Sammy The Snake

"Emergent Literacy"
Amy Graffam

Rationale:

For a child to better understand how to read and spell words they need to realize that letters stand for certain phonemes. By learning the different phonemes, children will be able to move on to different syllables within a word. This lesson will help students be able to: identify the /s/ phoneme equals the letter s and practicing the letter, remember the sound from a significant exercise, and practicing finding /s/ in written words.

Materials:

Primary paper and pencil fpr each student; chart with "Sammy the snake slithered down the sidewalk on a sunny summer day" written on it; stickers; assessment sheet with different pictures; a snake attached to a popsicle stick for each student; and the book The Seven Silly Eaters (Written by Mary Ann Hoberman and published by Voyager Books Harcourt, Inc. in 1997).

Procedures:

1. The lesson will start off with talking about phonemes and what they are. Say: Okay class, when we read and say words our mouth moves in the way we speak. Today, we are going to learn about phonemes and in particular the /s/ phoneme. The /s/ phoneme is found in so many different words. By the end of this lesson you will be able to hear and see the /s/ sound.

2. Ask Students: Has anyone ever heard this sound? /s/ (Yes) Who can tell me what makes a /s/ sound? (snake) Does anyone know of anymore? Good Job! We are looking for that /s/ sound in words. For example, when I say Sammy you can hear the /s/ sound at the beginning. When we come to a word with a /s/ sound I want us to hold the /s/. Such as Ssssssssssssssssammy. It will help us better understand how much that phoneme is used.

3. Say: Seeing we are beginning to understand what the /s/ phoneme is, let's try a tongue twister which will help us improve on it (Refer to chart). "Sammy the snake slithered down the sidewalk on a sunny summer day." Now class, we are all going to say it together. Now, let's say it one more time but when we hear the /s/ at the beginning of the word we'll hold on to the sound. "Ssssssssssammy the sssssssnake sssssssslithered down the sssssssssidewalk on a ssssssssssunny ssssssssummer day." Now after we say the /s/ sound let's pause for a second so you can see how the different phonemes come together. For instance, Sss  ammy the ssss  nake ssss  lithered down the sssss  idewalk on a sssss unny ssss ummer day. Wonderful Job!

4. (All students need to get out their primary paper and pencil) Now we are going to work on what letter can represent the /s/ sound. The letter that is used for the /s/ sound is s. Now we are going to practice writing s. What you have to do is start by trying to do it in the air. First, you make a little c up in the air, then swing back (I will model for the class). Now once you understand how to do it in the air I want you to draw it on your paper. I will walk around the room and give a sticker to the ones who can draw a s, once you receive your sticker you may go on and make a row of s's just like it. Now whenever you see the letter s in a word you will think of the sound a snake makes. You guys have done a tremendous job today.

5. Now I am going to ask you a couple words together to see if you can tell which word contains the letter s. I want you to raise your hand if you can tell. Do you hear /s/ in Sarah or Bobby? She or he? Drummer or summer? Bat or sat? Score or floor? Sand or band? Sweet or beet? Good Job! Now we are going to try singing a song trying to find words that start with s. The song is sung to "Skip to My Lou." Class, I want you to raise your hand when you know a word while we are singing it so we can all sing the word together. Here goes "Who has a word that starts with /s/? Starts, starts, starts, with /s/? Who has a word that starts with /s/? Skip to my Lou, my darling! (Now a child will raise their hand and we will use their word to finish the song) ______ is a word that starts with /s/. Starts, starts, starts with /s/. ______ is a word that starts with /s/. Skip to my Lou, my darling!" Now we will sing this song about five times until they understand the concept of what /s/ sounds like at the beginning of words.

6. Now I am going to read the book The Seven Silly Eaters. Once we read through the first few pages I want you to listen for the /s/ sound in the words I read. When I come across a word with a /s/ sound I want you to raise your snake popsicle stick and place it down after I read the word. As we read the book we will write the words on the chalkboard. After I am done reading the book, I would like to have everyone draw a picture of a snake and write a message about it. Spelling does not count so do the best you can. Invent your own spelling. After they have finished I will display it on our /s/ phoneme bulletin board.

7. For assessment, I will pass out worksheets with pictures on them and have them circle any of the pictures that they hear the /s/ sound in them.

References:

Eldredge, J. Lloyd. "Teaching Decoding in Holistic Classrooms." Prentice Hall Inc, 1995, pgs. 50-70.

Murray, Bruce. "Model Emergent Literacy Design : Punch in the Stomach."

McDonald, Melinda. "Do you hear that crying baby?" http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/openings/mcdonaldel.html.

Tyler, Beth. "Smiley Snake" http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/openings/tylerel.html.

Hoberman, Mary Ann. "The Seven Silly Eaters." New York: Voyager Books Harcourt, Inc., 1997.
 
 

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