Doctor Check-up
Carrie Norris
Emergent Literacy
Rationale:
Before children can learn to read, they need to learn how to identify phonemes.  The hardest phonemes to identify are probably the short vowels.  This lesson will help children identify o=/o/ (short o).  They will learn to recognize /o/ in spoken words by learning a meaningful representation and a letter symbol, and then practice finding /o/ in words.

Materials:
Chart with "Oscar lost his frog and found it in a log".  List of words for the students used in the assessment that will be given at the end of the lesson.  Book titled Doc in the Fog.

Procedures:
1.  Introduce lesson.  Teach them that words make our mouths form different shapes.  Today we are working on the mouth move /o/.  It will be hard at first to spot the /o/ sound, but after some practice, you will be able to easily recognize /o/.
2. Ask students: When you go to the doctor for a check-up does he say "open wide and say /o/?"  That is the sound we are looking for today.  I will show you how to recognize /o/ in a word.  Stretch it out, and see if you say /o/, like when the doctor says, "open wide."  I will try the word l-l-l-o-o-o-o-og.  Yes, the /o/ is found in the middle.
3. I will be introducing the symbol /o/.  Let's try a tongue twister (on chart).  "Oscar lost his frog and found it in a log."  Let's all say it together.  Now the next time we say it, let's stretch out the sound /o/ whenever we hear it.  "Oooscar looost his frooog and found it in a looog."  Now let's say it once more, but this time let's break the words up.  "/O/scar l/o/st his fr/o/g and found it in a l/o/g."  Great job everyone!  Let's pat ourselves on the back for doing such a fine job.
4. Blending game: I will say the word in a secret code.  If you can break the code, tell me the word.  The word is /f/ /o/ /x/.  What is the word?  Great job!  Fox is the correct answer.  Let's play some more.  I will say a word in a secret code.  If you can break the code, tell me the word.  The word is /r/ /o/ /k/.  What is the word?  Wonderful!  Rock is the correct answer.  You all are great at breaking my secret codes.
5. Listen to the sounds in the word /l/ /o/ /g/.  Count the sounds in the word /l/ /o/ /g/.  Good job!  Three is the correct answer.  Let's do one more of these.  Listen to the sounds in the word /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/.  Count the sounds in the word /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/.  Right again!  Four is the right answer.  You all are experts at this game.
6. Do you hear /o/ in frog or cup?  Mop or mat?  Slap or sock?  Boat or box?  Great job!  Those are all correct answers.
7. For assessment, give students a list of words and I will read the words to each student.  They will tell me which words have the /o/ sound in it.

Reference: Eldridge, Lloyd, J.  (1995). Teaching Decoding in Holistic Classrooms.       Prentice-Hall, Inc., Chapter 5, pg.169.

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