One sound. One carriage.
Say the word slowly. Add a carriage for every sound.
0 carriages addedSay each sound out loud as you tap.
One tap for each sound you say.
Phoneme segmentation
Say the word slowly and give each sound its own carriage. Clap is four sounds: /k/ /l/ /a/ /p/. Box is four sounds because x is /k/ and /s/. A correct carriage count is not a score of the spoken sounds.
- All sound games
- Count first on Sound Safari
- Child practice cards, pictures and empty boxes
- Published kit, day 2
This is informal practice. It is not DIBELS administration, and it makes no diagnostic or efficacy claim.
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: see.
Using this helper records grown-up support separately from independent matches.
Grown-up answer and choice key
Answer: see — /s/ · /i/ — 2 sounds.
Review spoken sounds
Carriages check the count only. Listen to the learner's spoken segmentation before marking oral accuracy. Open the answer key above only when you need it.
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.
One-minute practice with a grown-up
Say a whole word without showing its spelling. Listen while your learner says its sounds. Mark only the individual sounds you actually hear correctly. This is informal practice, not an official DIBELS assessment.