This activity helps readers to understand that the letter C can spell two sounds.
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Activity: Words Are Made of Sounds
Standards
• Count, blend, and segment single syllable words that include consonant digraphs.
• Decode and spell CVC words with the digraph ch.
Reader Goals
I can read and spell words with the consonant c.
Target Words
cup, cat, can, cell, cent
Helpful Hints
Guide
- Say
We are going to practice listening for sounds in words. This will help us to read and spell more words.
Let’s listen for each sound in the word. Then we will spell each sound in a sound box. - Point to the cup and Say
I see Kim holding a cup in the picture. Say cup.
(cup) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word cup: /k/ – /ŭ/ – /p/
We tapped three boxes because the word cup has three sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word cup.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word cup?
(/k/) - Ask
What letter makes the /k/ sound?
(letter C or letter K) - Say
It can be either letter C or letter K. For the word cup, it is the letter C that makes the /k/ sound at the beginning because it is followed by the vowel sound /ŭ/. That’s the hard sound of C. - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the middle sound. - Ask
What vowel sound do you hear in the middle of the word cup?
(/ŭ/) - Ask
What vowel makes the /ŭ/ sound?
(vowel U) - Push next to show the middle letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the ending sound. - Ask
What sound do you hear at the end of the word cup?
(/p/) - Ask
What letter makes the /p/ sound?
(letter P) - Push next to show the last letter
Guide
- Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word cup: /k/ – /ŭ/ – /p/ - Stretch out the vowel as you Blend all sounds in the word: Say
Now blend the sounds together and say the word slowly: /k-ŭŭŭ-p/ - Say the word together: Say
Now say it fast: /kŭp/
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another word. - Point to the cat and Say
I see Kim looking at the cat in the picture. Say cat.
(cat) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word cat: /k/ – /ă/ – /t/
We tapped three boxes because the word cat has three sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word cat.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word cat?
(/k/) - Ask
What letter makes the /k/ sound?
(letter C or letter K) - Say
For the word cat, it is the letter C that makes the /k/ sound at the beginning because it is followed by the vowel /ă/. That’s the hard sound of C. - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the middle sound. - Ask
What vowel sound do you hear in the middle of the word cat?
(/ă/) - Ask
What vowel makes the /ă/ sound?
(vowel A) - Push next to show the middle letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the ending sound. - Ask
What sound do you hear at the end of the word cat?
(/t/) - Ask
What letter makes the /t/ sound?
(letter T) - Push next to show the last letter
Guide
- Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word cat: /k/ – /ă/ – /t/ - Stretch out the vowel as you Blend all sounds in the word: Say
Now blend the sounds together and say the word slowly: /k-ăăă-t/ - Say the word together: Say
Now say it fast: /kăt/
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another word. - Point to the can and Say
I see Kim reaching a can in the picture. Say can.
(can) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word can: /k/ – /ă/ – /n/
We tapped three boxes because the word can has three sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word can.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word can?
(/k/) - Ask
What letter makes the /k/ sound?
(letter C or letter K) - Say
For the word can, it is the letter C that makes the /k/ sound at the beginning because it is followed by the short vowel sound /ă/. That’s the hard sound of C. - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the middle sound. - Ask
What vowel sound do you hear in the middle of the word can?
(/ă/) - Ask
What vowel makes the /ă/ sound?
(vowel A) - Push next to show the middle letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the ending sound. - Ask
What sound do you hear at the end of the word can?
(/n/) - Ask
What letter makes the /n/ sound?
(letter N) - Push next to show the last letter
Guide
- Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word can: /k/ – /ă/ – /n/ - Stretch out the vowel as you Blend all sounds in the word: Say
Now blend the sounds together and say the word slowly: /k-ăăă-n/ - Say the word together: Say
Now say it fast: /kăn/
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another word. - Point to the picture and Say
I see a cell phone. It means the kind of cell that is short for the word cell phone. Say cell.
(cell) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word cell: /s/ – /ĕ/ – /l/
We tapped three boxes because the word cell has three sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word cell.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word cell?
(/s/) - Ask
What letter spells the /s/ sound?
(letter S or letter C) - Say
It can be either letter S or letter C. For the word cell, it is the letter C that makes the /s/ sound at the beginning. That’s the soft sound of C. - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the middle sound. - Ask
What vowel sound do you hear in the middle of the word cell?
(/ĕ/) - Ask
What vowel makes the /ĕ/ sound?
(vowel E) - Push next to show the middle letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the ending sound. - Ask
What sound do you hear at the end of the word cell?
(/l/) - Ask
What letters make the /l/ sound?
(double letter LL) - Say
In the word cell, the letters LL make the sound /l/. It’s the digraph LL. - Push next to show the last digraph
Guide
- Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word cell: /s/ – /ĕ/ – /l/ - Stretch out the vowel as you Blend all sounds in the word: Say
Now blend the sounds together and say the word slowly: /s-ĕĕĕ-l/ - Say the word together: Say
Now say it fast: /sĕl/
Guide
- Say
Let’s do another word. - Point to the picture and Say
I see a cent. It’s the kind of cent that is a coin and has a money value. Say cent.
(cent) - Point to each box as you Say each sound in the word: Say
Let’s tap a box for each sound we hear in the word cent: /s/ – /ĕ/ – /n/ – /t/
We tapped four boxes because the word cent has four sounds. - Ask
Now let’s listen for each sound in the word cent.
What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word cent?
(/s/) - Ask
What letter makes the /s/ sound?
(letter S or letter C) - Say
It can be either letter S or letter C. For the word cent, it is the letter C that makes the /s/ sound at the beginning because it means the kind of cent that is a coin and has a money value. That’s the soft sound of C. - Push next to show the first letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Ask
What vowel sound do you hear in the middle of the word cent?
(/ĕ/) - Ask
What vowel makes the /ĕ/ sound?
(vowel E) - Push next to show the second letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the next sound. - Signal the sound /n/ by Putting your finger at the side of your nose: Ask
What sound do you hear after the vowel sound /ĕ/ in the word cent?
(/n/) - Ask
What letter makes the /n/ sound?
(letter N) - Push next to show the third letter
Guide
- Say
Let’s listen for the ending sound. - Say /sĕn/ and Exaggerate the sound /n/ and then Say with emphasis the sound /t/: Ask
What sound do you hear at the end of the word cent?
(/t/) - Ask
What letter makes the /t/ sound?
(letter T) - Push next to show the last letter
Guide
- Review each sound in the word: Say
Let’s say each sound in the word cent: /s/ – /ĕ/ – /n/ – /t/ - Stretch out the vowel as you Blend all sounds in the word: Say
Now blend the sounds together and say the word slowly: /s-ĕĕĕ-n-t/ - Say the word together: Say
Now say it fast: /sĕnt/
