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  • Phonemic Awareness

Teaching Strategy Demo: Finger Counting

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Produced by Reading Universe, a partnership of WETA, Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book
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Deb Glaser: Finger counting is a way to help students segment the phonemes in a word. Say the sounds one at a time, raising a finger for each sound. For example, separate the sounds in the word shave using finger count. My dad will shave at night. The word is shave. Sounds: /sh/, /ā/, /v/. What's my word? Shave,. Right. Pull those sounds together. Let's try another one. This word has a consonant blend at the beginning. The word is throne. The king will sit on his throne. What are the sounds? /th/, /r/, /ō/, /n/. Right! Pull those sounds together. What's my word? Throne.

Narrator: Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim and Donna Barksdale, the Hastings/Quillin Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the AFT, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and anonymous donors. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel @RUTeaching. Reading Universe is a service of WETA, Washington D.C., the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book.

Deb Glaser: This is Reading Universe.

Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim & Donna Barksdale; the Hastings/Quillin Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (opens in new window); the AFT (opens in new window); the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation (opens in new window); and three anonymous donors.