You will learn
- Add a sound to the start of a word.
- Add a sound to the end of a word.
- Take a sound away to make a new word.
- Explain how changing a sound changes a word.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Words can change when we add a sound.
- Words can change when we take a sound away.
- Add /s/ to top and it makes stop.
- Take /s/ from sun and it makes un.
Words to know
put on
take away
make different
not the same
1. Discover: Word magic
The teacher says, “Say cat. Now take away /c/.” The children say “at”. “Now add /h/ to the start.” They say “hat”. “Word magic!” says Ayo.
Think: What word is /s/ plus un?
2. Understand: Adding and deleting
Idea 1: Add a sound
Add a sound to the start: at → cat. Add a sound to the end: ca → cat.
Idea 2: Delete a sound
Take a sound away: cat without /c/ is at. stop without /s/ is top.
Idea 3: New words
When a sound is added or taken away, the word changes. Sometimes it is a new real word, sometimes it is not.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Add at the start
Add /s/ to the start of top.
- Say top.
- Put /s/ before it.
Answer: stop
Example 2 (We do it together): Delete the first sound
Say cat. Take away /c/.
- Say cat.
- Remove the first sound.
Answer: at
Example 3 (You try): Delete the last sound
Say bat. Take away /t/.
Show the steps and answer
- Say bat.
- Remove the last sound.
Answer: ba
Did you know?
Games with word changes like this are fun to play on car trips.
Why this matters
Playing with sounds helps you understand how words are built, which helps you read and spell.
4. Explore: Word change
Play with word changes.
- Say a word, such as “mat”.
- Add /s/ at the start. What is the new word?
- Take away the first sound. What is left?
- Try again with a new word.
Think about it: what did you notice?
Changing one sound can change the whole word.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Add /__/ to ___ and you get ___.
- Take away /__/ from ___ and you get ___.
- The new word is ___.
- I changed ___ to ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Add /s/ to top.
stop
Question 2. Say cat without /c/.
at
Question 3. Say sun without /s/.
un
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Add /s/ to top.
- Say cat without /c/.
- Add /h/ to at.
- Say bat without /b/.
- Add /m/ to at.
Level 2: Grow
- Say stop without /s/.
- Add /s/ to nail.
- Say bat without /t/.
Level 3: Stretch
- Make three new words by adding a sound to at.
- What happens when you delete a sound?
- Ayo says cat without /c/ is cut. Is he right?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Play word magic at home with names.
Show a sample answer
Ben without /b/ is en.
Another one. Make a chain of words by changing the first sound.
Show a sample answer
cat, bat, mat, sat.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Listen for the sound to add or delete.
Fix: Blend all the sounds after the change.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can add a sound at the start.
- I can add a sound at the end.
- I can take a sound away.
- I can say how a word changed.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Adding a sound can make a new word.
- Deleting a sound can make a new word.
- Listen for which sound to change.
- Say the new word.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Oral sound manipulation. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Add /s/ to top. What word do you get? [1 mark]
- Say cat without /c/. [1 mark]
- Add /h/ to at. [1 mark]
- What does delete mean? [2 marks]
- Explain how changing a sound changes a word. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- stop [1]
- at [1]
- hat [1]
- take away [1]; a sound [1]
- sounds make up words [1]; a different sound makes a different word [1]; example given [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Add /s/ to top
- cat without /c/
- Add /h/ to at
- bat without /b/
- Add /m/ to at
- stop without /s/
- Add /s/ to nail
- Add /p/ to ink
- True or false: adding a sound can make a new word.
- Make a new word by adding a sound to an.
Homework
Play word magic with a family member. Take turns adding or deleting sounds.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Add /s/ to top | stop | 1 |
| 2. cat without /c/ | at | 1 |
| 3. Add /h/ to at | hat | 1 |
| 4. bat without /b/ | at | 1 |
| 5. Add /m/ to at | mat | 1 |
| 6. stop without /s/ | top | 1 |
| 7. Add /s/ to nail | snail | 1 |
| 8. Add /p/ to ink | pink | 1 |
| 9. True or false: adding a sound can make a new word. | true | 1 |
| 10. Make a new word by adding a sound to an. | can, man, pan or fan | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 stop; 2 at; 3 hat; 4 at; 5 mat. Level 2: 1 top; 2 snail; 3 ba. Level 3: 1 cat, hat, mat or bat; 2 the word changes; 3 no, it is at.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Add a sound to the start of a word | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Add a sound to the end of a word | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Take a sound away to make a new word | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Explain how changing a sound changes a word | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Changing the wrong sound. Listen for the sound to add or delete.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use word cards with sound boxes.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns to add or take away a sound to make a new word. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Play word magic.
- Take turns.
- Make it a silly game.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: add a sound to the start of a word; add a sound to the end of a word; take a sound away to make a new word; explain how changing a sound changes a word.
Prerequisite knowledge. Segmenting spoken words.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Do word magic with cat and at.
Explanation (10 min). Teach adding and deleting sounds.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise with sound cards.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners play in pairs and share.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What happens when we add a sound? What if we take one away?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use picture cards and the same word pairs. Extension. Change the last and middle sounds.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Changing the wrong sound. Listen for the sound to add or delete.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use word cards with sound boxes. Enrichment. Change the middle sound in words, such as cat to cot. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Reading: Foundational Skills. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RF.1.2.c and RF.1.2.d (phoneme manipulation: add, delete, substitute sounds); IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade; Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (phonics). These sources informed the lesson.