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Sound Slider

Run the Sound Slider MicroSim Fullscreen

About This MicroSim

The Sound Slider makes blending tangible by letting children control the pace of sound blending with a draggable slider. As the slider moves across each sound bubble, that phoneme is pronounced. Moving slowly stretches the sounds apart; moving quickly blends them naturally. This kinesthetic approach helps children internalize the concept of blending.

Features

  • 20 CVC Words: Common words with picture hints
  • Draggable Slider: Control blending pace manually
  • Auto Blend: Watch and hear automatic blending
  • Sound Bubbles: Visual phoneme representation
  • Progressive Highlighting: Sounds light up as slider passes
  • Color Coding: Red vowels, blue consonants
  • Emoji Hints: Picture clues for each word
  • Audio Feedback: Each sound plays as slider crosses

How to Use

  1. See the Emoji: Guess what word you'll make
  2. Drag the Slider: Move slowly left to right
  3. Listen: Each sound plays as the slider passes
  4. Blend: Moving faster blends sounds together
  5. See the Word: Full word appears when complete
  6. Auto Blend: Use button to watch automatic blending

Why a Slider Works

The slider metaphor is powerful because:

  • Kinesthetic control: Physical movement aids learning
  • Pace control: Children set their own speed
  • Visual connection: See which sound you're on
  • Smooth blending: Moving fast = natural blending
  • Concrete abstraction: Abstract concept made physical

Iframe Example

You can include this MicroSim on your website using the following iframe:

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<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/reading-for-kindergarten/sims/sound-slider/main.html"
        height="462px"
        width="100%"
        scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Learning Objectives

After completing this activity, students will be able to:

  1. Remember: Recall individual phonemes in CVC words
  2. Understand: Explain that blending is combining sounds smoothly
  3. Apply: Control blending pace to decode words
  4. Analyze: Compare slow segmented sounds to smooth blending

What is Blending?

Blending is the skill of combining individual sounds to form words:

  • Segmented: /c/ ... /a/ ... /t/
  • Stretched: "caaaat"
  • Blended: "cat"

The slider physically represents this progression from separated to connected sounds.

Suggested Activities

  1. Slow Motion: Drag slider very slowly, stretching each sound
  2. Speed Up: Gradually increase speed to natural blending
  3. Pause and Predict: Stop after two sounds, guess the word
  4. Slider Race: Who can blend smoothly without stopping?
  5. Teacher Models: Show how slow = stretched, fast = blended

Assessment Opportunities

  • Observe slider movement patterns (jerky vs. smooth)
  • Listen for correct phoneme pronunciation
  • Note if children anticipate the word before completing
  • Track which words are decoded fluently

Differentiation

  • Support: Use Auto Blend first to model; slow practice
  • Challenge: Cover emoji hint; add longer words

Teaching Connection

Use the slider to demonstrate blending concepts:

  • Physical metaphor: "Let's slide through the sounds"
  • Speed awareness: "Slow for learning, fast for reading"
  • Sound connection: "Listen how the sounds connect"

Technical Notes

  • Uses p5.js for interactive graphics and animations
  • Web Speech API for phoneme and word pronunciation
  • Web Audio API for ping sounds at each phoneme
  • Touch-friendly slider for mobile/tablet use
  • Responsive design adapts to container width

References