Five Fantastic Frogs

Emergent Literacy
Sarah Byrd

Rationale: In beginning readers, it is necessary that they understand that words are made up of phonemes and the phonemes are represented by letters.  Children first need to be able to identify phonemes in spoken words.  This lesson will teach the students to write upper and lower case f , identify objects that start with the letter f, and hear the /f/ sound in spoken words by relating it to the symbol f.

Materials:

Primary writing paper (one sheet for every student)
Pencils (one for every student)
Pictures that begin with the letter f and some that do not. Ex: flower, fish, frog, bear, frown, tree, dog.
Large cut outs of the letter F – upper and lower case.
Dry erase board and marker
Plain drawing paper
crayons
One copy of Flip and Flop by Dawn Apperly

Procedures:

1. Explain why:  Tell students that every letter has a mouth move that makes that letter’s sound. “Today we are going to learn about the letter f and the sound it makes - /f/.  I will show you how to say the sound and how to write upper and lowercase f.  Then I will show you some pictures and you will tell me if it begins with the /f/ sound.  After lots of practice, you will be able to find the /f/ sound very easily!”

 2. Ask students: “Have you ever seen a cat get very mad?  When cats get mad, they say /f/.  Let’s pretend to be angry cats and say /f/ (make hands into claws).

 3. “Let’s try a tongue twister.  I’m going to say it first, and then I want you to repeat after me.  Five fantastic frogs flipped forward off their lily pads. (Wait for students to repeat).  Now I want to say it together, but stretch out the /f/ sound and make your claws like an angry cat every time you say /f/. FFFFive fffantastic fffrogs ffflipped ffforward offfff their lily pads.”

 4. Put up cut outs of capital and lower case f. Have students take out primary paper and pencils.  “We can write the /f/ sound using the letter f. I’ll show you how to write it.  Let’s start with lower case f.  Start to make a little c up in the air, then straighten it out, go down, and cross at the fence.  Everybody hold up your letter f.  Excellent!  Now I want you to make nine more just like it.”  Once students finish, model capital f. “Now let’s make capital f.  Go down, over for his hat, over for his belt, but no shoes.  Everybody hold up your capital f.  Good job!  Now make nine more just like it.  Now every time you see the letter f, you will know it makes the /f/ sound.”

 5. “I’m going to show you some pictures and I want you tell me if these words start with the /f/ sound.”  Put up pictures flower, fish, frog, bear, frown, tree, and dog.  Call on students and ask how they knew the picture started with the /f/ sound.  Make sure to correct any wrong answers.

 6. “Now I’m going to say some words and I want you to tell me if they start with the /f/ sound.  I’ll show you how.  The word is first. F-f-f ir-st.  F-f-f ir-r-r st.  F-f-f – there it is!  First!  Now you try. Do you hear /f/ in fly or cry?  Flop or drop?  French or pinch?  Far or car?” Let students answer as a group, and call on an individual student and ask how they knew.

 7. Pass out plain drawing paper and crayons to students.  Have them draw a picture of something that starts with the letter f and label it.  Ask a few students to show their drawing to the rest of the class.  Optional: Display their work on a bulletin board with a large letter F at the top.

 8.Read the book Flip and Flop.  Have the students raise their hands every time they hear the /f/ sound.

 9.Pass out worksheet with pictures of objects that start with f and some that do not.  Have them color in the pictures that start with f.

Reference:
Estill, Laura Finding F http://www.auburn.edu/%7Emurraba/guides/estillel.html

Graves, Lindsay Four Funny Fish http://www.auburn.edu/%7Emurraba/constr/gravesel.html

 Murray, Bruce Mouth Moves and Gestures for Phonemes
http://www.auburn.edu/%7Emurraba/mouthmoves.html

Apperley, Dawn Flip and Flop, New York, Scholastic, Inc.

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