VRA Exam for Elementary and Special Education Teachers, Part 1
Question 1: Explain how you can teach students to match sounds with letters.
Answer 1: To teach students the sounds of letters, write a letter on the board, give its sound, and have the children repeat it. For example, write the letter “m” on the board and say, “This letter has the sound of ‘mmmmm.’ What is its sound?” Once they grasp one letter, introduce a new letter combined with a letter they are familiar with. For example, if the new letter is “k,” write “kmmmkmmk” on the board and have them pronounce the sound of each letter. After the students become familiar with every letter, you can repeat the process with simple words.
There are lots of good resources about Special Education that you can find available.
Question 2: Describe how you can teach the sounds of letters within words.
Answer 2: To teach students sounds within words, use flashcards that have simple words with pictures of the words on them. Have the children use the picture to identify the sounds/ words on the card. Emphasize the sound you are trying to teach, then blend it with the word. For example, you may hold up a card with the word “bat” on it accompanied with a picture of a baseball bat. Ask them what the object is. When you repeat the word “bat,” place an emphasis on the “b” sound. Have the children repeat the word and do the same. You can do the same thing with vowel sounds and ending sounds.
Question 3: Explain how the game “I Spy” can be used to teach letter sounds.
Answer 3: Teachers often use the game “I Spy” to teach the alphabetic principle and the sounds of letters at the beginning of words. To play this game, have the children try to identify an object in the room that begins with a certain letter. You can give additional hints to speed up the process. For example, you can say, “I spy something that begins with the letter ‘c.’ It keeps you warm.” When someone answers correctly (coat), have that student write the letter on the board. Have everyone practice saying the word with emphasis on the given letter (c). Presenting the activity as a game will keep the children motivated while learning basic phonetic concepts.
Previous: Visual and Performing Arts, Part 9 - Next: VRA Exam for Elementary and Special Education Teachers, Part 10
|
