Grade 1 Phonics Intervention for Students with Auditory Processing Issues

IEP-ALIGNED INTERVENTION LESSON: Letter-Sound Correspondence for Phoneme Recognition
Grade 1 | Duration: 15 minutes | Group: 3 students | Setting: Resource room

IEP GOAL CONNECTION:
“By May 2025, Student will accurately produce the correct sound for 20/26 single consonants and 5/5 short vowels with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive trials, as measured by teacher observation and phoneme cards.”

TARGET SKILL:
Students will match single consonant and short vowel sounds to their corresponding letters using multi-sensory cues.

LEARNING BARRIER:
Auditory processing difficulties - students struggle to discriminate between similar phonemes (sounds) and hold them in memory long enough to connect to visual letter symbols. Working memory challenges compound this difficulty.

DISABILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in reading - phonological processing deficits requiring explicit, systematic phonics instruction with extended practice and multi-sensory reinforcement.

REQUIRED ACCOMMODATIONS:

• Visual supports (letter cards with picture cues)
• Reduced number of items (3-5 letter-sounds per session vs. full alphabet)
• Manipulatives (tactile letter cards, sandpaper letters)
• Frequent breaks and movement opportunities
• Extended processing time (5-7 second wait time)
• Simplified, chunked directions (one-step at a time)

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Large letter cards (visual) with embedded picture cues (e.g., “s” with snake image)
• Sandpaper or textured letters for tracing (tactile)
• Small mirrors for mouth position observation (visual/kinesthetic)
• Sound boxes or Elkonin boxes (3-section visual grid)
• 3-5 small object sets matching target sounds (e.g., sock, sun, seal for /s/)
• Rhythm sticks or clapping sticks (auditory/kinesthetic)
• Anchor chart with 3-5 target letters and picture cues
• Individual student response cards (show me boards)
• Progress monitoring data sheet

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HOOK & ACTIVATE (2 minutes): Sound Detective Game

“Today we’re going to be SOUND DETECTIVES! Detectives listen very carefully and find clues. We’re going to listen to sounds and find the letters that match them. Let’s warm up our ears!”

Movement warm-up:

• “Touch your ears when you hear /s/: sun, cat, sock, dog, seal” (Teacher says words slowly)
• “Clap when you hear /m/: map, bat, mom, hat, milk”

PRE-ASSESSMENT: “Show me with your fingers - how many sounds do you hear in ‘sun’?” (Assess phoneme awareness baseline)

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DIRECT INSTRUCTION WITH MODELING (4 minutes): Meet the Letter Sounds

“I DO” (Teacher Model with Think-Aloud):

Teacher introduces 3 target letters for this session (s, m, t - continuous sounds for easier articulation):

“Watch my mouth. I’m going to say /ssssss/ like a snake. See how my teeth are close together and air comes out? Now I’m going to trace the letter ‘s’ that makes this sound.”

Teacher models on large letter card:

1. Shows letter card with snake picture
2. Makes /s/ sound (extended, 3 seconds) while pointing to mouth
3. Traces letter in the air with large arm movements
4. Traces textured/sandpaper letter with two fingers, saying sound simultaneously

“The letter ‘s’ says /ssssss/. Let’s all say it together while we trace in the air!”

Multi-sensory supports in use:

• Visual: Large letter card with picture cue, teacher’s mouth position, hand tracing motion
• Auditory: Extended phoneme production (/ssssss/), verbal label (“letter s says /s/”)
• Kinesthetic: Air tracing with large motor movement, watching teacher trace
• Tactile: Sandpaper letter for tactile feedback during tracing

Accommodation implementation:

• Reduced items: Only 3 letters today (s, m, t) instead of 5-6
• Extended time: 5-second wait before students respond
• Visual support: Picture cue embedded in letter card
• Chunked directions: One action at a time - “First, watch. Next, trace. Now, say the sound.”

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GUIDED PRACTICE WITH SCAFFOLDING (5 minutes): We’re Sound Detectives Together!

“WE DO” (Shared Practice):

Activity 1: Mirror Work (Multi-sensory sound production - 2 minutes)
Each student receives a small mirror.

• Teacher: “Let’s all look in our mirrors. Put your lips together like this /mmmm/. What letter makes this sound?”
• Students practice mouth position while teacher provides immediate feedback
• Teacher points to large “m” card: “Yes! Letter ‘m’ says /mmmm/ like ‘mom’!”
• Repeat with /s/ and /t/

Activity 2: Trace and Say (Tactile-auditory connection - 2 minutes)
Students receive sandpaper letter cards (one letter at a time).

• Teacher: “Trace the letter ‘s’ with two fingers. As you trace, say /ssssss/.”
• Students trace letter 3 times each while producing sound
• Teacher observes and prompts: “Start at the top, curve around, say /ssssss/!”

Activity 3: Sound Sorting (Concrete object matching - 1 minute)
Three boxes labeled with s, m, t letter cards and picture cues.
Teacher holds up objects one at a time: “Sock starts with /sss/. Which box? Point to the letter!”
Students point to correct box (with visual letter card as reference).

Scaffolding prompts:

• Full support: “Watch my mouth. The sound is /sss/. Now you try. Point to the ‘s’.”
• Moderate support: “What sound does this start with? /s/ or /m/? Look at the picture clue.”
• Minimal support: “Which letter makes that sound? Check your chart.”

Error correction protocol:
When student says incorrect sound or points to wrong letter:

1. Stop, no negative feedback
2. Model again: “Let’s watch my mouth again. /mmm/. Your turn.”
3. Provide immediate re-try opportunity with full support
4. Praise the re-try: “You fixed it! /mmm/ - letter m!”

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:
“Hold up your letter card when I say the sound: /mmmmm/” (Students show ‘m’ card)
“Point to the letter that says /t/!” (Students point to anchor chart)

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MODIFIED INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (3 minutes):

Level 1 (High Support - Concrete):
Students receive 3 small objects (sock, map, top). Manipulate objects while sorting into letter boxes.

• Task: “Say the word. What sound do you hear first? Put it in the box with that letter.”
• Visual support: Anchor chart with all 3 letters and picture cues visible
• Success criteria: Student correctly sorts 2/3 objects with object-letter match

Level 2 (Moderate Support - Semi-Concrete):
Students receive picture cards (not objects) of items starting with s, m, t.

• Task: “Say the picture name. Trace the letter that makes the first sound on your sandpaper card.”
• Visual support: Anchor chart available, but must initiate reference independently
• Success criteria: Student correctly traces matching letter for 2/3 pictures

Level 3 (Lower Support - Moving Toward Abstract):
Teacher says a sound (/s/, /m/, or /t/). Student writes letter on individual whiteboard.

• Task: “Listen to my sound. Write the letter that makes that sound.”
• Visual support: Anchor chart available across the room (requires getting up to check)
• Success criteria: Student writes correct letter for 2/3 sounds

Teacher circulates, observes, and records prompt level needed for each student.

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PROGRESS MONITORING CHECK (1 minute):

Assessment:
Teacher presents 3 letter cards (s, m, t) one at a time and asks: “What sound does this letter make?”

Trial 1: Shows “s” - student says /s/
Trial 2: Shows “m” - student says /m/
Trial 3: Shows “t” - student says /t/

Accommodation provided:

• Visual: Letter cards with picture cues available
• Extended time: 5-7 seconds to respond
• Reduced items: Only 3 letters assessed (vs. 5-10)

Data collection:
Record: (1) Correct/Incorrect, (2) Prompt level (I=independent, V=verbal prompt, M=model needed, P=physical guidance to mouth position)

DATA SHEET:

Trial	Letter	Correct	Prompt Level	Notes
1	s
2	m
3	t

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ADDRESSING THE LEARNING BARRIER:

Barrier identified: Auditory processing difficulties - students cannot reliably discriminate phonemes in isolation or hold them in working memory long enough to connect to visual letter symbols.

How this lesson removes/reduces barrier:

1. Multi-sensory reinforcement: Students don’t rely on auditory channel alone - they SEE mouth position in mirrors, FEEL letter shape through tracing, MOVE their bodies during air tracing, creating multiple memory pathways for letter-sound connection.

2. Extended, continuous sounds: Letters s, m, t can be stretched out (/ssssss/, /mmmmm/) giving students more processing time to hear and discriminate the sound vs. short sounds like /b/ or /p/.

3. Visual mouth cues: Mirrors allow students to self-monitor articulation, providing visual feedback for auditory processing (seeing lips together for /m/ reinforces sound).

4. Reduced auditory load: Only 3 sounds at a time prevents working memory overload. Picture cues provide visual reference to reduce reliance on auditory memory.

5. Immediate tactile association: Tracing sandpaper letters WHILE saying sounds creates simultaneous sensory input, strengthening neural connections between sound and symbol.

6. Concrete object sorting: Manipulating real objects (sock, map) engages tactile and kinesthetic memory, making abstract sound-symbol relationship concrete.

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ACCOMMODATION IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE:

Visual supports (letter cards with picture cues):
How implemented: All letter cards include embedded picture (s=snake, m=mouse, t=turtle). Anchor chart posted at eye level with all 3 target letters and pictures.
When used: Throughout entire lesson - hook, direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice, assessment

Reduced number of items:
How implemented: 3 letters per session (s, m, t) instead of 5-6. Assessment only tests these 3 letters. Independent practice requires sorting/identifying only 3 sounds.
When used: All lesson sections - no more than 3 letter-sounds introduced or assessed in single session

Manipulatives (tactile letter cards, sandpaper letters):
How implemented: Sandpaper or textured letter cards available for tracing during guided practice and independent practice. Concrete objects for sorting activity.
When used: Guided practice (trace and say activity), independent practice (Level 1 concrete sorting), available as support during assessment if needed

Frequent breaks and movement opportunities:
How implemented: Movement warm-up (touch ears, clap), air tracing with large motor movement, standing to sort objects into boxes, option to walk to check anchor chart.
When used: Hook (movement warm-up), direct instruction (air tracing), guided practice (sorting activity), independent practice (movement to check chart)

Extended processing time (5-7 second wait time):
How implemented: Teacher counts silently to 7 after asking question before prompting or re-asking. Built into assessment protocol.
When used: All sections requiring verbal responses - check for understanding, guided practice questions, progress monitoring assessment

Simplified, chunked directions (one-step at a time):
How implemented: Teacher gives single directive, waits for completion, then gives next step. “First, look at the letter. [pause] Now trace it. [pause] Now say the sound.”
When used: All instructional sections - direct instruction modeling, guided practice activities, independent practice task explanations

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DIFFERENTIATION BY DISABILITY:

For students with Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in reading:

• Emphasize phonological awareness warm-ups (clap syllables, count sounds)
• Provide additional repetitions of sound production (5-7 practice trials vs. 3)
• Use errorless learning approach - high prompting initially, then fade systematically
• Focus on continuous sounds (s, m, n, f, l) before stop sounds (b, t, p, k)
• Pre-teach vocabulary and picture labels before lesson to reduce cognitive load

For students with ADHD (if co-occurring):

• Incorporate movement every 2-3 minutes (air tracing, sorting objects, walking to chart)
• Use rhythm sticks or clapping for sound segmentation to channel kinesthetic energy
• Provide fidget or textured letter card to hold during teacher modeling
• Give specific active roles: “You’re the letter detective - find the ‘s’!”
• Break 15-minute lesson into 3 visible timed sections on visual schedule

For students with auditory processing disorder (APD) specifically:

• Seat close to teacher, minimize background noise
• Use visual mouth cues MORE than auditory repetition (show, don’t just tell)
• Provide headphones for sound discrimination activities if beneficial
• Use sound amplification system or speak clearly at slower pace
• Pair every sound with visual (picture) and kinesthetic (gesture/trace) cue simultaneously

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PARAPROFESSIONAL SUPPORT NOTES:

Before lesson:

• Prepare 3 sets of materials (one per student): sandpaper letters (s, m, t), small mirror, 3 objects (sock, map, top)
• Set up 3 sorting boxes with letter cards (s, m, t) and picture cues on front
• Print anchor chart with large letters s, m, t and corresponding pictures
• Have progress monitoring data sheet and pencil ready

During lesson:

• Position yourself to support student with highest needs (most prompting required)
• During “I do” modeling, ensure all students are watching teacher’s mouth - redirect attention as needed
• During “we do” guided practice, provide hand-over-hand support for tracing if student struggles
• For sound sorting activity, use least-to-most prompting hierarchy (see below)
• Record data on progress monitoring sheet for your assigned student(s)

How to prompt (hierarchy: least to most intrusive):

1. Gestural: Point to anchor chart or mouth position
2. Verbal: “What sound does your mouth make when your lips are together?”
3. Visual model: Exaggerate mouth position and say sound again
4. Partial physical: Guide student’s fingers to trace letter while they say sound
5. Full physical: Hand-over-hand tracing with simultaneous verbal model

What to record:

• Which prompt level each student needed during independent practice (I, V, M, P)
• Any error patterns (confuses s/t, difficulty with specific sound)
• Engagement level (on-task, needed redirection)
• Progress monitoring data: correct/incorrect for 3-trial assessment

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SUCCESS CRITERIA:

By end of intervention, students should be able to:

• Produce the correct sound for target letters s, m, t when shown letter card (2/3 correct, independent or with gestural prompt only)
• Match a spoken sound (/s/, /m/, or /t/) to the corresponding letter card by pointing or selecting (2/3 correct)
• Trace the letter while simultaneously producing the correct sound with visual reference available (3/3 attempts with correct pairing)

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BEHAVIOR & ENGAGEMENT SUPPORTS:

Attention supports:

• Use name + positive statement before direction: “Maria, I love how you’re watching! Now trace the ‘s’.”
• Provide visual schedule showing 3 lesson sections with timer (Hook - Practice - Check)
• Incorporate novelty: mirrors, textured letters, mystery objects in box
• Use auditory cues: chime or clap pattern to signal transitions

Motivation strategies:

• Embed student interests: Use objects/pictures of preferred items (dinosaur = /d/ later)
• Gamify: “Sound detectives” theme, earn detective badge stickers for effort
• Immediate positive reinforcement: “You matched /m/ to the letter! That’s exactly what readers do!”
• Progress tracking: Individual sticker chart showing mastery of each letter

Self-regulation supports:

• Offer movement breaks: “Stand up and trace the letter BIG in the air!”
• Provide sensory fidget during teacher talk (textured letter card to hold)
• Use visual emotional check-in: “Point to how you’re feeling - happy face or need a break?”
• Allow choice: “Do you want to trace with your finger or a marker?”

Reinforcement plan:

• Verbal praise for EFFORT (not just accuracy): “I saw you looking carefully at the chart - that’s what strong readers do!”
• Specific feedback: “You fixed your mouth position for /m/ - great self-correction!”
• Tangible: Sticker or stamp on individual progress chart after completing 3-trial assessment
• Group celebration: “All three detectives found 2 correct sounds! High fives!”

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NEXT STEPS & IEP CONSIDERATIONS:

If student meets success criteria (80%+ accuracy = 2/3 or 3/3 correct):

• Continue with current letters (s, m, t) for 2-3 more sessions to build automaticity
• Introduce 2-3 new letters (suggest: continuous sounds like n, f, l before stop sounds)
• Gradually fade picture cues - use letter cards without pictures intermittently
• Increase independent practice to Level 3 (abstract - writing letter when hearing sound)
• Begin blending these sounds into CVC words (sat, mat, tam) in future lessons

If student does not meet criteria (0/3 or 1/3 correct):

• Return to phoneme awareness activities BEFORE letter introduction (clap sounds, count sounds in words)
• Reduce to 2 letters only (start with /m/ and /s/ - most visible mouth positions)
• Increase scaffolding: Use full physical prompts (hand-over-hand tracing) for all practice
• Add additional sensory input: Have student hum/feel vibration for /m/, feel air for /s/
• Consider prerequisite skill gap: Can student imitate individual sounds in isolation? If not, work on sound production with SLP consultation
• Try alternative modality: Finger spelling in sand/shaving cream, playdoh letter formation
• When to consider IEP goal modification: If after 6-8 intervention sessions (3-4 weeks) with intensive scaffolding, student cannot produce 2/3 target sounds independently, consult with IEP team to assess whether goal complexity needs adjustment or related service minutes (SLP) needed

Data documentation for IEP:

• Record progress monitoring results (3-trial assessment data) in IEP tracking system or data binder after EVERY session
• Collect data daily (each intervention session = 3 data points)
• Report progress to case manager weekly via shared data log or email summary
• Prepare progress monitoring summary for quarterly IEP progress reports (calculate % accuracy across all sessions for the quarter)
• Share data at IEP team meetings if lack of progress indicates need for goal revision or service adjustments

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FAMILY SUPPORT NOTE (Send Home):

“Dear Family,

Today in intervention, [Student Name] worked on matching letter sounds to letters (s, m, t), which connects to their IEP goal: to say the correct sound when shown a letter.

We used mirrors to watch our mouths, textured letters to trace while saying sounds, and real objects like socks and maps to make the sounds more memorable.

AT HOME TRY THIS: Letter Sound Scavenger Hunt (5-10 minutes)

1. Focus on ONE letter sound from today (s, m, or t)
2. Say: “Let’s find things that start with /ssss/ like snake!”
3. Walk around the house together and touch/collect items starting with that sound (spoon, sink, soap)
4. Let [Student Name] trace the letter ‘s’ in shaving cream, sand, or with their finger on your back while saying “/ssss/”
5. Use a mirror - watch your mouths make the sound together!

What helps [Student Name] learn:

• Give 5-7 seconds of quiet wait time after asking “What sound is this?” before giving hints
• Use picture clues - draw a snake next to the letter ‘s’ or show a picture
• Let them TOUCH letters (write in sand, trace textured letters, use magnetic letters)
• Only practice 1-2 sounds at a time - don’t overwhelm with the whole alphabet!

[Student Name] showed great focus during our mirror work today and traced the letter ‘m’ while saying /mmm/ three times!

Please contact me if you have questions!”

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TEACHER REFLECTION & NOTES:

Implementation tips:

• Pre-position mirrors and materials at each student spot before they enter to maximize instructional time
• Model with exaggerated enthusiasm - make silly faces in mirror, stretch sounds dramatically
• Keep pace BRISK during transitions, but SLOW during sound production and wait time
• If student frustration emerges, immediately return to errorless “I do” modeling and rebuild confidence

Common pitfalls to avoid:

• Don’t introduce letter NAMES yet - focus solely on sounds (/s/, not “ess”)
• Don’t mix short and long vowel sounds in same session - stick to consonants initially for clarity
• Don’t correct mouth position harshly - use mirrors for self-discovery instead
• Don’t skip the concrete object sorting - this tactile step is critical for students with auditory processing issues

What to observe during lesson:

• Are students watching your mouth during modeling? If not, increase proximity and redirect
• Do students’ mouths move when tracing letters? This indicates building sound-symbol connection
• What’s the prompt level needed? Track whether students are becoming MORE independent across sessions or still requiring same level of support (indicates need for strategy change)
• Are errors random or patterned? (e.g., always confusing s/t suggests visual discrimination issue, not just auditory)

Materials management:

• Store each student’s set of materials in labeled ziplock bag (1 bag per student with their 3 objects, sandpaper letters, mirror)
• Keep anchor chart laminated and posted permanently in intervention space
• Rotate objects weekly to maintain novelty while keeping same target sounds (sock - sun - seal for /s/)
• Use data sheet template on clipboard - fill in during lesson, transfer to IEP tracker after session