Uh, Uh, Now I Know the Answer!
Beginning Reading
Rationale:
This lesson teaches students about the short vowel correspondence
u=
/u/. This is a valuable lesson because students must be aware of all the vowels
in order to read. Being able to recognize and pronounce vowels is necessary for
students in order to be able to read and write. Typically short vowels are
taught before long vowels. In the lesson, "Uh, Uh, Now I Know The Answer",
students will be taught to identify, spell, and read words containing the letter
u. Children will learn u=/u/ through an image (students excited to answer the
question), a letterbox lesson in which they will spell and read words with the
u=/u/, and through reading a decodable book that focuses on the correspondence
u=/u/.
Materials:
Picture of student raising hand, whiteboard or smartboard, Elkonin boxes for
modeling and individual Elkonin boxes for each student, letter tiles for each
child and magnetic or smartboard letters for teacher:
u,p,n,m,g,b,f,j,d,r,c,k,a,t; list of spelling words on poster or whiteboard to
read: up, mug, bat, fun, jug, bug, drum, run, duck; worksheet, and decodable
text: The Mutt and the Bug
by Cheryl Ryan.
Procedures:
1. Say: Today, we are going to learn all
about the short vowel u. In order to be a great reader we need to learn all our
vowels. Vowels are in every words we read, so we need to be able to recognize
them and know the sound that they make. The short vowel u make the "uhh" sound.
When I say /u/ I think of a student getting really excited and raising his or
her hand while he or she says, "Uh…uh. Uhh, I know the answer!" [Show image to
students]. Now that we know what the short vowel u sounds like, lets learn about
what it looks like. This is what the short vowel u looks like [write on board
the lower case letter u]. It kind of looks like a tongue sticking out or the
mouth to a smile face doesn't it?
2. Say: Before we learn how to write the /u/, we need to listen for it in some
words. When I listen for /u/ in words, I hear
the letter u
say its name /u/ and my mouth is open and my tongue is touching the bottom of my
mouth. [Make vocal gesture for /u/.] Let me show you:
jug.
I heard
u
say its name then. I also felt my mouth being open and my tongue was down. In
the word jug, there is a short vowel u sound. I wonder if the /u/ is in the word
pin. Let me say it, "pin". Hmm, no I didn't hear
u
say its name. I didn't feel my mouth open and my tongue down. Now you give it a
try. If you hear /u/ say, "Uh…hh.. uhh. I know the answer." If you don't hear
/u/ say, "Uhh no." Is the /u/ in snow, mug, pants, bun, boat, nun? [Have
students give a thumbs up when they feel /u/ say its name.]
3. Say: I want to spell the word truck.
" I like to ride in my dad's truck."
In this sentence, truck means a type of car.
I want to spell
truck
in my letterboxes, but first I need to know how many phonemes there are in
truck. I will stretch out truck and count: t/r/u/ck. I need 4 boxes. I heard the
/t/ before the /r/ so I'm going to put a t in the first letterbox. After I heard
the letter t, I heard the letter r, so I'll put it in the second letterbox. I
heard the /u/ sound after the /r/ and just before the /ck/. Now, I want to show
you how I would read that word. I would start with the letter t. Now I am going
to put the /t/ with the /r/. Then, I know the /u/ follows. Now, I am going to
put that chunk with the last sound /ck/: t-r-u-ck. T-r..Tr..Tr-u..Tru..Truck.Truck.
Oh, the word I spelled in the letterbox was truck. Oh, truck, like "My dad's
truck is red."
4. Say: Now it is your turn to spell some words. I want to see you spell some
words in the letterboxes. Let's just start out with two boxes first.
Let's practice on the word up, for example when a balloon goes up in the sky.
What letter tile do you think should go in the first box?
[Respond to children's answers]. What letter do you think goes in the
second letterbox? I'm going to come around and check everyone's letterboxes.
[Survey the student's letterboxes.] You all did a great job. Now, to spell this
next word you are going to need 3 letterboxes. Listen for the beginning sound to
spell in the first box. Don't forget to listen for /u/. Here's the word:
duck.
I have a pet duck. [Allow children to spell remaining words: mug, bat, fun, jug,
bug, drum, run, duck.]
5. Say: Now, I want to hear you read the words you just spelled. Let's all read
them together. [After students have read the words, ask students individually to
read one word on the list until all the students have had a turn.]
6. Say: I am so impressed with the way you all listened and paid attention
today. You all did a great job of spelling and reading words with the short
vowel u. Now we are going to read a book called
The Mutt and the Bug
by Cheryl Ryan.
This book is a fun silly book about a bug and a mutt who spend the day playing
together. Will they play nicely together? Will they have a fun day? Let's pair
up and take turns reading The Mutt and
the Bug
to hear about all the things that go and get up. [Children pair up and take
turns reading alternate pages each while teacher monitors students. After the
class has read in pairs, the class rereads
The Mutt and the Bug
aloud together, and pauses between pages to discuss the plot.]
7. Say: Now, I want to hear you all read individually. I will call you up one by
one to the reading table. If you are not at the reading table, I want you to
read quietly to yourself at your desk. [While students read aloud individually
to me, I will keep a running record].
References:
My brain.
White, Kendra. "Uh....Bug". http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/invitations/whitebr.htm
Book: "The Mutt and the
Bug" by Cheryl Ryan.
http://www.readinga-z.com/book.php?id=338