Multisensory Monday: “Kick” the Vowel (In The Most Friendly Way Possible)

As the days get shorter, we are finding ourselves sitting inside a lot, staring at screens and papers. Why not change things up a bit and get moving?! This Multisensory Monday, we’re shaking off the cold by “kicking” vowels.

Consonant sounds are formed with precise movements in the mouth. Vowels, however, are produced less precisely and are not easy to hear. To encourage mastery of vowels, try incorporating a game that makes learning vowels a little more fun. The more students listen and pronounce the vowels, the easier it may become in differentiating between them.

Make It Multisensory and Play “Kick” the Vowel

Does anyone remember playing Kick The Can? The outdoor game where players run around and kick an actual can? In Kick The Vowel, children get to be physically active while strengthening those pesky vowel sounds.

Materials Needed

• 5 solo cups
• Permanent marker (write one short vowel (a, e, i, o, u) on each cup)
• Short Vowel Syllable and Word List

Let’s Play! 

The object of the game is to see which cup is the first to make it to the end of the hallway, room, or finish line.

• Line up all 5 vowel cups at the starting line.
• Parents/teachers say a syllable or word with a short vowel from the list included above.
• The child thinks about which vowel was said and lightly kicks the cup with the vowel said.  
• The child goes back to the starting point.
• Parent/teacher says another syllable/word and the child thinks and lightly kicks the cup with the vowel said.  
• Play continues until one cup makes it to the end of the hallway, room, or finish line.  

Written by Karen Oliverio

Karen is a Brainspring Tutor in Clarkston, Michigan and a Kindergarten teacher in Pontiac, Michigan

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