Initial Sound Fluency Card Activities

Our school uses the DIBELS assessments 3 times a year. Initial Sound Fluency (ISF) is one of the items that is

tested. However, if our district did not use this assessment, we would still incorporate Initial Sound Fluency

activities in our classrooms. The DIBELS benchmark is 25 sounds in a minute to be considered established by

December. Initial Sound Fluency is a measure that assesses phonemic awareness skills.

Research shows that when students have a strong phonemic awareness background and exhibit those skills, they

typically experience early reading success. It is also a good prediction of what students have a strong

understanding of making the connection between speaking to writing. Therefore, it is very important that we

strengthen the phonemic awareness skills in every student in our classrooms. We plan on using these Initial

Sound Fluency cards to help increase phonemic awareness with our students.

Here are some of the ways that the cards can be used: Each day we can practice them as a whole group. The

teacher can name the picture and the students can say the sound. EXAMPLE: The teacher says barn, students say

/b/. Once we get good at this, we play Beat The Clock. To play beat the clock, we see if we can make it through all

of the cards before a minute is up. (It’s amazing how this game strengthens the understanding of 60 seconds =1

minute and understanding how long a minute really is.)

These cards can be used in guided reading groups, pocket charts, learning centers, one-on-one with a parent

volunteer, etc.

We also have the students practice Initial Sound Fluency at home as a part of our homework packet. A set of

these cards could be made and sent home with at risk students for extra practice with Initial Sound Fluency.

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