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coaching questions
coaching questions
Coach 'Em! If your child gets stuck, support them with specific questions:
What part of the picture do you have already?
What part of the picture might come next?
Do you know any of the sounds in the word?
Which sound do you hear first? Next? Last?
Which letter makes that sound?
What does that letter look like?
linking letters to sounds
linking letters to sounds
Patience is key! Extra time and gentle prompts reduce frustration.
When your child is trying to remember a letter sound or figure out an unfamiliar word, give him or her time to do so.
Remind your child to look closely at the first letter or letters of the word and think of the sound it makes.
Here is what each letter of the alphabet sounds like! It is important to make a clean letter sound without extra "air" after it.
*Please note that these educational videos are not affiliated with Funsafari and are included here for reference purposes only.
make it fun!
make it fun!
Game Time! Add in a healthy competitive spirit that will keep your learner engaged! Children can try to beat their own best records, either individually or in teams. An achievable goal for beginners could be completing 1-3 puzzles. Increase the challenge as needed!
Word Tower: For each word completed, add a block to your tower. Blocks can be any safe stackable items: legos, wooden blocks, even marshmallows! How high can you go?
Magnet Jump: Gather all of your magnets on one side of the fridge, at the "starting line". As a word is completed, one magnet gets to jump to the "finish line" on the other side of the fridge. How many magnets finish the race?
Items in a Jar: Fill a jar with colorful items like marbles, pompoms, small toys, crayons, etc. This is a great way to track achievements over several days.
ADD talking!
ADD talking!
Say it Loud! Oral language activities support foundational reading skills.
Rhyming Word Games:
Once a puzzle is completed, have your child cover the first letter with their hand.
Take turns thinking of sounds that could replace the first letter to make a new word.
Say the words out loud. How many can you think of?
Example: bed-led-fed-red
Tap & Drag:
Have your child tap a finger on each letter and say the sound out loud.
Then they drag their finger across all of the letters, joining the sounds & saying the word out loud.
Example: 1) /b/ /e/ /d/ 2) b-e-d
Silly Sentences:
After your child completes each puzzle, have them make up a silly sentence that includes that word.
Sentences can be simple or extended; the sillier the better!
Example: 1) /b/ /e/ /d/ 2) b-e-d
My fluffy bed is made out of marshmallows and pretzel sticks!
Crazy Stories:
With 3-5 puzzles completed, have your child line up each puzzle in front of them.
As they point to the first puzzle, they make up the start of a story that includes that word.
They grow the story by adding a new idea with the next word.
Keep going until they use all of the completed puzzles.
Example: bed-egg-cat
One day there was a girl that woke up in her bed. She went to the kitchen and found a giant egg that her dad bought at the grocery store. But the family cat was sitting on the egg like a hen!
ADD WRITING!
ADD WRITING!
Write it Out! Writing helps a child understand the relationship between sounds and letters.
Trace & Drag:
With a completed puzzle in front of them, have your child trace each letter with their index finger.
As they trace each letter, they say the sound aloud.
Then they drag their finger across all of the letters saying the complete word.
Your Turn to Write:
Place a completed puzzle in front of your child for reference.
Have your child write the word in a plate or baking dish filled with sugar, salt, or flour. They could also do this on paper, a whiteboard, or with finger paints. Tactile learners could build the letters with pipe cleaners.
As they make each letter, they say the sound aloud.
Then they blend the sounds to say the whole word.
Note: This puzzle was primarily designed as a reading tool, and the fonts selected reflect what is most commonly seen in children's books. If you would prefer your child practice writing with "block-style" letters, this resource may be useful.
ADD MOVEMENT!
ADD MOVEMENT!
Get up and Move! Incorporating physical activity is a boost to learning and retention.
Scavenger Hunt:
Lay out the completed puzzles in front of your child.
Pick an object and give the child a few seconds to "make a photo in their brain" of the word and its spelling.
Then they go and find the object somewhere in the house!
Gamify this by giving a point for every object they find, and another point for each one they can spell correctly!
How many points can they earn in 5 minutes?
Team Charades:
Have the Safari Map handy.
The first actor picks an object from the map to act out. No speaking! But funny sounds are allowed!
The other team members have to guess the word to earn a point!
An extra point is earned if someone spells the word correctly.
Can the team work together to win 10 points?
adjust the challenge
adjust the challenge
Simplify: Optimize the experience for children that benefit from reduced stimulation.
Further divide the puzzles into smaller groups of 3-6 puzzles each.
Have the child work on one group of puzzles at a time.
As they master completion of one set, then take out the next batch.
Increase the Challenge: Is your child ready for more?
Have them work independently on an entire bag at a time
Mix the Three Letter Puzzles and Four Letter Puzzles all together.
In both the Three Letter Puzzles and Four Letter Puzzles, there are easier words and more complex ones. The graphic below organizes words from simple to complex.
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