Say It, Move It

This is a great instructional routine to practice blending and segmenting.  I got this workmat from a fellow teacher but there are different variations.  We start with the blocks in the middle of the circle and I tell students the word.  In this picture, we were doing "jet."  First we segment the word and with each sound, we move a block down to the line and write the letter.  Next, we blend the sounds.  We touch each block as we say the associated letter sound, and then slide our finger across to blend the sounds.  I usually use this routine at the start of the week when I introduce a new story at my reading centers.  It provides a great foundation for the new CVC words we'll be reading throughout the week.

This routine is great for all students because it's kinesthetic and builds phonemic awareness.  My students love "Say It, Move It," and have so much fun with the blocks and dry-erase markers!