Sound Patrol Checklist Phonics Tracking Toolkit
SOUND PATROL CHECKLIST
Target: Grade 1
Beginning & Ending Sounds
Student Name
___________________________
Assessor/Teacher
___________________________
School Year / Class
___________________________
How to Track: Use this individual checklist to monitor phonemic awareness and sound-spelling correspondence. Check off status as I (Introduced), D (Developing), or M (Mastered with date). Use the Word Lists for oral/written checks.
Beginning Sounds (Onsets)
Letter I D M (Date) Key Notes / Confusions /b/ b
| ____/____ |
|
| /d/ d |
|
| ____/____ |
Confuses with /b/
|
| /f/ f |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /g/ g |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /h/ h |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /j/ j |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /k/ c, k |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /l/ l |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /m/ m |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /n/ n |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /p/ p |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /r/ r |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /s/ s |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /t/ t |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /v, w/ v,w |
|
| ____/____ |
|
Ending Sounds (Coda)
Letter I D M (Date) Key Notes / Confusions /b/ b
| ____/____ |
|
| /d/ d |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /g/ g |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /k/ ck, k |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /l/ ll, l |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /m/ m |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /n/ n |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /p/ p |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /r/ r |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /s/ s, ss |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /t/ t |
|
| ____/____ |
|
| /x/ x |
|
| ____/____ |
|
Next Steps / Interventions:
Sound Patrol Trackers • Individual Student File
First Grade Phonics Assessment Tool
Sound Patrol Weekly Checks Weekly Assessment 1
Beginning Sounds Mission
Score: ____ / 5
Detective:
Date:
Mission Brief: Look at the picture. Say the word out loud. Circle the letter that makes the starting sound!
_ u n
"s-u-n"
s t m
_ a r
"c-a-r"
g c r
_ u s
"b-u-s"
d p b
_ e y
"k-e-y"
k j c
_ i s h
"f-i-s-h"
v f s
Sound Patrol Assessments • Weekly check-in
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Weekly Assessment 2
Ending Sounds Mission
Score: ____ / 5
Detective:
Date:
Mission Brief: Look at the picture. Say the word out loud. Circle the letter that makes the ending sound!
c u _
"c-u-p"
t m p
c a _
"c-a-t"
t n d
b o _
"b-o-x"
s x z
m a _
"m-a-p"
p t g
d o _
"d-o-g"
d b g
Sound Patrol Assessments • Weekly check-in
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Sound Patrol Word Lists Teacher Diagnostic Guide
SOUND PATROL WORD LISTS
CVC Quick Reference
How to Conduct a Rapid Sweep: Point to a word on this list. Have the student read it, or dictate the word and ask: "What is the first sound?" or "What is the last sound?" Keep a clipboard with the student's Checklist handy to mark down errors immediately.
Beginning Consonant Lists
Group 1: Stop Confusions (/b/, /d/, /p/, /t/)
/b/ & /d/ Contrast bag • dig • bug • dot
/p/ & /t/ Contrast pet • tub • pig • ten
Group 2: Back & Throat Sounds (/g/, /k/)
/k/ (c, k) List cat • kid • cup • kit
/g/ List gum • gas • get • got
Group 3: Continuous Sounds (/m/, /n/, /f/, /s/, /l/, /r/)
Nasals /m, n/map • net • mud • nod
Fricatives /f, s/fan • sun • fox • sit
Liquids /l, r/ leg • run • lip • red • log • rug
Group 4: Glides & Breath Sounds (/j/, /h/, /w/, /y/)
/j/ & /h/ List jet • hat • jam • hop
/w/ & /y/ List wet • yes • wig • yak
Ending Consonant Lists
Group 1: Final Stops (Voiced & Unvoiced)
Final /p, b/cap • tub • lip • rib
Final /t, d/cat • red • bat • sad
Final /k/ & /g/ (Back Stops) bag • sock • pig • back • log • neck
Group 2: Final Nasals (/m/, /n/)
Co-articulated nasal comparison ham/han • jam/jan • run/ram • pin/pim
Excellent for checking mouth-closure feedback at the end of words.
Group 3: Final Fricatives & Glides (/s/, /f/, /x/, /z/)
Final /s/ & /z/ bus • buzz • gas • jazz
Final /f/ & /x/ off • box • cuff • fox
Look & Listen For:
Schwa addition: Does the child add /uh/ to stops? (e.g., saying "buh-at" for "bat")
Voicing shifts: Does the child swap unvoiced /p, t, k/ with voiced /b, d, g/ at the end?
Nasal confusion: Check if ending /m/ and /n/ are articulated correctly.
Sound Patrol Trackers • Word Lists Reference
Teacher Resource
Sound Patrol Error Guide Diagnostic Cheat Sheet
SOUND PATROL ERROR GUIDE
Qualitative Analysis
Understanding Student Errors:
Not all errors are equal. Children often swap sounds that share physical mouth positions (place of articulation) or voicing traits. Identifying why a child is making an error allows you to target your mini-lessons specifically.
Common Phonics Error Patterns
Voiced vs. Unvoiced Swap p ↔ b, t ↔ d, k ↔ g
The Cause: The vocal cords are turned on/off incorrectly. Mouth placement is identical.
Intervention: Have students touch their throat ("feel the buzz") while making /v/ vs /f/ or /z/ vs /s/.
Visual Reversals b ↔ d, p ↔ q, m ↔ n
The Cause: Brain is adjusting to symbol orientation. Normal in early grade 1.
Intervention: Trace in sand, use tactile cards, or emphasize hand gestures (b has a belly, d has a diaper).
Nasal Merging m ↔ n, ng ↔ n
The Cause: Failing to differentiate between mouth open (n) vs lips closed (m).
Intervention: Have students observe their lips close for /m/ ("yum") and stay open for /n/ ("no") in mirrors.
Student Phonics Case Notes
File Copy
Case Name:
Student Name
Case Officer:
Teacher / Specialist
Beginning Sound Confusions
Ending Sound Confusions
Visual Reversal Patterns
Voice/Mouth Placement Clues
Targeted Intervention Plan
Sound Patrol Trackers • Qualitative Assessment Guide
Teacher Cheat Sheet
Sound Patrol Picture Cards Flashcard Activity Kit
Beginning Sound Flashcards
Cut along the dashed lines. Use for rapid oral diagnostics.
Case #01 BEGINNING
What is the FIRST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /s/ (sun)
Case #02 BEGINNING
What is the FIRST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /k/ (cat)
Case #03 BEGINNING
What is the FIRST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /d/ (dog)
Case #04 BEGINNING
What is the FIRST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /k/ (key)
Case #05 BEGINNING
What is the FIRST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /b/ (bus)
Case #06 BEGINNING
What is the FIRST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /k/ (car)
Sound Patrol Trackers • Diagnostic Cards
Page 1 of 2
Flashcard Activity Kit
Ending Sound Flashcards
Cut along the dashed lines. Use for rapid oral diagnostics.
Case #07 ENDING
What is the LAST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /p/ (cup)
Case #08 ENDING
What is the LAST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /x/ (box)
Case #09 ENDING
What is the LAST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /p/ (map)
Case #10 ENDING
What is the LAST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /m/ (drum)
Case #11 ENDING
What is the LAST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /d/ (cloud)
Case #12 ENDING
What is the LAST sound?
Sound Patrol Answer: /g/ (flag)
Sound Patrol Trackers • Diagnostic Cards
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