Lesson 1: Listening for Sounds
Main Concept:
Children will learn to notice and imitate environmental sounds (e.g., clapping, animal noises, everyday sounds)

Objectives:

• Increase awareness of different sounds in their environment.
• Practice active listening by identifying and imitating sounds.
• Strengthen fine motor skills using a tripod grip on vertical surfaces

Warm-Up Activity: Sound Hunt

• Make a “listening walk” inside or outside.
• Stop and ask:
• “What do you hear?” (birds, cars, footsteps, wind, clock ticking, etc.)
• “Can you make that sound?” (Encourage them to mimic it.)
• Variation: Play a recorded mix of environmental sounds and have children guess what they are. There are lots of options available here https://sightwords.com/phonemic-awareness/listening/name-that-sound/ 

Main Activity: Sound Imitation Game

• Introduce different types of sounds:
• Body sounds: Clapping, stomping, snapping, tapping fingers.
• Animal sounds: Moo like a cow, hiss like a snake, chirp like a bird.
• Object sounds: Knock on a door, shake a box of rice, crumple paper.
• Play “Echo Me”: Make a sound and have the child repeat it.
• Call & Response: Say, “I hear a dog barking!” and let the child respond with a bark.
  
  

Story Time with Sound Effects

• Book Recommendation: Click, Clack. Moo: Cows that Type 
• Add sounds as you read
• Encourage the child to make their own sound effects.
• This activity was inspired by one at www.sightwords.com  and you can see more
• information on it here https://sightwords.com/phonemic-awareness/listening/add-the-sound-effects/  

Prewriting Activity:

• Check in with your child’s pencil grip when writing or drawing on a vertical surface. What the child actual draws is irrelevant.
• Activity Options:
  • Chalkboard or Whiteboard: Let kids draw the sounds they heard.
  • Easel Painting: Use thick brushes to “paint” loud and quiet sounds.
  • Window Markers: Draw “sound waves” on a window or mirror.
• Information: Great information concerning pencil grasp and grip
  • https://otperspective.com/tripod-grasp-fine-motor/ https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/pencil-grip-foundation-stage.html
  • https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/parents.html 

A child’s development is unique. Your child might be ready for the oral activities in this unit but not ready for the prewriting activities (or vice versa). Take the activities at their own pace. If your child is not quite ready for prewriting activities, consider the activity ideas listed here https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/big-to-small.html 

Extensions:
You may also enjoy Sight Word’s other “Listening” games, specifically:

• A1: Start and Stop https://sightwords.com/phonemic-awareness/listening/start-stop/     
• A2: Name that Sound https://sightwords.com/phonemic-awareness/listening/name-that-sound/