a sound and U sound
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jbnatoli@yahoo.it
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:07 pm
a sound and U sound
My child find it difficult to understand the difference of the sound a and u. She is always confused and not sure if she needs to write u or a. Example word but and she write bat. Hat for hut. I don't know what other means to explain to her, giving her lots of exercises and practice. Somebody kind to help me.. thanks..
First of all - welcome to the PI message forum. It's good to see a new visitor!
Have you tried using the Alphabetic Code Frieze Posters for the sounds /a/ and /u/?
I suggest that you start off with the 'a' Alphabetic Code Frieze Poster which is in unit 1 and point out the circular shape of the apple which is similar to an 'a' letter shape.
You could pretend you are biting an apple so that you open your mouth wide as you do when you say 'a' and then make the sound /a/.
Ask your daughter to copy what you do. Show her how to trace the 'a' letter shape with her finger and write it down on paper as well. All the time, your daughter needs to repeat the sound /a/.
Follow this by saying a word like 'cat' and segment it (split it up) into the sounds /k/ /a/ /t/. Next, she can write the letters which are code for those sounds 'c' 'a' 't'.
Then, return to the poster with the apple shape and letter shape and repeat the sound /a/.
You can repeat the above with the Alphabetic Code Frieze Poster for the grapheme 'u' for 'umbrella'. Say the sound /u/ and note that the handle of the umbrella has a shape like a letter 'u'. You can hear the sound 'u' as in the word 'up' as well, so model pushing the umbrella 'u'p whilst saying the sound /u/.
The letter-sound correspondence 'u' is introduced in unit 2. For anyone who has not bought the programme and who just wants to focus on a little misunderstanding for a learner, they can look at the new Alphabetic Code Overview Chart which is free on the unit 1 page, and see the key 'picture word' to give them an idea of how they could draw a key word.
Then, say the word 'cut' slowly and segment it into its sounds /k/ /u/ /t/. Ask your daughter to write down the letters which are code for those sounds.
Keep returning to the Alphabetic Code Frieze Posters and repeat the sounds of the focus letters and trace the letter shapes. Then say some further words very slowly for segmenting into their individual sounds and then write down the code for the sounds.
Have a list of simple words with 'a' and with 'u'. Examples could be:
bag, hat, cap, sad, rat, mad, gap.
cup, mug, rug, mud, pup, tub, gum.
If your daughter likes games, you could write words like this on small pieces of paper and lay them face down on the floor. She could point to a card, and you pick it up and say the word slowly. First your daughter needs to identify the sounds all-through-the-spoken- word and then she needs to think which letter shapes are code for the sounds - this, of course, will include working out which is the /u/ sound and which is the /a/ sound.
Other resources which might help this learning, are the Picture Flash Cards. These also feature a key picture (apple and umbrella). You can flash through the cards first with the key pictures and then the cards with the letter shapes only asking your daughter to 'say the sounds'. When she comes to a letter 'a' or 'u', she will need to think hard as to which is which. Ask her to look at the letter shape. Is it round like the 'apple' or is it shaped like the umbrella handle.
I would be very surprised if this extra bit of focus doesn't help your daughter to remember the correct letters for the sounds.
If this does not work, please ask me again for further advice.
Have you tried using the Alphabetic Code Frieze Posters for the sounds /a/ and /u/?
I suggest that you start off with the 'a' Alphabetic Code Frieze Poster which is in unit 1 and point out the circular shape of the apple which is similar to an 'a' letter shape.
You could pretend you are biting an apple so that you open your mouth wide as you do when you say 'a' and then make the sound /a/.
Ask your daughter to copy what you do. Show her how to trace the 'a' letter shape with her finger and write it down on paper as well. All the time, your daughter needs to repeat the sound /a/.
Follow this by saying a word like 'cat' and segment it (split it up) into the sounds /k/ /a/ /t/. Next, she can write the letters which are code for those sounds 'c' 'a' 't'.
Then, return to the poster with the apple shape and letter shape and repeat the sound /a/.
You can repeat the above with the Alphabetic Code Frieze Poster for the grapheme 'u' for 'umbrella'. Say the sound /u/ and note that the handle of the umbrella has a shape like a letter 'u'. You can hear the sound 'u' as in the word 'up' as well, so model pushing the umbrella 'u'p whilst saying the sound /u/.
The letter-sound correspondence 'u' is introduced in unit 2. For anyone who has not bought the programme and who just wants to focus on a little misunderstanding for a learner, they can look at the new Alphabetic Code Overview Chart which is free on the unit 1 page, and see the key 'picture word' to give them an idea of how they could draw a key word.
Then, say the word 'cut' slowly and segment it into its sounds /k/ /u/ /t/. Ask your daughter to write down the letters which are code for those sounds.
Keep returning to the Alphabetic Code Frieze Posters and repeat the sounds of the focus letters and trace the letter shapes. Then say some further words very slowly for segmenting into their individual sounds and then write down the code for the sounds.
Have a list of simple words with 'a' and with 'u'. Examples could be:
bag, hat, cap, sad, rat, mad, gap.
cup, mug, rug, mud, pup, tub, gum.
If your daughter likes games, you could write words like this on small pieces of paper and lay them face down on the floor. She could point to a card, and you pick it up and say the word slowly. First your daughter needs to identify the sounds all-through-the-spoken- word and then she needs to think which letter shapes are code for the sounds - this, of course, will include working out which is the /u/ sound and which is the /a/ sound.
Other resources which might help this learning, are the Picture Flash Cards. These also feature a key picture (apple and umbrella). You can flash through the cards first with the key pictures and then the cards with the letter shapes only asking your daughter to 'say the sounds'. When she comes to a letter 'a' or 'u', she will need to think hard as to which is which. Ask her to look at the letter shape. Is it round like the 'apple' or is it shaped like the umbrella handle.
I would be very surprised if this extra bit of focus doesn't help your daughter to remember the correct letters for the sounds.
If this does not work, please ask me again for further advice.
Debbie Hepplewhite
I often find that children find it hard to distinguish between vowel sounds, I presume because they are all quite similar. I tend to find that in every class I teach there are a few children who struggle with mixing up vowels. Typically e and i are the 2 they mix up, which I think are the hardest to distinguish between.
I haven't done any research, but anecdotally I am finding that EAL children seem to struggle and mix up vowels more than my English First Language speakers. Could this be to do with the accent, or maybe something else?
Has anyone else found the same?
Like Debbie suggests, I found that lots of extra work on vowels is helpful, particularly looking at the shapes your mouth makes when you say the different sounds. Both sit next to each other in front of a mirror and say the sounds.Show her what shape your mouth makes, then ask her to make the sound and talk about whether her mouth makes the same shape. Then kepp practsing in front of the mirror.
Good luck, but do take heart, as I say, I find this is quite a common "blip"!
I haven't done any research, but anecdotally I am finding that EAL children seem to struggle and mix up vowels more than my English First Language speakers. Could this be to do with the accent, or maybe something else?
Has anyone else found the same?
Like Debbie suggests, I found that lots of extra work on vowels is helpful, particularly looking at the shapes your mouth makes when you say the different sounds. Both sit next to each other in front of a mirror and say the sounds.Show her what shape your mouth makes, then ask her to make the sound and talk about whether her mouth makes the same shape. Then kepp practsing in front of the mirror.
Good luck, but do take heart, as I say, I find this is quite a common "blip"!