Stomp the Sounds – Phoneme Segmentation

This multi-sensory activity is designed to help students practise phoneme segmentation skills by using their sense of touch and movement. Students can build their phonemic awareness and develop a deeper understanding of how words are constructed by stomping out the individual phonemes in words. 

To begin, the teacher selects from the 2 phoneme, 3 phoneme or 4 phoneme task cards. The teacher can then model the activity for the students, demonstrating how to segment the sounds in a word by stomping their feet on the ‘feet cutouts’ stuck on the floor. 

Next, the teacher can invite students to practise the activity individually or in pairs. Students should be encouraged to say the words out loud as they stomp to reinforce the phoneme segmentation process. 

Importance of Movement Activities in the Early Years Classroom

• Engage multiple senses, including sight, sound, and touch. This multisensory approach can help students better understand and remember the phonemes they are working with.
• It helps with attention and focus, as it helps students release excess energy and improve their attention and focus.
• It makes learning fun! These fun movement activities almost feel like just playing rather than practicing a skill – and that’s a win-win!
• Movement activities support whole-child development, engaging students in physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. 

Download & Print

Use the drop-down menu to choose between the PDF and editable Google Slide versions of this resource. It’s recommended you print the task cards on thick white card for added durability. Due to the nature of kids ‘jumping’ on the lily pads – it’s advised that you laminate just the lily pads so that they don’t get ruined as the students jump on them. 

Hot tip: If you’re lucky enough to have a non-slip area or art area in your classroom, you might like to use clear contact to stick the lily pads to the ground for a more permanent activity (these can be used for so many activities).

This resource was created by Samantha Rose, a Teach Starter collaborator.