Your students may not be allowed to play with their food, but they should definitely play with their words. 

And our phoneme deletion task cards allow them to do just that! 

In this activity, students will see how certain sounds can be removed to create a whole new set of vocabulary words. 

Play with Words Using Phoneme Deletion 

Use this resource in your reading center, as a guided reading activity, or a whole class exercise (see below) to practice creating new words by deleting phonemes.

Students will look at each picture and remove a specified phoneme to identify a new word. They’ll then write the new word on the line. 

For example, with the word “train,” you can remove the /t/ sound and still have a word remaining. The task card, in this case, would be:

🚂  – t = rain

Print on cardstock and place in dry-erase sleeves for a reusable activity students can practice again and again! 

Scaffolding and Extension Tips + More Phoneme Deletion Activities

Challenge students who already understand the concept to put the new words in alphabetical order. 

Support students who need help understanding the concepts by using a visual reminder of the letter sounds such as an alphabet display or anchor chart. 

Use this resource as independent practice for fast finishers, and for full-class learning opportunities like scoot activities, lesson reviews, formative assessments, and more.

🛴 Scoot Activity

Place the cards around the room in numerical order and instruct students to number a sheet of paper 1-16. Assign each student a card to start. Give students an appropriate amount of time to review the phoneme deletion task cards and record their answers on their sheets. Then say, “SCOOT.” At this time, the students will rotate to the next card. Continue in this manner until students have made it through all of the cards. 

🙋‍♀️ Show Me!

Give each student a mini dry-erase board and a dry-erase marker. Project one task card at a time and have your students write the new word on their board. When everyone has written down their answer, say, “Show Me.” Students will flip their boards, allowing you to see who needs extra support deleting phonemes.

🤞 Knock Off

Have your students stand up and make a line across the room. Project a phoneme deletion card on the screen. Use our Random Name Picker widget to draw a student’s name and have them tell you the new word created when the specified phoneme is removed. If the student correctly identifies the new word, they tap the person on their left or right to send them back to their seat. If the student answers the card incorrectly, they must sit out. Play continues until only 1 student is standing.

Get our 10 Best Scaffolding Strategies here! 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Print on cardstock for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

Keep the task cards out of pockets or under desks: cut out the cards and punch a hole in the corner of each to place them on a binder ring. 

To turn this teaching resource into a sustainable activity, print a few recording sheets on cardstock and slip them into dry-erase sleeves. Students can record their answers with a dry-erase marker, then erase and reuse.

Before You Download

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. 

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This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

 

Looking for more phonological awareness activities to plug into your lessons? We’ve got you covered! 

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