Rationale:The understanding that letters represent phonemes is a vital ingredient in learning how to read and spell words since spelling maps out the specialized phoneme sequence in spoken words.  Some of the most complicated phonemes to identify are short vowel phonemes because there is little mouth movement required to produce their sound.  This lesson will create an engaging /a/ (short a) experience for the students by introducing a meaningful representation and letter symbol followed by exercises that challenge the students to find the new phoneme in spoken language.  The result of this lesson will be that the students will recognize /a/ in spoken words.

Materials:Pencil, Primary Paper, A chart with the phrase "Abey the astronaut adds apples", a set of cards with an a on one side and a ? on the other, crayons, drawing paper, A Cat Nap (Educational Insights), a picture page that illustrates words such as cat, bag, nap, dog, man, fat, gum, sun, bus, hat, nut, apple.

Procedures:
1.  I will introduce the lesson by telling them that there is a secret code in writing.  Here is a sample introductory piece to the lesson:  "Okay boys and girls, we are going to learn about the secret code of writing today.  Our job is to be detectives and solve this mystery code!  The trick to breaking the code is learning the different ways we move our mouth when we say words.  Today we are going to learn about /a/ and by the end of the lesson we will be able to spot /a/ when we hear it.  Are you ready to break the /a/ secret code?"

2.  Ask the students:  "Have you ever seen the movie Home Alone?  The main character in the movie put one hand on one cheek and one hand on the other cheek then went aaaah when he realized he had been left home alone!  The sound in aaaah is the sound that we are looking for in words.  Can everyone try and make that sound?  Now I am going to show you how to spot the /a/ in a word.  (I will have my hands on my cheeks)  I'll try the word apple.  Remember to stretch out the aaaah sound- A-a-a-a-ple…Alright!  I just made the aaaah sound.

3.  Lets look at the chart on the board and test out our /a/ on a tongue twister! Abey the astronaut adds apples!  Now everyone say it together.  Now let's say it again but this time stretch out the /a/ sound.  Also remember to put your hands on your cheeks when you hear the sound! Aaaabey the aaaastraunt aaaadds aaaaples!  Now let's try it again but this time break the /a/ off of each word:  /a/ bey the /a/ stronaunt /a/ dds /a/ pples.  Great job boys and girls!  I am proud of you!

4.  Now have the students take out their primary paper and a pencil.  The teacher says:  "We can use the letter a to spell /a/.  I will show you how to write the letter a.  Start under the fence.  Then go up and touch the fence, then around and touch the sidewalk, then around and straight down.  Now you try to write the letter a.  I would like to see everyone's a.  After I put a star beside you're a then I would like for you to make a row of a's just like the one you made.  So boys and girls, now when we see a by itself in a word, that is the signal to say /a/."

5.  Okay boys and girls, now I am going to see how good ya'll are at being detectives.  I would like for you to tell me if you hear /a/ in certain words:  Do you hear /a/ in after or before? adam or betty? cat or kitten?  pals or friend?  Now I am going to pass out /a/ cards.  On one side there is an a and on the other side there is a ?.  If you hear a word with a /a/ sound then show me the a side.  If you don't hear a /a/ in the word then show me the side with the ?.  I am going to say these words slowly one by one: Abey, the, astronaut, adds, apples.

6.  The teacher will read A Cat Nap aloud to the class and discuss the story.  After the discussion, read the story again but this time have the students put their hands on their cheeks (just as the Home Alone character) when they hear words that contain /a/.  List the words they find on the board.  Then, each student will draw a picture of a cat and write about their experiences with a cat or Sam's experience with his cat Tab (Sam is the main character in the book and Tab is his cat).  Children are encouraged to use invented spelling because it gives them writing confidence portrays to the teacher each students knowledge of the secret code that letters stand for phonemes and that those phonemes are mapped out by the different spellings in spoken words.  At the end of the lesson, display the students work on a classroom bulletin board to not only serve as a reminder to the student to remember the phoneme /a/ but also for the students to appreciate the work they do and the work their peers do as well.

7.  For assessment, I will distribute the picture page to each student.  As a class, we will identify each picture then individually I would like for the students to circle the picture that contains the /a/ sound.

Reference: The Reading Genie Website- The Baby says aaaaaaaaa! By Amanda Starnes

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