Four Funny Fish!

Emergent Literacy

Rationale:

Reading is a skillful process in which decoding and reading comprehension are indirectly related. In order for students to learn to read they need to have knowledge of letter recognition. They must understand that words have letter-sound correspondences. Today students will learn the letter f and the sound it makes. This will allow the students to make connections between the written letter and the vocal sound. The goal of this lesson is for students to be able to write a capital and a lowercase f, to recognize the connection between the written or spoken letter and its sound, and finally to recognize words or objects that begin with the letter f.

Materials:

1. Pencils

2. Primary writing paper

3. Marker Board with marker

4. Index Cards

5. Markers

6. Tape

7. Worksheet with pictures; however, it must include pictures that begin with the letter f and some that do not.
Ex: fan, doll, flag, bear, frog, flower, cup, kangaroo

8. Crayons

9. Book: One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Procedures:

1.Explain Why:

Students need to understand that every letter has its own mouth move and makes a particular sound. Explain to students that,”today we will be learning about the letter f.” They will learn how to write the capital and lowercase f, make its sound, and then find words that begin with f.

2.Explain How:

Before you begin to teach the lesson it is important to explain to the students what the lesson will be about. “First we are going to learn how to say the /f/ sound. I will teach you how to use your mouth to form the sound. Then we will learn how to write the capital and lowercase f using our lined paper. Last we will identify words that begin with f. This may seem hard, but with a little bit of practice it will be easy!”

3.Model:

“ Can anyone tell me what sound the letter f makes?” /f/ is the sound the letter f makes. Everyone touch your bottom lip with your top teeth. Now I want you to try to say /f/. Have students try making the /f/ sound. You all did great! Now I want you to remember the /f/ sound and tell me if the word has a /f/ sound:

flower kite

stuff knife

stride flour

What are some other words you can think of that makes the /f/ sound?

4. Review:

* Begin by showing students three different letters and have them guess which letter is the f, it is important to correct students if they guess wrong.

* Show students a picture of the letter f. “Students I want you to pay closeattention to this letter its name is f and it makes the /f/
sound.”

* Next show students the hand gesture, which is using your hand as a fan. “Now I want you to make the /f/ sound and fan yourself at
the same time. Great job!”

* Then introduce the tongue twister “Four Fat Fish Fly high in the sky. “

* Now have students repeat the tongue twister. Then have students repeat the tongue twister again this time using the hand gesture
when the /f/ sound is made. It helps students identify the /f/ sound if they drag it out. Say the tongue twister slowly with me
“Ffffffffour Fffffffffaaaatt Ffffffiiish Ffffffflllyyy high in the sky.”

5. Practice:

Writing:

* The students will use their primary writing paper to make the capital and lowercase f.

* Now lets look at our lined paper and remember what each line’s name is.The top line that is solid is called the sky. The line that is
dotted in the middle is called the fence. The bottom line that is solid is called the ground.

* Watch me as I show you how to make the letter f. Keep your eyes on me as I write each letter on the board. For a lowercase f start
to make a little c up in the air, and then straighten it out, go down, and cross at the fence. Have students practice making f’s on their
lined paper. As they are working at their desk, I’ll walk around and help those students who seem to be having trouble.

* Next I will show the students how to make a capital f. Start at the topand go down, over for his hat, and over for his belt (but no
shoes). I will then let the students practice as I walk around and help those having trouble.

Labeling Objects:

* I will ask students to look around the room and find objects that begin with the letter f and make the /f/ sound. We will write the
word on an index card and tape it to the object. By allowing the students to see visual objects with the letter f as the beginning, this
will help create a concrete image in the student’s mind.

Phoneme Association Game and a Rhyme Association Game

I will ask students questions and they will have to guess the answer.

1. I am thinking of animal that lives in the sea. Its name begins

with the /f/ sound. Answer: Fish

2. I am thinking of something you use when it is hot outside. Its

name begins with the /f/ sound. Answer: Fan

3. I am thinking of something you put your picture in. Its name

begins with the /f/ sound. Answer: Frame

4. I am thinking of a word that rhymes with sun. Its name begins

with the /f/ sound. Answer: Fun

5. I am thinking of a word that rhymes with pig. Its name begins

with the /f/ sound. Answer: Fig

6. I am thinking of a word that rhymes with log. Its name begins

with the /f/ sound. Answer: Fog or Frog

6. Whole Text:

Next we will read the book One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. The students will use the hand gesture when they hear a word in the text that has the /f/ sound.

7. Assessment

Each student will be a given a worksheet with various pictures on it that begin with the letter f and make the /f/ sound. Some pictures will not begin with the letter f and won’t have the /f/ sound. The students will have to decide which pictures do and will color them. This will allow me to know if students can recognize the letter-sound correspondence for the letter f.

References:

Elderredge, J. Lloyd. (2005). Teach Decoding: Why and How, 2^nd ed. Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Moon, Shannon. http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/innov/moonel.html

Murray, Bruce. Mouth Moves and Gestures for Phonemes

http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/mouthmoves.html

Murray, Bruce. Teaching Letter Recognition

http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/letters.html

Seuss, Dr. One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. New York, Random House,

1960. 62 p.

Wyatt, Jillian. http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/innov/wyattel.html

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