play I spy …

I Spy ...  sounds

Learning to read is first learning to hear. Hear the sound “sssss”. Play this game with each new sound. When you’re out for a walk, or just lying on the couch, play “I spy” to practice hearing and saying the new sound.

Say the sound not the letter name — “sssss” not “es” (if you can’t remember the sound a letter makes, ask your reader, they probably do. Or watch the video :-). 

Start with words that begin with the sound. Offer an example: “I spy a sandwich”. Emphasize the ‘s’ as you say it. Your learner doesn’t need to spell, write or even know the meaning of the word they are saying, as long as they are saying the right sound. “centepede” or “city” for example, don’t even have an ‘s’, but start with the ‘ssss’ sound, so they are perfect words for this game. They are hearing and saying “sssss”. Find real things (like a stop sign) or imagine things you can’t really see.

Pro tip: To “spy” you can hold your hand perpendicular to your forehead, like a sailor, or if you’re fancy, you can tape a cork between two empty toilet rolls to make binoculars.

I Spy ...  things that rhyme

“I spy something that rhymes with ‘get’”. There’s no need to spell the words, just recognize and say the sounds. And it doesn’t matter if they are made up or silly words, as long as the sound fits.