Pre-K Sound Play
36 weeks of short, flexible play-based activities for ages 3–5. Explore with a caring adult; practice may be oral, physical, or artistic.
What children will practice
Watch a grown-up demonstrate, try it together, then show what you notice by speaking, pointing, moving, or drawing. There are no timed drills or required independent handwriting tasks.
All 36 weekly sound play activities
📖 Open Textbook- Week 1
Hear a cow moo
I can listen to a cow sound and imitate it using your voice.
Unit: Welcome to Learning - Week 2
Clap words
I can clap once for each word in 'big red barn.'.
Unit: Welcome to Learning - Week 3
Say your name slowly
I can stretch your spoken name into its beats and clap.
Unit: Welcome to Learning - Week 4
Find the first sound in sun
I can listen to the /s/ at the beginning of sun and smile.
Unit: Welcome to Learning - Week 5
Hear same beginning sounds
I can listen to moon and mouse and notice the first /m/ sound.
Unit: Our Families & Feelings - Week 6
Find a rhyme for cat
I can say cat, hat, and dog; listen for the pair that rhymes.
Unit: Our Families & Feelings - Week 7
Play with long and short sounds
I can make a long 'mmmm' and a short 'pop' sound.
Unit: Our Families & Feelings - Week 8
Clap two-syllable words
I can clap the beats in puppy, rabbit, and apple.
Unit: Our Families & Feelings - Week 9
Hear the first sound in ball
I can listen to /b/ and say ball, bat, and boat.
Unit: Colors, Shapes & Sounds - Week 10
Play echo sounds
I can copy a parent who says 'ba-ba' and 'ma-ma.'.
Unit: Colors, Shapes & Sounds - Week 11
Hear the last sound in bus
I can say bus slowly and listen for /s/ at the end.
Unit: Colors, Shapes & Sounds - Week 12
Choose rhyming words
I can hear log, frog, and sun; say which sound alike at the end.
Unit: Colors, Shapes & Sounds - Week 13
Match animal sounds
I can hear moo, neigh, and baa and name the animals.
Unit: Nature Detectives - Week 14
Hear the /t/ sound
I can listen to top and toy and imitate a short /t/ sound.
Unit: Nature Detectives - Week 15
Tap a three-beat word
I can clap the syllables in butterfly with adult modeling.
Unit: Nature Detectives - Week 16
Change a silly rhyme
I can say 'a cat in a hat' and invent another rhyming ending.
Unit: Nature Detectives - Week 17
Hear the /p/ sound
I can say pig and pan while feeling the popping air on /p/.
Unit: Stories & Imagination - Week 18
Sort loud and soft sounds
I can make a soft whisper and a louder talking voice.
Unit: Stories & Imagination - Week 19
Hear the first sound in fish
I can say fish and fan and notice the /f/ sound.
Unit: Stories & Imagination - Week 20
Listen to a short poem
I can hear a nursery rhyme and echo one repeated sound.
Unit: Stories & Imagination - Week 21
Hear the /n/ sound
I can say nose and nest and feel your voice hum on /n/.
Unit: Things That Move - Week 22
Find syllables in objects
I can clap ta-ble and pen-cil when the objects are named.
Unit: Things That Move - Week 23
Find a rhyme for bee
I can say bee, tree, and cup; choose the rhyming pair.
Unit: Things That Move - Week 24
Listen to environmental sounds
I can identify water pouring, paper rustling, and footsteps.
Unit: Things That Move - Week 25
Hear the /k/ sound
I can say cow and cup and listen for the beginning /k/.
Unit: Our Neighborhood - Week 26
Join two spoken parts
I can hear rain then bow; say rainbow together.
Unit: Our Neighborhood - Week 27
Hear different first sounds
I can compare sun and moon and say they start differently.
Unit: Our Neighborhood - Week 28
Clap a three-part name
I can practice clapping a three-syllable pretend character name.
Unit: Our Neighborhood - Week 29
Play alliteration
I can say 'silly sleepy sheep' and repeat the first sound.
Unit: Growing & Changing - Week 30
Hear the /l/ sound
I can say leaf and lion while listening to the first /l/.
Unit: Growing & Changing - Week 31
Guess a word from clues
I can hear 'it rhymes with sun and starts /f/' and say fun.
Unit: Growing & Changing - Week 32
Find the last sound in map
I can say map slowly and listen for /p/ at the end.
Unit: Growing & Changing - Week 33
Put word beats together
I can hear but-ter-fly in three claps and say butterfly.
Unit: Ready to Celebrate - Week 34
Make a family rhyme
I can create a playful rhyming couplet with adult help.
Unit: Ready to Celebrate - Week 35
Hear all the sounds in me
I can stretch 'me' slowly and listen to the beginning and end.
Unit: Ready to Celebrate - Week 36
Celebrate sound play
I can choose your favorite rhyme, animal sound, or clap game to teach.
Unit: Ready to Celebrate