Develop Orthographic Mapping with these Task Cards

This set of task cards is designed to help students develop their phoneme segmentation skills through orthographic mapping. Orthographic mapping is a cognitive process that helps students build connections between the letters in words and the sounds they represent. By breaking words down into their individual phonemes, students can learn to recognize the patterns and structures of the written language, improving their reading and spelling abilities.

These task cards are suitable for students in the early stages of phonemic awareness and can be used in various classroom settings. The template has been created so that you can assist at any stage for those that need it.

• First, students look at the pictures on the template and think of the beginning phoneme of each word. 
• Then, they place a chip or a dot in each box for each of the phonemes they came up with.
• Finally, they can write the letters that represent each phoneme to come up with the word.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

Have students decide on the phonemes, then provide assistance for the final two steps.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

Students who have completed this task may like to come up with a list of words by just altering the beginning letter of the word, how many words can they come up with?

👋 Exit Ticket

Use these cards as a formative assessment after your lesson. Pick a random assortment of cards and project them on the board for the whole class to see. Students can record their answers on a sheet of paper, sticky note or notebook. 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. A recording sheet and answer key are also included with this download.

Print on cardboard for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

To keep the task cards out of pockets or under desks, punch a hole in the corner of each to place them on a binder ring. 

Sustainability Tip: Print a few recording sheets on cardboard and slip them into write-and-wipe sleeves. Students can record their answers with a whiteboard marker, then erase and reuse them. 

This resource was created by Lisamarie Del Valle, a teacher in Florida and a Teach Starter collaborator.