Zipping Through the Zoo
Emergent Literacy
Rationale:
Letter recognition is vital to the success of emergent readers. It is important
for children to learn to recognize letters in print and to associate them with
their corresponding sounds. Through this lesson, children will be able to
recognize the letter Z and its
phoneme /z/ by learning a meaningful representation (zipping a zipper). They
will learn to write both upper and lower case
Z as well as identify it in spoken
and written text.
Materials:
primary
paper and pencil; alphabet chart; poster with “The zebra zipped zig-zag in the
zoo”; crayons and drawing paper; Dr. Suess’s ABC; word flashcards (zero, zebra,
house, car, zap, apple, zucchini, animal); assessment worksheet identifying
pictures with /z/ (URL below).
Procedures:
1.We
will begin the lesson by reviewing the previous, most recent letters taught, T-
Y. Ask students to tell you the grapheme and phoneme for each letter using an
alphabet chart. Also, have students tell you a word that starts with each
letter.
2.Next,
introduce the new letter, Z, by
writing it on the board. Say: Today we are going to learn a new letter,
Z.
Z says /z/ like in the word zoo or
zebra. The phoneme /z/ sounds like a zipper does when you zip up your coat.
Z looks like a zig-zag and /z/ sounds
like zipping a zipper.
3.Lets
practice zipping up a zipper, /z/ /z/ /z/. [Pretend to zip up a zipper] Can you
notice what your mouth is doing when you say /z/? The tip of your tongue is
touching above your top teeth. Can you feel that when you say /z/ /z/ /z/? Every
time you hear /z/ in a word lets pretend to zip up our zipper.
4.I’m
going to show you how to find /z/ in the word buzz. I’m going to stretch buzz
out in super slow motion and listen for the zipper. Bbb-u-u-zz. Slower.
Bbb-u-u-u-zzzz. I felt it! I felt my tongue touch right above my top teeth. I
can feel the zipper in buzz. Have some examples of Z words and also non Z words,
ask children to identify the words with the /z/ sounds. “Do you hear /z/ in zoom
or creep? Button or zip?
5.Now
lets try a tongue twister [on poster]. “The zebra zipped zig-zag in the zoo.” I
will say it once and then have the students say it 3 times together. Now we will
say it again and stretch the /z/ at the beginning of the words. “The zzzebra
zzzipped zzzig-zzzag in the zzzoo.” Try it again and this time lets break the
Z off the word; “The /z/ebra
/z/ipped /z/ig-/z/ag in the /z/oo.”
6.[Hand
out primary paper and pencil to each student.] Now that we know how to the say
the letter Z, we are going to learn
how to write it correctly in upper case and lower case form. First we will
practice the upper case Z. I will model on the board how to make the upper case
Z. Explain that you zig across the
rooftop, zag all the way down to the sidewalk, and then zig back to the right.
Ask the students to repeat this saying as you write another
Z on the board. Have them practice
writing a Z on their own. I want to
see everyone’s Z! After I put a
sticker on it, I want you to make nine more just like it. Now we are going to
practice writing the lower case z. On
a lower case z you do the same zig
zag motion but instead of starting at the rooftop you start at the fence. Model
this for the students and then have them practice on their own. I want to see
your lower case z! I’ll put a sticker
on it, and then I want you to make nine more just like it.
7.Call
on students to answer and tell how they knew: Do you hear /z/ in zoom or toe?
Zebra or pig? Zest or lemon? Fuzz or toad? Say: Let’s see if you can spot the
mouth move /z/ in some words. Zip up your zipper if you hear /z/: The, crazy,
buzzing, bee, zig, zagged, to, the, zany, zoo.
8. Say:
Let’s look at the alphabet book. Dr Suess tells us about a funny creature whose
name starts with the letter Z. Read
page 26, drawing out the /z/. Activity: Ask the students to make up a silly
creature name like Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz. Then have each student write a sentence
with their creature’s name that says “At the zoo I saw a…” using invented
spelling and allow them to draw a picture to go along with their sentence.
Display their work as if their creatures were in a zoo cage.
9.Now I
will take out flashcards with different words on them; some that start with
Z and some will not (zero, zebra,
house, car, zap, apple, zucchini, animal). I will read the flashcard one by one
and have the students repeat after me. See if you can hear the zipper sound in
the words. If you hear the zipper sounds hold up a thumbs up, if you don’t hear
the zipper sounds hold up a thumbs down.
Assessment:
hand out the worksheet. Students are to color in the pictures that begin with
Z and complete the partial spellings.
Also use the creature sentences from step #8 and the worksheet to assess
individual understanding of the letter Z.
References:
Adams, Marilyn-Jager. (1990) Beginning to
Read: Thinking and Learning About Print. Center for the study of
Reading and the Reading Research and Education Center, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champagne-12.
Dr.
Suess. ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book.
Random House: NY, NY. 1963
Hummer,
Melanie. Mouth Moves and Gestures for
Phonemes.
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/mouthmoves.html
Betbeze,
Meg. Hurry Home Harry! Summer 2005.
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/innov/betbezeel.html
Assessment Worksheet:
http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/z-begins2.htm