Thumb Power

 THUMB POWER!!!

To develop skilled phonemic awareness we practice comparing phonemes in two words. We listen for initial, middle, and ending phonemes to see if they are the same or different. To practice we play THUMB POWER!!!!!!!!

Students are given two words like "ten" and "tub". For ten, students hold a thumbs up and  a thumb held sideways right next to it for tub. As the words are compared, they alternate each word three times emphasizing each word with their thumbs. The teacher then says/yells, "Thumbs together!" Students put thumbs up together and yell, "THUMB POWER!!!", if the initial phonemes match (Think: "Wondertwin powers activate!").  If the initial phonemes don't match,  students put one hand down, the sideways thumb,  and make a "raspberry"(a noun; a loud, abrasive, spluttering noise made with the lips and tongue to express contempt. Also known as the "Bronx cheer".)

The hands are held as far out apart to compare final phonemes in a word. As they say the word, students bring thumbs in together to emphasize the final sound. To compare middle phonemes, students hold one hand up high and another down low. The middle phoneme is emphasized as hands are brought together.

After a few different phonemes it gets tiresome making "raspberries", so recently we've converted the raspberry to saying the phrase, "Poopie Pants!". Now that's FUN! Don't tell anyone.