Rationale:  To learn to read and spell words children need the alphabetic insight that certain letters represent certain phonemes and that spellings map out the phonemes in spoken words.  First children have to recognize phonemes and then match the representing letter (s) to that phoneme.  This lesson will teach children to identify /g/, the sound made when drinking water extremely fast.  The children will then learn to identify /g/ in spoken words by learning a meaningful representation and a letter symbol.  Afterwards they will learn to find /g/ in words.

Materials:  primary writing paper and pencil; chart with “Green grass grows where the goat gulps good water”; set of green glittered G’s glued to popsicle sticks (can be used as an art project during lesson where children make the G’s); green crayons; copy of Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert; picture page with goat, gum, star, dog, grapes, pig, can, pen fire, money

Procedure:
1. Introduce the lesson by telling your students that you know a secret code that you would like to share with them all.  Once they learn this code they will be able to enter magical worlds through books.  The tricky part about this secret code is that the letters stand for the mouth moves we make as we say words.  Today we are going to break the secret code for the mouth move we make when we drink water really fast.  Can anyone imitate that mouth move?  I will demonstrate what sound I am talking about… (pretend you are drinking a glass of water really fast and demonstrate the /g/ sound).  At first it will be hard for you to recognize the /g/ in spoken words, but soon you will be able to recognize quickly and you will then be that much closer to breaking the entire secret code.
2. Ask Students:  Can everyone pretend they are drinking a glass of water after a hard day of playing outside?  Good, this is the mouth move we are looking for in words.  I am going to show you how to spot /g/ in words.  Listen hard for /g/, and when my mouth moves to make the /g/ sound I will stretch it out.  Bugggggg, yes I hear /g/ right at the end of bug.
3. Now say the word grass and boat to the children and tell them how grass has the /g/ sound and boat does not.  Then call on students to ask if they hear /g/ in pig or cat, girl or boy, dog or coin?
4. Now let’s try a tongue twister (on the chart).  First I will say the tongue twister and then you will repeat it with me three times.  The second time we repeat the tongue twister emphasize the /g/ sound when you get to it and the third time we repeat the twister break it off of the word, for example /g/ oat.  Great let’s begin!
5. (take out primary paper and pencil) We can use the letter G to spell /g/.  Let’s practice writing it.  Begin by placing your pencil on the middle of the street, circle around to the bottom of the street and curve right back up to the middle of the street where you first began.  Without picking up your pencil go straight to the bottom of the street, pass it, curve back and head back toward the bottom of the street, stopping halfway there.  When I see your g and give you a green glittered g begin writing me a row of 6 g’s.
6. Now read Planting a Rainbow and ask the students to listen for /g/ while you are reading the book.  When they hear the /g/ they should move from their seats and pretend they are something green that grows while holding their g’s up, anything they want to be.  Students will have to listen carefully.  When finishing the book ask the students to write 3 words they heard in the story containing /g/ and if they cannot remember 3 of those words they should think of new words and use invented spelling. Afterwards you list a handful of the words on the chart.
7. For assessment distribute a picture page with a goat on one side and 10 objects on the other.  Have the children name each of the objects The ones that have the /g/ like in goat should have a line drawn from the goat to that object.  Allow the students to color the objects that contain /g/ with their green crayon.
 
 

Reference:
http://www.askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Phonics/PHN0202.html

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