Mouth Moves and Gestures for Phonemes

Melanie Hummer (MHummer@cvschools.org) helps children learn phonemes by exploring their mouth moves and representing their meaningful representations with hand gestures.  Melanie is a reading specialist at Green Ridge Elementary School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Most of her meaningful representations begin with the same sound they are representing.

Phoneme	Mouth Feel	Gesture	Meaningful Representation
/a/	Jaw and tongue are down.	Rub eyes with fists.	Crying baby
/b/	Lips start out together, then they open and a puff of air comes out. Voice box on.	Pat chest.	Beating heart
/c/	Tongue is humped in the back of your mouth.	Pull index finger to click camera.	Click
/d/	Tip of tongue touches above your top teeth.  Voice box on.	Knock on table.	Door knock
/e/	Mouth open, tongue behind bottom teeth.	Hand cupped behind ear.	Hard to hear
/f/	Top teeth touch your bottom lip.	Swirl open hand.	Electric fan
/g/	Mouth is open, tongue humped at back of mouth.  Voice box on.	Raise glass.	Gulping milk
/h/	Air comes out of mouth.	Pant.	Hot dog
/i/	Mouth is open, tongue is slightly lowered.	Mouth open, tongue out.	Icky sticky
/j/	Tongue is up, lips are open.	Twirl hands.	Jumping rope
/k/	Tongue is humped in the back of your mouth.	Pull index finger to click camera.	Click
/l/	Tip of tongue touches above your top teeth and stays there.	Hold up fist.	Ready to lick a lollipop.
/m/	Lips come together.	Rub tummy.	Mmm mmm good
/n/	Tongue behind top teeth, air comes out your nose.	Swat at bug.	Buzzing gnat
/o/	Mouth open, jaw dropped.	Mouth open.	Doctor says "Open wide"
/p/	Lips start together, then open and a puff of air comes out.	Pop fingers open.	Popcorn popping
/q/	Back of tongue is humped in back of mouth, lips make a circle.	Hands on hips.	"Quiet said the queen!"
/r/	Tongue curls up to roof of mouth.  Voice box on.	Clench teeth.	Dog growls "Ruff ruff"
/s/	Tip of tongue touches above your top teeth. Then make a snake sound.	Hiss and undulate hand side to side	Snake
/t/	Tip of tongue touches above your top teeth.	Move finger like pendulum.	Tick tock
/u/	Mouth is open, tongue is down.	Pretend to punch stomach.	Punch
/v/	Top teeth touch bottom lip.  Voice box on.	Push arm back and forth.	Vacuum cleaner.
/w/	Lips make a circle.	Move from side to side.	Washing machine
/x/	Begins with back of tongue humped in back of your mouth. Then makes a snake sound.	Open a soda can.	Carbonation leaking out
/y/	Tongue is behind lower teeth, mouth is open.	Slap side of leg.	"YAH!"
/z/	Tip of tongue touches above your top teeth. Voice box on.	Pretend to zip up a coat.	Zipper sound

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