CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.2c

ELA1st GradePhonological Awareness

The Standard

Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students listen to a spoken one-syllable word and find the sound at the beginning, middle, or end. They say only the requested sound without relying on print.
What Mastery Looks Like: When asked about map, a student says /m/ for the beginning, /ă/ for the middle, and /p/ for the end. The student can do the same with unfamiliar one-syllable words without adding extra sounds.
Common Misconceptions: Students may give a letter name, such as bee, instead of /b/. They may add a vowel, saying /buh/ instead of /b/. They may also confuse the middle sound with the middle letter.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Say sun, map, and fish. Ask each student for the first sound in sun, middle sound in map, and last sound in fish.

Lesson moves

Give students counters and three sound boxes; say map, then have them push the counter for the sound position you name.
Ask, “How are the middle sounds in map and mop different?” Students say each word slowly and describe what their mouths do.
Play Sound Spot: say a one-syllable word and point to first, middle, or last; students respond with only that sound.
Run a classroom object hunt; students name an object, then tell its first, middle vowel, or last sound.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.2c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Learning progression

If students are struggling here, check these first.

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