Sound Out Then Write
Here's What To Do
1
Encourage your child to use a few letters to write simple words throughout the day.
2
Say the word and have them listen for the first and last sound. Then, write those down. For example, they’ll write “M” or “MK” for “milk.”
3
Over time, they’ll be able to include the middle sound as well.
4
Invite your child to help you write lists, journal or write while playing to encourage their love of writing.
Put PEER Into Action
P
Pause:
- Do a few finger exercises to get your child’s fingers ready for writing. Open and close your hands, wiggle your fingers and shake out your hands.
E
Engage:
- “Can you help me to write the grocery list?”
- “Can you write “soap?”
E
Encourage:
- Say a simple word and emphasize the beginning sound (simple consonant or vowel). Then, help your child to identify the corresponding letter to write to represent the word.
- “‘Dog.’ What sound do you hear at the beginning of ‘d-d-dog?’ What letter makes that sound? We can write ‘D’ for ‘dog.’”
R
Reflect:
- “Do you like writing? Why or why not?”
Not quite ready?
Focus on helping your child write the initial letter to represent a word.
Ready for more?
Encourage your child to sound out simple words and include more letters to represent the word.
As your child masters this skill...
They will write words using knowledge of letter-sound relationships.