Lesson Plan
Sound Safari Lesson Plan
Students will review and practice identifying and producing 18 basic phonemes from Group A using engaging visual and hands-on activities, aiming for accurate recognition and pronunciation of each sound.
Phonemic awareness is a key predictor of reading success; reviewing these foundational sounds supports decoding skills, improves pronunciation confidence, and benefits all learners by reinforcing core literacy components.
Audience
7th Grade Middle School Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive games and guided pronunciation drills.
Prep
Prepare Teaching Materials
10 minutes
- Print and cut out Group A Phoneme Flashcards.
- Prepare sets of Phoneme Matching Game Cards.
- Make copies of Sound Safari Worksheet for each student.
- Review the correct pronunciation for all 18 phonemes.
Step 1
Warm-Up Introduction
5 minutes
- Greet students and introduce the Sound Safari theme.
- Display Group A Phoneme Flashcards one by one.
- Ask students to briefly say the sound and name one example.
Step 2
Phoneme Identification Game
10 minutes
- Divide class into small teams.
- Distribute sets of Phoneme Matching Game Cards to each team.
- Instruct teams to match phoneme cards with corresponding word or image cards.
- Rotate sets every 2 minutes for variety.
Step 3
Pronunciation Practice Round
10 minutes
- Hand out Sound Safari Worksheet.
- Students read phonemes and examples aloud individually or in pairs.
- Conduct choral repetition: teacher models, class repeats.
- Provide corrective feedback on articulation.
Step 4
Closing Reflection
5 minutes
- Gather students and discuss which phonemes were easiest or hardest.
- Reflect on strategies to remember tricky sounds.
- Encourage students to practice at home using flashcards.
Slide Deck
Sound Safari
Welcome to our Sound Safari!
Objective: Review and practice 18 Group A phonemes for accurate recognition and pronunciation.
Introduce the lesson theme. Explain the objective and what students will do in this session.
Warm-Up Introduction
- Greet students and introduce the Sound Safari theme
- Display Group A Phoneme Flashcards one by one
- Ask students to say the sound and one example word
Use flashcards to engage students immediately. Encourage participation by calling on volunteers to share examples.
Phoneme Review: Part 1
/s/ 🐍 sun, sock, sand
/a/ 🍎 ant, apple, axe
/t/ 🔨 tap, ten, top
/i/ 🖊️ ink, in, igloo
/p/ 🐧 pen, pig, pot
/n/ 🐜 net, nose, nut
Model each sound clearly. Have students repeat chorally after you for each phoneme.
Phoneme Review: Part 2
/e/ 🥚 egg, elf, end
/o/ 🐙 on, ox, off
/u/ ☔ up, under, ugly
/m/ 🐵 man, map, mug
/d/ 🐶 dog, dig, dot
/g/ 🐐 goat, gap, gum
Continue choral repetition. Monitor for correct mouth position and provide feedback.
Phoneme Review: Part 3
/c / k/ 🐱 cat, cap, cup
/r/ 🐀 rat, red, rug
/h/ 🏠 hat, hop, hen
/b/ ⚽ bat, bed, bag
/l/ 🦁 lip, log, lamp
/f/ 🐟 fish, fan, fog
Finish phoneme introductions. Encourage students to use visuals to remember each sound.
Phoneme Identification Game
- Divide class into small teams
- Distribute Phoneme Matching Game Cards
- Teams match phoneme cards with word/image cards
- Rotate sets every 2 minutes for variety
Circulate among teams to prompt and correct. Celebrate quick matches and correct responses.
Pronunciation Practice Round
- Hand out Sound Safari Worksheet
- Students read phonemes and examples aloud individually or in pairs
- Choral repetition: teacher models, class repeats
- Provide corrective feedback on articulation
Use this time to offer targeted feedback. Pair stronger readers with peers needing more support.
Closing Reflection
- Which phonemes were easiest or hardest?
- What strategies helped you remember tricky sounds?
- Practice at home using your flashcards!
Guide a short discussion to reinforce learning. Encourage students to set personal practice goals.
Worksheet
Sound Safari Worksheet
Name: _______________ Date: _______________
Section 1: Match the Phonemes (9 points)
Match each phoneme in Column A with the correct word in Column B by writing the letter on the blank.
Column A Column B
- /s/ ____ a. nut
- /a/ ____ b. ox
- /t/ ____ c. sun
- /i/ ____ d. egg
- /p/ ____ e. apple
- /n/ ____ f. up
- /e/ ____ g. tap
- /o/ ____ h. ink
- /u/ ____ i. pen
Section 2: Fill in the Missing Phoneme (9 points)
Add the correct initial phoneme to each word.
- __an (man)
- __og (dog)
- __oat (goat)
- __at (cat)
- __at (rat)
- __at (hat)
- __at (bat)
- __ip (lip)
- __ish (fish)
Section 3: Pronunciation Practice
Choose any 6 phonemes from Group A. For each phoneme:
- Say the phoneme aloud 3 times.
- Write one example word below.
- Phoneme: ______ Word: ___________________________
- Phoneme: ______ Word: ___________________________
- Phoneme: ______ Word: ___________________________
- Phoneme: ______ Word: ___________________________
- Phoneme: ______ Word: ___________________________
- Phoneme: ______ Word: ___________________________
Section 4: Reflection
Which phoneme was easiest to recognize or pronounce? Why?
Which phoneme was hardest? How can you remember it better?
Materials for reference: Group A Phoneme Flashcards, Phoneme Matching Game Cards
Answer Key
Sound Safari Answer Key
This answer key provides correct responses and step-by-step reasoning for each section of the Sound Safari Worksheet.
Section 1: Match the Phonemes (9 points)
Match each phoneme in Column A with the correct word in Column B by writing the letter on the blank.
| # | Phoneme | Correct Word | Letter | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | /s/ | sun | c | sun begins with the /s/ sound |
| 2 | /a/ | apple | e | apple begins with the /a/ sound |
| 3 | /t/ | tap | g | tap begins with the /t/ sound |
| 4 | /i/ | ink | h | ink begins with the /i/ sound |
| 5 | /p/ | pen | i | pen begins with the /p/ sound |
| 6 | /n/ | nut | a | nut begins with the /n/ sound |
| 7 | /e/ | egg | d | egg begins with the /e/ sound |
| 8 | /o/ | ox | b | ox begins with the /o/ sound |
| 9 | /u/ | up | f | up begins with the /u/ sound |
Total for Section 1: 9 points
Section 2: Fill in the Missing Phoneme (9 points)
Add the correct initial phoneme to each word.
- m an ⇒ /m/ (man begins with /m/)
- d og ⇒ /d/ (dog begins with /d/)
- g oat ⇒ /g/ (goat begins with /g/)
- c at ⇒ /c/ (or /k/) — cat begins with the hard /k/ sound, and /c/ represents this phoneme here.
- r at ⇒ /r/ (rat begins with /r/)
- h at ⇒ /h/ (hat begins with /h/)
- b at ⇒ /b/ (bat begins with /b/)
- l ip ⇒ /l/ (lip begins with /l/)
- f ish ⇒ /f/ (fish begins with /f/)
Total for Section 2: 9 points
Section 3: Pronunciation Practice (6 points)
Students choose any 6 phonemes from Group A, say them aloud, and write an example word.
Notes for Grading
- Award 1 point per phoneme: ½ point for correct phoneme, ½ point for valid example word beginning with that phoneme.
- Accept any of the 18 Group A phonemes and any appropriate example.
Sample Responses
| Phoneme | Example Word |
|---|---|
| /s/ | sun |
| /a/ | ant |
| /t/ | ten |
| /i/ | igloo |
| /p/ | pig |
| /n/ | nut |
Total for Section 3: 6 points
Section 4: Reflection (2 points)
Student responses will vary.
Grading Criteria
- 1 point for a clear statement of the easiest phoneme with a logical reason.
- 1 point for a clear statement of the hardest phoneme with a strategy to remember it.
Sample Reflection
Easiest Phoneme: /s/ was easiest because I hear it in many words (sun, sock).
Hardest Phoneme: /r/ was hardest because I sometimes roll my tongue too much; I will practice by feeling the tip of my tongue behind my teeth.
Total for Section 4: 2 points
Overall Total: 26 points
Rubric
Sound Safari Rubric
This rubric supports fair, objective assessment of student performance on the Sound Safari Worksheet and in-class participation during the lesson.
Scoring Scale
4 – Distinguished: Exceeds expectations with accuracy and insight
3 – Proficient: Meets expectations with minor errors or omissions
2 – Approaching: Partial understanding; several errors
1 – Beginning: Limited understanding; major misconceptions or incomplete work
Rubric Criteria
| Criterion | 4 – Distinguished | 3 – Proficient | 2 – Approaching | 1 – Beginning | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Phoneme Matching (Section 1) (9 points possible) | All 9 matches correct; demonstrates clear understanding of each sound No hesitations or corrections | 7–8 correct; minor mismatches or hesitations | 4–6 correct; several mismatches indicate partial confusion | Fewer than 4 correct; major misconceptions about initial sounds | 25% |
| 2. Missing Phoneme (Section 2) (9 points possible) | All 9 phonemes correctly added using appropriate symbols (e.g., /c/ or /k/ for cat) | 7–8 correct; occasional symbol or letter choice error | 4–6 correct; shows emerging ability to identify initial sounds | Fewer than 4 correct; lacks basic phoneme–letter correspondence | 25% |
| 3. Pronunciation Practice (Section 3) (6 points possible) | Provides six valid phonemes and example words; models and pronounces each accurately; self-correction evident | Provides five valid entries; pronunciation mostly accurate with minor articulation errors | Provides three to four entries; pronunciation errors persist; limited self-correction | Fewer than three entries or examples; inaccurate pronunciation without attempt to self-correct | 20% |
| 4. Reflection (Section 4) (2 points possible) | Thoughtful, detailed explanation of both easiest and hardest phonemes; clear, actionable strategies for improvement | Adequate explanation of both parts; strategies may be general rather than specific | Partial reflection: addresses only one part fully or provides vague reasoning | Incomplete or missing reflection; no clear rationale or strategy | 10% |
| 5. Participation & Engagement | Actively participates in all activities (warm-up, game, practice); encourages peers; responds promptly to feedback | Participates in most activities; responds to teacher prompts; occasionally supports classmates | Limited participation: engages in some activities but may require prompting | Does not participate meaningfully; off-task or needs frequent redirection | 20% |
Total Weight: 100%
Use this rubric to guide scoring and provide actionable feedback. Adjust weights as needed to align with specific classroom priorities.