Rhyme Safari Slides Sound Safari • Lesson 1
Pre-K Early Literacy
Phonological Awareness
Rhyme Safari Adventure
Put on your listening ears! Let’s hunt for words that end with the very same sound.
Listen Closely
Tune ears to word endings
Rhyme Match
Find matching word friends
Jump & Freeze
Active safari movement
Listening Secret Part 1: Discover
What is a Rhyme?
Rhyming words are word friends that share the exact same ending sound!
🐸
Frog
Ends with: -og
🪵
Log
Ends with: -og
Say it together: "A little green frog sat on a big brown log!"
Safari Mystery Part 2: You Decide
Which Picture Rhymes with CAT?
Listen for the ending sound: -at
🐱 CAT
🎩
HAT
Cat... Hat! Do they rhyme?
☀️
SUN
Cat... Sun! Do they rhyme?
👂 Teacher Prompt: Tap your chin if they rhyme, shake your head if they don't!
Safari Action Game Part 3: Move & Groove
Jump or Freeze!
Stand up gently in your spot and listen to the pair:
🦘
IF THEY RHYME
Jump high like a kangaroo!
Example: Bug & Rug
🦎
IF THEY DON'T RHYME
Freeze still like a little lizard!
Example: Fish & Car
Ready? Pair 1: Snake & Cake • Pair 2: Dog & Cup
Closing Chant Part 4: Safari Song
The Rhyme Safari Chant
Clap the beat with two fingers together!
🎵 We are walking in the safari grass,
A bear in a chair! (Rhyme!)
Sound detectives on the go, rhyming high and rhyming low! 🐾
✨ Next up: Table Rhyme Matching Game! Keep your listening ears ready! 🎧
Rhyme Safari Lesson Plan 1
Rhyme Safari Lesson Plan
Sound Safari Sequence • Pre-K Early Literacy
Duration: 25–30 Mins
Circle Time + Small Groups
Target Domain
Phonological Awareness
Key Vocabulary
Rhyme, match, ending sound
Group Structure
Whole group & Center pairs
Materials Needed
Rhyme cards, Safari hats, drum
Learning Objectives
Children will identify whether two spoken animal/object words rhyme by listening to their ending sound.
Children will respond kinesthetically to rhyming words (jumping for rhyming pairs, freezing for non-rhymes).
Children will match at least 2 rhyming picture pairs during guided table-top discovery.
Phase 1: Safari Hook & Listening Ears (5 mins)
Circle Time
Script prompt: "Pretend safari binoculars on! Today we are sound detectives listening for animal rhyme pairs. When two words rhyme, they make the exact same song at the end!" Tap ears 3 times to signal listening readiness.
Phase 2: Modeling the Rhyme Concept (8 mins)
Whole Group
Show Slide 2 (Frog & Log). Exaggerate the ending rime: "Fr-OG... L-OG! Hear that bouncy -og ? They match!" Contrast with non-rhyme: "Frog... Sun. Fr-OG... S-UN. Do they share that same bouncy end? No way!" Invite children to nod or shake heads.
Phase 3: Jump or Freeze Movement Game (7 mins)
Active Kinesthetic
Children stand in personal bubble spaces. Teacher calls out word pairs with a gentle hand drum beat:
🐾 Jump Pairs: Bear/Chair, Snake/Cake, Fox/Box
🦎 Freeze Pairs: Dog/Car, Cat/Fish, Bug/Sun
Sound Safari Pre-K Early Literacy Series Page 1 of 2 • Rhyme Safari Guide
Implementation & Differentiation
Centers, Accommodations, and Evidence of Learning
Part 2 of Guide
Small Group Literacy Centers (10 mins)
Center A: Rhyme Match Baskets
Provide tangible miniature objects or picture tokens (e.g., toy cat + hat, bat + mat). Children pair up objects that end identically and feed them into the "Rhyme Safari Bin."
Center B: Safari Activity Sheet
Distribute the Rhyme Match Activity Sheet . Students draw connection lines between matching rhyming animal cards with chunky safari crayons or stamp markers.
Circle Wrap-Up Routine (3 mins)
"Safari sound detectives, gather back in our grassy ring! Point your thumbs up if you found rhyming words today. Whisper one rhyming pair into your hands and blow it into the circle on the count of three: 1, 2, 3... (children blow rhyming whispers)!"
Differentiation & Scaffolding
For Emerging Listeners
Use 2 choices instead of 4 (e.g., Cat matches with Hat or Fish?).
Elongate and echo the vowel rime: "C-aaat... H-aaat."
Provide tactile touch cues (clap hands on matching endings).
For Ready Explorers
Challenge child to produce a third rhyming word (Cat, Hat, and... Bat!).
Encourage nonsensical playful rhymes (e.g., "Zat", "Dat").
Have them identify the beginning consonant shift verbally.
Quick Observation Checklist
Beginning: Needs teacher modeling to notice rhyme endings.
Developing: Reliably discriminates rhymes during kinesthetic games.
Mastering: Independently matches and names rhyming picture pairs.
Sound Safari Pre-K Early Literacy Series Page 2 of 2 • Teacher Guide
Rhyme Match Activity Sheet 🐾
Rhyme Match Activity Sheet
Sound Safari • Pre-K Early Literacy
Name:
Date:
Safari Mission
Say the words out loud. Draw a crayon line from the left animal to its rhyming friend on the right!
🐸
FROG "ribbit-ribbit"
⋯⋯
BOX cardboard box
📦
🐱
CAT "meow-meow"
⋯⋯
LOG tree branch log
🪵
🐻
BEAR furry bear
⋯⋯
HAT safari hat
🎩
🦊
FOX clever fox
⋯⋯
CHAIR wooden chair
🪑
Safari Star Bonus: Which one rhymes with BEE? 🐝
Say each word: BEE... TREE? BEE... SUN? BEE... CAR? Circle the one that rhymes!
🌳 TREE
☀️ SUN
🚗 CAR
💡 Tip: Ask the learner to repeat each ending sound together! Sound Safari • Rhyme Activity 1
Letter Trackers Slides Sound Safari • Lesson 2
Phonics & Letter Discovery
Tracking Secret Letter Footprints
Letter Trackers Safari
Animals leave secret letter tracks in the sand! Let’s discover letters M , S , and T .
M m
Munching Monkey
S s
Slithering Snake
T t
Tiptoe Tiger
🐒 Letter Track 1: Letter M Sound: /m/
M m
"Mmmmmm yummy!"
Rub your tummy with both hands!
🐒
Monkey
Starts with letter M (/m/)
🥭
Mango
Sweet safari fruit that starts with M
🏔️
Mountain
Tall mountain peaks shape like letter M
Air-Trace: Straight up, slide down, climb up, straight down!
🐍 Letter Track 2: Letter S Sound: /s/
S s
"Ssssssss like a snake!"
Slither your arm through the air!
🐍
Snake
Slithers smoothly starting with S
☀️
Sun
Bright warm safari sun begins with S
🪨
Stone
Smooth stepping stone begins with S
Air-Trace: Curve back around, curve forward around! Just like a curvy snake!
🐅 Letter Track 3: Letter T Sound: /t/
T t
"T-T-T tiptoe tap!"
Tap your tongue behind your top teeth!
🐅
Tiger
Tiptoes softly through the tall grass
🌳
Tree
Tall safari tree starts with T
⛺
Tent
Campers sleep in a tent starting with T
Air-Trace: Straight down like a trunk, cross over top like a tree branch!
Safari Sound Detective Whole Class Game
Which Letter Sound Do You Hear First?
Listen to the animal's name and show the motion!
🐍
Snake
Sound: /s/ • Letter S
🐒
Monkey
Sound: /m/ • Letter M
🐅
Tiger
Sound: /t/ • Letter T
Great tracking detectives! Next: Sand trays & finger tracing!
Letter Trackers Lesson Plan 2
Letter Trackers Lesson Plan
Sound Safari Sequence • Letters M, S, & T
Duration: 25–30 Mins
Circle Phonics + Sensory Stations
Focus Letters
M, S, and T
Skill Domain
Phonics & Letter Form
Sensory Tools
Sand trays, playdough, chalk
Group Format
Interactive circle + stations
Core Learning Objectives
Children will connect letter shapes M , S , and T to their corresponding initial phonemes (/m/, /s/, /t/).
Children will pair tactile motor actions (tummy rubbing, snake arm, tongue tap) with each letter sound.
Children will trace letter formations in sensory media (sand, air, paper) using appropriate top-to-bottom strokes.
Phase 1: Safari Footprint Hook (5 mins)
Circle Warm-up
Introduce letter cards as "secret animal tracks" left in the safari trail. Explain that every animal speaks with a special letter sound: "Munching Monkey starts with Mmm , Slithering Snake with Sss , and Tiptoe Tiger with T-T-T !"
Phase 2: Multi-Sensory Phonics Modeling (10 mins)
Explicit Routine
Letter M (/m/)
Mouth: Lips pressed gently together. Motion: Rub tummy. Air-trace: Down, slant down, slant up, down.
Letter S (/s/)
Mouth: Teeth gently closed, breath hissing. Motion: Wavy snake arm. Air-trace: S-curve backward then forward.
Letter T (/t/)
Mouth: Tongue behind front teeth, quick release. Motion: Tiptoe tapping. Air-trace: Down trunk, cross branch.
Phase 3: Sound & Motion Echo Game (5 mins)
Call & Response
Teacher holds up a letter card; children chant: "Letter M, letter M, what sound do you make?" Group responds with sound and motion together: "/m/, /m/, monkey!" Rotate through S and T with rising excitement.
Sound Safari Pre-K Early Literacy Series Page 1 of 2 • Letter Trackers Guide
Sensory Centers & Differentiation
Multi-Sensory Stations, Scaffolds, and Formative Notes
Part 2 of Guide
Tactile Literacy Stations (10–12 mins)
Station 1: Safari Sand Trays
Children use their pointer fingers to trace M, S, and T in shallow trays of yellow cornmeal or sand. After tracing, gently shake tray to reset like safari footprints in the wind.
Letter Trail Practice Sheet 🐾
Letter Trail Practice Sheet
Sound Safari • Letters M, S, & T
Name:
Date:
Tracker Mission
Start at the green dot 🟢 and trace the big letter tracks with your finger or chunky crayon!
🐒
Munching Monkey
Sound: /m/ • "Mmmm"
🟢 Start M
🟢 Start m
Your Turn
🐍
Slithering Snake
Sound: /s/ • "Ssss"
🟢 Start S
🟢 Start s
Your Turn
🐅
Tiptoe Tiger
Sound: /t/ • "T-T-T"
🟢 Start T
🟢 Start t
Your Turn
Beginning Sound Safari Hunt
1. Which animal starts with the letter M sound (/m/)? Circle it!
🐒 Monkey
🐢 Turtle
🐸 Frog
2. Which animal starts with the letter S sound (/s/)? Circle it!
🦁 Lion
🐍 Snake
🐻 Bear
💡 Finger trace first before using crayons or markers! Sound Safari • Letter Practice 2
Story Makers Slides Sound Safari • Lesson 3
Stories & Emergent Writing
Every Explorer is an Author!
Safari Story Makers
We can tell wonderful stories with our words and pictures! Let’s create our very own safari adventure.
1. Beginning
Who is in the story?
2. Middle
What exciting thing happens?
3. Ending
How does the adventure finish?
Story Building Blocks Story Structure
Every Story Has 3 Magic Parts
Stories move from start to finish, just like a safari walk!
🌅
Beginning
First...
Meet our animal character waking up in the tall golden grass.
🧭
Middle
Next...
The animal goes exploring and finds a giant mysterious mango tree!
🌙
Ending
Finally...
The animal shares juicy mangoes with animal friends under the stars.
Show 1 finger for Beginning, 2 fingers for Middle, 3 fingers for Ending!
Character Studio Who is your hero?
Who is in Your Story?
Choose an animal hero for your safari adventure:
🦁
Leo the Lion
Brave & roaring loud!
🦜
Pip the Parrot
Colorful & flying high!
🦓
Zuri the Zebra
Fast & stripes glowing!
🗣️ Turn and tell your carpet neighbor: "My story character is..."
Author's Workshop How We Make It
How We Make Our Book
Authors and illustrators follow two fun steps:
🎨
1. Draw Your Picture
Use your bright colors to draw your animal friend, the trees, and what happens!
✍️
2. Dictate Your Words
Tell your teacher your story words. Watch as your teacher writes your ideas on the lines!
Your drawings and words tell the world your unique story!
Celebration Time Share & Celebrate
The Author's Chair!
When our stories are ready, we sit in the special author's chair!
🪑 📖
"I am an Author! Listen to my story!"
Big storytelling voice
Show your drawing
Kind listener ears
Big safari cheer!
🎨 Time to head to our writing tables! Let's create our safari adventure! ✨
Story Makers Lesson Plan 3
Story Makers Lesson Plan
Sound Safari Sequence • Emergent Writing & Narrative
Duration: 30–35 Mins
Circle Story + Writing Studio
Literacy Domain
Narrative & Dictation
Core Vocabulary
Beginning, middle, end, author
Teacher Role
Scribe & Story Coach
Studio Format
Whole group + 1:1 Conferencing
Learning Objectives
Children will understand that stories sequence in chronological order: beginning, middle, and ending.
Children will represent an animal character and safari event through original pictorial illustrations.
Children will verbally express their story ideas for the teacher to record verbatim on their story sheet.
Phase 1: The Magic Story Bag Hook (6 mins)
Circle Time
Pull three safari tokens from a cloth bag: a toy animal (Who), a small green leaf (Where), and a shiny gold pebble (What happened). Explain: "Every explorer has an adventure to tell! Today, each of you is the Author and Illustrator of your very own book!"
Phase 2: Interactive Story Mapping (8 mins)
Visual Demonstration
Co-create a 30-second class tale using three fingers as physical landmarks:
1. Beginning
"First, Leo the Lion woke up under a giant shady acacia tree."
2. Middle
"Next, Leo heard a funny squeak and found a lost baby monkey!"
3. Ending
"Finally, they shared bananas and danced together under the moon!"
Phase 3: Launching the Writing Studio (4 mins)
Transition
Demonstrate holding the crayon, sketching the animal in the big drawing box, and raising two fingers when ready for teacher dictation: "Draw your picture first so I can see what you are thinking!"
Sound Safari Pre-K Early Literacy Series Page 1 of 2 • Story Makers Guide
Conferencing & Celebration
Dictation Protocol, Differentiation, and Author's Chair
Part 2 of Guide
Teacher Dictation Protocol (Conferencing Routine)
Invite narration: Say, "Tell me about your safari adventure! What is happening in your drawing?" Write verbatim: Write the child's exact spoken words on their story sheet lines in neat print.Track left-to-right: As you write, say the words slowly, sliding your finger under each word so the child sees speech turned into print.
Safari Adventure Story Sheet 📖
Safari Adventure Story Sheet
Sound Safari • Story Makers Studio
Author:
Date:
1 Choose Your Story Hero:
🦁 Lion 🦜 Parrot 🦓 Zebra ✨ Other
2 Draw Your Safari Adventure
Show who is there and what happened!
3 Tell Your Story (Teacher Dictation)
Listen to child's words and write verbatim below
"First..."
"Next..."
"Finally..."
Author Checklist: ⬜ Drew Hero ⬜ Added Colors ⬜ Shared Story
Sound Safari • Story Activity 3
