Tip 1
Tapping a word with more than 4 sounds.
"What do I do if I run out of fingers?"
When tapping a word that contains more than 4 sounds, simply go back and start over with the pointer finger.
Example: shrimp
sh is tapped with the pointer finger
r is tapped with the middle finger
i is tapped with the ring finger
m is tapped with the pinkie finger
p is tapped with the pointer finger
Tip 2
R-Controlled Vowels
ar ir er ur or
These are all called "r - controlled vowels". They appear on the salmon or pink colored cards.
When drilling these letters, remember that they are considered a vowel type, so you must always say the letter names - key word - and sound for each of them.
Tip 3
Nonsense Words
Remember to plug in Nonsense Words when you are using your sound cards to build words. It is also important to use nonsense words when you are doing Echo Find Letters/Words with the Magnetic Letter Boards or spelling words on White Boards.
It is very easy to forget to use nonsense words, since they are not included in the manual.
Using Nonsense Words helps children blend words that are unknown to them and allows you to see if they are proficient at the skill of blending.
Some examples: biff pem chut rish pell strump shonk
They are not real words. (Some teachers refer to them as Dr. Seuss words.)
Teachers have been given lists of nonsense words to work from. If you have misplaced those lists, let me know. I can get you a replacement. If you are not a classroom teacher and would like a copy, I would be happy to send you one also.