About this activity
Twelve deletion items: cat without /c/ gives at; stop without /s/ gives top; smile without /s/ gives mile; plane without /p/ gives lane; bring without /b/ gives ring; cart without /t/ gives car; block without /b/ gives lock; seat without /t/ gives sea. Deletion is the most demanding phonemic awareness task — the child has to hold the word, remove a piece, and say what is left.
How to use it in a session
Start with initial deletion, which is easier than final. Cat without /c/ requires dropping the first sound and saying the rest; cart without /t/ requires holding the whole word and removing the end, which is considerably harder. Say the word slowly and let the child repeat it before the deletion — holding the word is half the task. Ten minutes covers the twelve.
What to listen for
Watch the cluster items. Stop without /s/ and smile without /s/ require separating two consonants that are produced together, which is harder than deleting a single initial sound, and a child who manages cat and not stop has hit the cluster boundary rather than a limit on deletion. Notice whether the child says a real word — flat without /f/ gives lat, which is not a word, and some children resist producing it.
Carrying it home
Deletion games work in a car. Say a word, ask what is left without the first sound, and let the child do one for you — no materials and five seconds, and the ones that leave a real word behind, like cat and at, are the easiest place to start.
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- First through third, as advanced phonemic awareness work.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all twelve items play with no account.
- Why is deletion harder than blending or segmenting?
- Because it requires holding the whole word in mind while manipulating it. Blending builds a word and segmenting breaks it apart; deletion does both and then reassembles what is left.