One new sound. One new word.
Listen, change one sound, then say your new word.
Change the last sound. Keep the other sounds the same.
Choice 1
Choice 2
Choice 3
Count sounds, not letters.
Phoneme substitution
Hear the starting word, change one sound, and say the new word. A grown-up can ask for the first, middle, or last sound. The child still chooses a spoken word, not a spelling.
Grown-up guide
Practice spoken sounds together. No reading is needed. Start with Little steps, then try Growing sounds or the Big adventure. Say consonants cleanly; avoid adding an extra “uh.” Accents can change a vowel sound without changing the number of sounds.
Speak this prompt for your learner
Say the whole word: moon.
Ask your learner to change sound 3 (last) to /s/ as in sun; a hissing sound. Keep every other sound the same.
Using this helper records grown-up support separately from independent matches.
Grown-up answer and choice key
Answer: moose — /m/ · /u/ · /s/ — 3 sounds.
- Choice 1: cot
- Choice 2: moose
- Choice 3: sun
Listen to sounds, not letters
“Ship” has three sounds: /sh/ /i/ /p/. “Moon” also has three; its long vowel is one sound. “Clap” has four because /k/ and /l/ are separate. “Box” has four because its final letter represents /k/ and /s/. Praise careful listening and spoken attempts; use a hint or reveal together when needed.
Sound Train practices oral segmentation, the skill measured by DIBELS Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF). This original game does not use official test forms, cut scores, or diagnostic scoring. For formal administration and scoring, use the University of Oregon guide and official PSF scoring practice.