Meet Bob, the Sound Munching Man

So readers...have you met Bob?  You haven't?  Well, I'm Carla from Comprehension Connection, and I thought I'd introduce you to one guy you need to invite into your classroom, and I sure do not want you to miss an opportunity like this!  Bob is one polite guy who just loves to listen quietly. He never has a mean thing to say, and he's easy to please.  He's nice looking, and guess what? He doesn't eat much either.  His only requirement is that kids feed him letters and sounds to keep his belly full.

Bob has quite a few fashionable looks.  Here he is visiting from Pinterest (Dr. Jean) in a tuxedo ready for the class party. 

Here is Bob on Crazy Hair Day in Sunflower Lily's classroom.  He is such a popular guy. If you think his hair is funny, you should have seen the boys and girls in this classroom. 

In this picture, Bob (from Marcia's Lesson Links) definitely look distinguished, but his mustache is thinning. (Sh!)  At least the sound cards can get in his mouth easily!

As you can see, Bob has lots of variety, and he is very easy to make.  All you need is a plastic trashcan from the Dollar Tree, a glue gun, a variety of crafting materials such as felt, pom-poms, buttons, or whatever fits the look you like. Simply glue on the body parts, use a Sharpie pen to add details, and Bam!  You have a Sound Munchin' Man.

So just what does Bob do?  Well, as I mentioned, Bob is a Sound Munching Man, and nothing makes him happier than to be fed sounds that children know.  Bob is choosy though.  If sounds are shaky, they are left out for more practice.  

If you want to use Bob during your guided reading time, here are a few suggestions of how:

First of all, print these letter and phoneme cards on the recommended colored paper.  The colors help children identify spelling patterns when making words.  Once printed, laminate before cutting, and store them in a small tackle box for easy access and organization during guided reading.

Next, flash the sound cards to the students.  Those that are correct go in Bob's mouth.  Those that are incorrect are set aside.  

Once you've completed the stack, you are ready to empty Bob's belly.  You pull them out one at a time without students seeing, give students a word containing the phoneme, and have them write all the possible ways the word can be spelled on a dry erase board.  Once students finish, you ask them to circle the one they've seen in print.  If correct, students earn a point.  If no one is correct, the sound goes back to Bob.  

To practice the remaining sounds, teachers can use the first part of the file to model various word families and spelling patterns.  When we do this part of the intervention, I often use nonsense words and have students sort real versus nonsense.  

Another option for kindergarten is to review alphabet letters and sounds.  You can use picture cards, letter cards, or even small objects if you like.  

The whole lesson goes at a quick pace, and works beautifully if a student needs intervention with decoding or a review of sounds previously taught.  

If you don't like Bob, you may prefer these cute critters too.  

Remember, all the supplies you need are at the Dollar Tree.  On Friday, I'll be back to share a few Word Study DIY activities you can make from Dollar Tree goodies.  Until then, have a fantastic week.