Say Ah!
Rationale: This lesson teaches children about the short vowel correspondence o = /o/. Children will learn to recognize, spell, and read words containing o. They will learn a meaningful representation (sticking tongue out at the doctor’s office), they will spell and read words in a Letterbox lesson, and read a decodable book that focuses on the correspondence o = /o/.
Materials: Graphic image of sticking tongue out at the doctor’s office, cover-up critter, whiteboard or smartboard Elkonin boxes for modeling and individual Elkonin boxes for each student, letter manipulatives for each child and magnetic or smartboard letters for teacher: b, f, g, i, l, m, n, o, p, r, t, w; list of spelling words on poster or whiteboard to read: drop, spot, slob, smog, strong, frost, swim, stomp, list; decodable book: Doc in the Fog, and assessment worksheet.
Procedures:
1. Say: In order to become expert readers, we need to learn the code that tells us how to pronounce words. We have already learned to read short vowel a, in words like hat, cat, and nap. Today, we are going to learn about short o. When I say /o/, I think of someone sticking out their tongue for the doctor and saying “Ah” (show graphic image).
2. Say: Before we learn about the spelling of /o/, we need to listen for it in some words. When I listen for /o/ in words, I hear the same sound as I would make if a doctor was looking down my throat. [Make vocal gesture for /o/.] Let’s stretch out the /o/ in a tongue tickler. Oliver was jumping on his bed and fell off. He bumped his head and had to have an operation. His best friend Oscar wanted to buy him a present to make him feel better, so he bought a stuffed animal of Oliver’s favorite animal; an octopus! “Oliver had an operation in October, and Oscar gave him an octopus.” Let’s say it slowly and listen for /o/ : Ooooliver had an ooooperation in Ooooctober, and Ooooscar gave him an ooooctopus. Very good! You all looked like you were saying ‘Ah’ at the doctor’s office. I’ll show you how I can listen for /o/ in the word I heard /o/ and I felt my mouth open wide. There is a short o in Now I’m going to see if it’s in Hmm, I didn’t hear /o/ and my mouth didn’t open up wide. Now you try. If you hear /o/ say, “Say Ah!” If you don’t hear /o/ say, “That’s not it.” Is /o/ in dog, smell, blob, frog, brick?
3. Say: What if I want to spell the word ? “The dog has a spot on its face.” To spell in letterboxes, first I need to know how many phonemes are in the word, so I stretch it out and count: /s/p/o/t. I need 4 boxes. I heard /o/ just before the /t/, so I’m going to put the in the third letterbox. The word starts with /s/, so that tells me I need the letter Next, I hear /p/, so I need the letter There is only one box left, and it’s the last sound I hear in the word : s/p/o/t. The missing letter is
4. Say: Now I want you to spell some words in letterboxes. You’ll start out with the easy words that need three boxes, such as hot. “It is very hot today.” What should go in the first box? [Respond to children’s answers]. What goes in the second box? The third? I’ll check your spellings while I walk around the room. [Observe the students’ progress]. You’ll need four letterboxes for the next word. Listen for the beginning sound that goes in the first box. Then listen for the other letters and /o/. Here’s the word: slob. “Being messy can make you look like a slob.” “Slob”. [Allow children to spell remaining words: smog, strong, frost, swim, stomp, and list]. Remind students to listen to each word to see if they hear /o/ before spelling.
5. Say: Now I am going to let you read the words you have spelled, but first I’ll show you how I would read the word . [Show poster with the word printed]. I will sound it out using my coverupcritter. [Uncover and blend sequentially before the vowel, then blend with the vowel.]/d/r/= /dr/. Now I’m going to blend with that /o/ = /dro/. All I need now is the end, /p/ = /drop/. Drop! Like, “I don’t want to drop my bowl of cereal.” Now it’s your turn. [Have children read words in unison. After, call on individual students to read one word on the list until everyone has had a turn.]
6. Say: You have done a great job spelling and reading words with /o/. Now we are going to read a book called . This story is about a Wiz named Doc. He has a special ability to turn objects into whatever he wants them to be. Doc is having fun changing objects, but he gets himself into a tricky situation. Let’s read to find out if Doc can get himself out of trouble. [Children pair up and take turns reading alternate pages while teacher walks around room monitoring progress. After individual paired reading, the class rereads aloud together, and stops between page turns to discuss the plot.]
7. Say: That was a fun story. It looks like Doc will be stuck in the fog for a while. Before we finish up with our lesson about /o/, I want to see how you can solve a reading problem. On this worksheet, we have pictures and four word choices for each one. Your job is to look at each picture and select the correct word. Take your time and be sure to read all four choices for each picture before deciding on your answer! Let’s begin. [Collect worksheets to evaluate individual child progress.]
Resources:
Palmer, Anna: Ollie the Octopus at Sea
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/chall/palmerel.html
What are Coverup Critters?
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/materials.html
Worksheet:
http://www.edhelper.com/phonics/Vowels9_4.htm
Decodable Book: Phonics Readers- short vowels: Doc in the Fog. Educational Insights, 1990.
Additional lesson designs:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/connections.html
