This game targets phonemic awareness with the focus on the onset/rime combination in CCVC words. It is ready for consolidation or differentiation through group work with:

• 8 Game Boards
• 96 Letter Tiles
• Directions for play
• Word Bank for CCVC Words by Onset
• Word Bank for CCVC Words by Rime
• Rime Distribution for targeted intervention
• Screener to identify skills and ability groups to facilitate differentiation

The game format is similar to the traditional Tic Tac Toe game with students needing to blend onsets and rimes to play. The rime is on the board and the letter tiles have the consonant blend onsets (see PREVIEW). Blending the onset and rime contributes to phonemic skill development and is particularly important for those students who are still developing their awareness of sounds. Including this activity into your literacy groups will provide proactive in-class intervention simultaneously with consolidation for all students.

Mastery of these foundation sounds comes through repetition and the game format provides the motivation for students to play over and over without getting bored. The WORD BANKS can be used by a group leader for explicit teaching, such as: "You have a 'sh'. (Putting it in front of each rime) Is 'shan' a word? Is 'shin' a word? How many other words can you make? (going around the board) Yes, No, Yes." They can also be used by students for more independent play and mixed ability groups would be ideal. There are blank spaces on the Word Banks for you to add words (such as students' or local names) or any words I've missed.

I have added the screener (because I have the time to do it now) and if I was still teaching I would use it for targeted teaching for those students who will fall behind without it. Phonic skill deficits can be cumulative and costly to correct if not addressed early. Simply put the tags on to a ring so the student can flip through the rimes quickly. Adding this game to Reading Groups and ensuring targeted skill deficits are addressed will be worth it in the long run. The Rime Distribution List I have provided will tell you which boards contain which rimes for easy targeting. The font is Century Gothic.