Phonemic Awareness Mastery Task

Initial, Middle, and Final Sounds

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Mastery Task

Identifying initial (beginning), medial (middle) and final (ending) sounds in words.

Preparation

Prepare a list of 10 words that students will use during the task.

Administration

One-on-one

Procedure

Tell the student: Today we are going to practice listening for sounds in words. We are going to listen to the first/middle/last sound in the word. Let’s practice.
Provide 1 practice word. Say: I am going to say a word. I want you to tell me the first/middle/last sound. Ready? The word is cat. What is the first/middle/last sound in cat?
If the student gets the practice word correct, continue with the task. If they do not, consider providing additional instruction before continuing with the task.
Continue the task repeating the sequence for all 10 words. I am going to say a word. I want you to tell me the first/middle/last sound. Ready? The word is XXX. What is the first/middle/last sound in XXX?
Record the student’s correct and incorrect answers.

Note: You may provide chips or blocks for students to use to point to the initial, middle, or final sound as a visual representation.

Outcome

When given 10 prompts, the student should be able to identify 80% or more of the initial, medial, or final sounds in words with automaticity.

NOTE: Choose one type of sound to focus on for the assessment (initial, medial, or final) depending on what the student has been working on.

Additional Resources

Here is a reference for Phonemic Awareness skills and how to assess when students master each skill: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/development-phonological-skills
Use lists like this one -- https://www.killeenisd.org/teacherDocs/c102/e44653/documents/TPRISkills-95185.pdf -- to find additional words to use during mastery tasks or practice.

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know if the students are ready for a Mastery Task?

We recommend administering a Mastery Task after an intervention, or targeted teaching of that skill, has been in place for 3 weeks. If a student appears to have mastered the skill before then, we recommend administering the Mastery Task.

What do I do with the results of the Mastery Task?

Using the results to guide your next lessons is a proactive approach to target weak skills or advance to the next skill level for students.

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