Overview
The children will play a game called Wham Bam! as they add sounds to the -am ending to make words such as bam, ham, jam, and ram.

Literacy Activities

Play Wham Bam!

• Have children sit in a large circle around four hula-hoops with the picture cards secured in the middle.
• Demonstrate how to play the game Wham Bam!.
• Say the name of one of the picture cards secured inside the hula-hoop.
• Separate the initial sound and the –am ending (e.g., /h/-am).
• Have the children whisper chant (e.g., “Slam the ham!”), changing the final word depending on the chosen picture.
• Have one child throw a beanbag into the hula-hoop at the corresponding picture.
• If the beanbag lands in the hula-hoop, everybody shouts, “Wham Bam!”
• Have children take turns playing the game, tossing the beanbag from various locations (e.g., seated or standing position in the circle).

More Practice

Write about the activity using target words

• Have the children generate a list of –am words. 
• Write the beginning sounds in a list on the board, and allow the children to take turns writing the –am ending to finish the word (e.g., Write a J on the board and have a child write -am after it to complete the word jam). 
• As the –am ending is written, have everybody else write the ending in the air, on the floor, or on their hand. 
• Read the list with the children.