Segmentation Ideas

This blogpost provides a bird's eye view into all the “work” we did this week with segmentation, counting, and more.

Check out all the fun we had while learning and practicing these essential first grade skills.

It's been a BLAST with my firsties this year!

Last year was ALL behavior and sensory support,  this year has been all about BOOT CAMP basic skills mixed with joyful learning.

Evidence:

Table of Contents
Toggle

Slinkies for Segmentation

I read about this idea from the amazing Deanna Jump. My students were all about segmenting (stretching out each phoneme, or sound, in a word) and then blending (putting the sounds back to together to form the word) using this stretchy tool.

Here's a Segmentation “Cheat Chart”

Quick note: I bought a set of primary-colored slinkies from Amazon. They were so cute, but BROKE easily. Next, I bought the “original” silver  – it's perfect for teacher modeling. Then I saw a package of mini Halloween slinkies at Rite Aid – check your local drugstore or dollar store.

How does segmentation support early readers?

I'm a firm believer in “If you can say it, you can spell it.”

Just ask my first grade students!

 

Looking for more segmentation ideas?

My students have had a lot of success with practicing it a little EVERY day, rather than having one or two lengthy lessons. We often do what a like to call our “Gimme 5” Warmups:

• Segmentation – 5 words
• Blending – 5 words
• Matching Sounds – 5 words
• Identifying Rhymes – 5 word pairs
• Identify Number of Syllables – 5 words

As my students progress, the skills will change, but the idea is to warm-up with five exercises at a time.

Why five? It's quick and easy to grab a quick data point:

• 3/5 = 60%, this student may need some extra reinforcement

• 5/5 = 100%, time to move forward

I put all of these warm-ups onto PowerPoint so we can tackle a few everyday. These are such a time-saver for my small groups!

One of my co-teachers used these PowerPoints as an independent literacy center – what a great idea! Be sure to check out the series – the first 5 days are FREE.