Phoneme Detective Cards

Instructions: Cut apart these cards. Each card has one word. Say the word aloud and listen carefully: does it contain the sound /s/, /r/, or /l/?

bread
snake
leaf
dog
lamp
socks
rain
blanket
fish
bus
rabbit
milk
sun
rock
hat
lemon
pen
sand
tree
glue
cup
car
cat
grass

Self-Monitoring Checklist

Name: ________________________ Date: ________________

Today I practiced the sounds /s/, /r/, and /l/. Rate how clearly you said each sound by circling a number (1 = needs a lot of practice; 5 = very clear!).

Sound 1 2 3 4 5

/s/ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
/r/ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
/l/ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Reflection

What did I do really well today?

What sound do I want to practice more next time?

Detective Ears Check

• I listened carefully when my partner spoke. Yes ☐ No ☐
• I used my checklist to see how clear I was. Yes ☐ No ☐

Great work, Sound Detective! Keep using your checklist to track your clear speech progress.

Teacher’s Script & Cue Cards

1. Warm-Up: Sound Safari (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Good morning, Super Sound Detectives! Today we have a very important mission: to listen for our target sounds—/s/, /r/, and /l/. Let’s all sit in a circle and get our detective ears ready. Do you know what detective ears do? (Pause for responses.) That’s right: they listen extra carefully!

Teacher: “I’m going to pull a word card from our Phoneme Detective Cards stack and say the word. If you hear one of our target sounds, give me a big thumbs-up. Ready?”

• (Draw and read 5–6 cards, e.g., “snake,” “dog,” “lamp,” “bread,” “sun.”)
• After each word: “Who heard /s/? Raise your hand. (Wait.) Great! Who heard /r/? (Wait.) And who heard /l/? (Wait.)”
• Teacher charts one tally under each sound category on chart paper.

Teacher: “Excellent work, detectives! Those tallies tell us which sound we heard most. Keep those ears sharp for the rest of our mission.”

2. Introduce Detective Toolkit (10 minutes)

Teacher: “Now that we’re warmed up, it’s time to get our Detective Toolkit. First, I’ll show you your very own badges.”
• Display Sound Detective Badge Templates.

Teacher: “When you speak clearly and find your sounds, you’ll earn a badge to wear with pride!”

Teacher: “Next, everyone gets a Self-Monitoring Checklist. Open it up. This sheet helps you rate how clear you were when saying /s/, /r/, and /l/. Watch me model.”
• Teacher thinks aloud: “Hmm, I said ‘sun’ just now. I felt that /s/ at the very start—very clear! I’ll circle a 5 for /s/. For /r/ and /l/, I’ll wait till later.”

Teacher: “This checklist is our detective notebook. We’ll use it at the end to celebrate our clear speech and set a goal. Any questions so far? (Answer briefly.)”

3. Sound Hide-and-Seek (15 minutes)

Teacher: “Time for a game of Sound Hide-and-Seek! Find a partner and grab five Phoneme Detective Cards.”

Teacher: “Here’s how we play: Partner A will say the word on your first card. Partner B listens carefully. If Partner B hears the target sound—/s/, /r/, or /l/—show the green side of your card. If not, show the red side. Then switch roles and go to the next card.”

Teacher (circulating): “Remember to watch your partner’s mouth. For /s/, put your tongue behind your teeth and blow air. For /r/, tighten your lips and pull your tongue back. For /l/, lift the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Great job, detectives—keep it clear!”

Possible prompts:

• “Show me your green card—what sound did you hear?”
• “Oh, you showed red. Let’s say the word again slowly and listen for /l/.”

4. Articulation Stations (15 minutes)

Teacher: “Detectives, we’re moving to our practice stations! We have three stations: /s/, /r/, and /l/. Each station has new Phoneme Detective Cards and a mouth-position cue card.”

Teacher: “Station 1 is /s/. Use your detective partner to practice each word, watching each other’s tongue and teeth. I’ll ring the chime in 5 minutes—then rotate clockwise to the next station.”

At each rotation, remind students:

• “Check your mouth position.”
• “Say the word loud enough for your partner to hear.”
• “Give feedback: What did you hear?”

Teacher (after final rotation): “Fantastic work! Let’s gather back on the carpet in a circle.”

5. Self-Monitor & Celebrate (15 minutes)

Teacher: “Detectives, open your Self-Monitoring Checklist and circle how clearly you said /s/, /r/, and /l/ today.”

Teacher: “Next, on the Reflection lines, write or draw what you did really well and the sound you want to practice more. (Pause, allowing work.)”

Teacher: “Who would like to share one clear word you said? (Call on volunteers.)”

Teacher: “Now, if you circled a 4 or 5 for any sound, you’ve earned your Sound Detective Badge! Come up and pick one up. Wear it proudly—you’ve earned it with clear speech.”

Teacher: “Give a round of applause to our winners—and to everyone for working so hard. Finally, set a personal goal: ‘Next time, I will practice my ___ sound.’ Share your goal with your shoulder partner.”

6. Closing & Homework Tip (5 minutes)

Teacher: “Great work today, Detectives! Remember: your checklist stays in your folder so you can keep track of how clear you speak each day. Tonight, listen for /s/, /r/, or /l/ in your bedtime story. Show your family your detective ears!”

Teacher: “Let’s end with our detective chant: ‘Clear voice, sharp ears, we solve speech mysteries!’ Ready? (All together: chant.) Dismissed!”

Sound Detective Badge Templates

Instructions: Print and cut along the outer lines. Decorate your badge, then write your name and the sound you earned. Wear proudly when you speak clearly!

| SOUND DETECTIVE |
| |
| Name: __________________________ |
| Sound: _________________________ |

| SOUND DETECTIVE |
| |
| Name: __________________________ |
| Sound: _________________________ |

| SOUND DETECTIVE |
| |
| Name: __________________________ |
| Sound: _________________________ |

| SOUND DETECTIVE |
| |
| Name: __________________________ |
| Sound: _________________________ |