Word Chain

When the students can do the word building activity as a teacher-directed activity, then they can try word chains. This is similar to word building, but it moves more rapidly and the students may be asked to change initial or final or medial sounds randomly. Each time the students change just one letter to make the new word. This builds automaticity and draws attention to the order of the letters and sounds in words. It is important that you are clear in your directions when you mean the letter and when you want to refer to the sound. When you are intended to say the sounds you will see the slashes around the letter to signify that /s/ or /t/.  An example of a word chain is provided below:

mat: This is mat. What sound is at the end of mat?  /t/  Change the sound at the end of mat to /p/. What is the new word? (map)
map: Let's change the word to mop. What sound has to change? ( /a/ to /o/ mop)
mop: Change mop to top. Where did the sound change? (at the beginning)
top: Change top to tip. Where did the sound change? (in the middle) what is the sound? (/i/)
tip:  Listen to the new word—sip. Where did the sound change? (at the beginning, /s/)
sip: Now listen for the last word—sap. What is the new sound? (/a/) (sap)