Lee and the Bee Flee to the Tree
Beginning Reading
By: Leslie McGill



Rationale: Children must know how to decode different correspondences in order to become better, fluent readers.  Using the correspondence ee =/E/, this lesson is designed to help students become more fluent readers through listening for a correspondence in speech, recognizing a correspondence in text, and decoding. 

Materials:


Procedures:
1.  Knowing certain reading skills helps us read otherwise difficult words; teaching this to children will improve their reading fluency.  "We are going to learn that the correspondence ee =/E/ says EEEEE.  With practice, you can use this new skill to read new and challenging words."
2.  "Do you remember when we learned that /e/ sounds like a person who is hard of hearing?  That is a short /e/ sound.  I am going to say some words, raise your hand when you hear the /e/ sound: pet, ed, rag, spent, tin, top, egg, run, fed.  Good, the /e/ sound was in pet, ed, spent, egg, and fed."
3.  "Now we are ready to learn about the long /E/ sound.  A long /E/ says its name and sounds like someone screaming EEEEE !  When e and e are together, this is called the ee = /E/correspondence; it says EEEEE.  Everybody say EEEEE when I count to three: one, two, and three: EEEEE !  Wonderful job!"
4.  "Look at this chart I have; it has a tongue twister on it.  Listen as I read it: Why did Lee and the bee flee to the tree?  Say it with me.  Good!  Let's say it again, but this time, when you hear the /E/ sound, hold it for a second.  Why did Leeeeee and the beeeeee fleeeeee to the treeeeee?  Now, what sound does the ee = /E/ correspondence make?  Great, it says EEEEE !"
5.  "I always say a list of words and ask you to listen for a certain sound.  Today, I want you to make the list.  On a new sheet of primary paper, think of words that say EEEEE using the ee = /E/correspondence.  I'll give you a little time to think and write.  Now, share some words with me so I can write them on the board.  Good, we have: meet, tree, see, weed, feet, flee, and of course bee!  Okay, someone wrote seat; that does say EEEEE, but today we are focusing on the ee = /E/correspondence.  Great try!  Let’s say all of the words one more time together.  Good work!"
6.  "We have been talking about a person named Lee all day!  Guess what, I have a book called Lee and the Team!  Everyone gets his or her own copy to work with today.  Look at the cover of the book with me.  What sound do you see?  Right, EEEEE !  How many times is that sound on the cover?  Right, just one time in the name Lee.  Read your book silently and be on the lookout for the /E/ sound.  I bet some of your words are in the book!  When you are finished, grab a partner and take turns reading to each other.  While your partner is reading, make sure he or she is saying EEEEE at the right times."
7.  For assessment, the teacher should carefully observe the partner reading.  Make sure the children are recognizing the long /E/ appropriately.  When they are finished reading, tell them to go back to their seats and write three sentences to add to the end of Lee and the Team using at least three long /E/ words with the ee = /E/correspondence.  (You are really looking for them to discover and write long /E/ words; the addition to the story is just a creative opportunity.)

References:

Cushman, Sheila.  (1990).  Lee and the Team.  Carson, CA: Educational Insights.  

Eldredge, J. Lloyd.  (1995).  Teaching Decoding in Holistic Classrooms.  Prentice-Hall.  1995.

Ludlum, Anna.  "Eggs in Bed."  Auburn University.  2003.  http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/insp/ludlumbr.html

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