer phoneme segmentation mats are a fun and interactive way to practice important phonological awareness skills. They are great for kindergarten and first grade.
Add them to your literacy centers or phonics centers to give kids a new way to practice segmenting words with 3 and 4 individual sounds. Afterward, students can slide their fingers across each ice cream scoop or fish in the ocean and blend the sounds back together.
You can also add the optional recording sheet for practice with word mapping.
This blend and segment activity is a great way to build phonemic awareness during centers or small group instruction this summer.
A Simple Summer Phonemic Awareness Activity
Preparing this resource takes very little time. Print the mats and picture cards, cut them apart, and laminate them.
Store them easily in the pockets or a mesh zipper pouch to grab them quickly when needed. They also fit into plastic photo boxes if you have those, making storage super simple.
How to Set Up the Summer Phoneme Segmentation Cards
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Supplies Needed:
- Summer Phoneme Segmentation Mats (button at the bottom of the post to get them)
- Laminating materials
- Scissors
That is all! No additional materials are needed for this activity.
Instructions:
- Print the phoneme segmentation mats and word cards.
- Laminate, if you would like.
- Cut the mats and word cards apart.
- Store the mats and word cards in a mesh bag or another task card storage option.
Laminate for durability if you want to reuse them.
How to Use the Summer Phoneme Segmentation Cards
Once you have prepped the materials, students will place a word card in the box on their card and determine what the word is.
Next, they will segment the sounds in the word by touching an ice cream scoop or fish. As they do this, they will say the corresponding sound. Afterward, they can run their finger below each image to blend the sounds to make the word.
As students repeat this activity, they will get more comfortable with tapping the sounds as they segment and blend.
The cards have words pictured that are either 3 or 4 sounds. Many of the words with 3 sounds are CVC words, CVCe words, or words with digraphs, and many of the words with 4 sounds are words with beginning or ending blends.
For example, the card with a sun on it is placed on the mat with 3 dots. The student touches the first dot or image and says the beginning sound in the word, then they touch the second image and say the middle sound, and finally, they touch the third image and say the third and final sound in the word.
Here’s how that looks:
- Touch the first ice cream scoop and say the /s/ sound.
- Touch the second ice cream scoop and say the /u/ sound.
- Touch the third ice cream scoop and say the /n/ sound.
For mats with 4 sounds, here is an example using the word snake :
- Touch the first fish and say the /s/ sound.
- Touch the second fish and say the /n/ sound.
- Touch the third fish and say the /a/ sound.
- Touch the fourth fish and say the /k/ sound.
Ways to Differentiate
You can choose whether to have your students work on words with 3 sounds, 4 sounds, or both.
If they are beginning to learn phoneme segmentation, you can assign fewer word cards to complete until they are more confident in their skills. Students rocking their phonemic awareness skills can do more word cards simultaneously.
The mats can be used in small groups with teacher guidance or independently in literacy centers.
You can also add the recording sheet for practice with word mapping.
There are many ways to use these summer phoneme segmentation cards, so you can change them up and use them in a way that works best for your students.
This phonemic awareness activity will greatly help you and your students! It will engage them in hands-on learning with segmenting and blending this summer! Enjoy!
Click the button below to get the Summer Phoneme Segmentation Mats and add them to your warm weather plans!
Here are some more resources for summer!
Editable Summer Four in a Row Games Free Printables
Beach Theme Letter Sound Isolation Mats
Ocean Fish CVC Word Building Cards