The first few weeks in my Pre-Primary class have been super busy learning our letters and sounds. I’ve been focusing mostly on teaching SATPIN and using a variety of SATPIN activities. S, a, t, p, i and n are the first six letters taught, as once these sounds are learnt students can begin using this sound knowledge to blend and segment a range of simple words (it, is, in, sit, pan…). This forms the foundations of their reading and writing skills and is such an exciting and rewarding time for them (and you)!
So when on the search for resources to use, I came across lots of wonderful games and activities for teaching phonics and the alphabet, but there were not many resources specific to teaching SATPIN letters. Below are my six favourite SATPIN activities that we have used so far, including one of the best purchases I have ever made as a teacher – the electronic Pass the Parcel.
SATPIN Roll and Write
In this Roll and Write SATPIN activity, students roll a dice and write the corresponding letter. During this activity we discuss posture, pencil grip and correct letter formation, particularly focusing on the correct starting point of each letter. This activity includes a Roll and Trace version for students who really struggle with letter formation or pencil grip.
SATPIN Roll and Cover
This Roll and Cover SATPIN activity is a favourite in our classroom! You will need to label a cube or dice with the letters s, a, t, p, i and n (I placed sticky dots over a regular 6-sided dice). Students roll the dice and place a counter over the letter that was rolled, until their entire board is covered. This game includes both uppercase and lowercase versions.
SATPIN Board Game
This SATPIN Board Game is perfect for 2 to 4 players, or can be used one-on-one with students during intervention. Simply roll a dice, move your counter that many spaces, state the sound that is landed on and a word that begins with that sound.
SATPIN Picture Sort
Learn more about this activity
This SATPIN Picture Sort requires students to cut and paste a range of pictures under the correct sound. This was another favourite SATPIN activity in our classroom this year.
I Have Who Has – SATPIN
Grab your downloadable activity here
This teaching SATPIN game is designed to be played with 2 to 6 players. We use this game as an introduction to our small group activities. Each student gets a card (or 2-3 cards depending on the number of players). The player with the “I have s” card begins by calling out, “I have s, who has a?” The player holding the “I have a” card calls out, “I have a, who has t?” Continue until all cards have been called.
Pass the Parcel
Now this has got to be up there with one of the best purchases I have ever made as a teacher!
My Electronic Pass the Parcel has made so many lessons engaging, fun and captivating! There are endless opportunities to use the Pass the Parcel in your classroom and your students will just LOVE him! I have even had parents request for me to organise a parent session so they can use him haha! My Pass the Parcel came out for the first time this year for our SATPIN review and boy was he a hit! Here is how he helped us review our SATPIN sounds.
Here’s how this activity works:
- Firstly, I filled up the Pass the Parcel with objects beginning with s, a, t, p, i and n.
- Then I placed six bowls in the centre of our circle, labelled with the SATPIN letters.
- The students sit in a circle and pass the Electronic Pass the Parcel around the circle, one by one, whilst it plays music. When the music stops, the lid pops open and the student holding the Pass the Parcel selects an object from inside. The best thing about this is that the electronic Pass the Parcel comes with a remote, which is small enough to hide in your hand. Simply press the button when you want the music to stop, which ensures all your students get a turn! Alternatively, you can set it to stop randomly.
- The students then need to place the objects into the correct bowl.
I hope you can use some of these ideas for teaching SATPIN in your classroom. Have fun!
