Rationale:  One of the key ingredients in learning how to read is learning how to blend consonants and vowels.  Without the knowledge of how to blend sounds together students will get frustrated and not enjoy reading.  But if students learn how to blend they can master reading and enjoy it.  Students must know consonant sounds and short vowel sounds in order to be able to blend.  This activity will provide them a fun way to practice blending.
 

Materials: 2 cutouts of a space ship (big enough to fit all the consonants on one and all the vowels on another), one of each letter of the small 1x1” flash card, copies of Green Eggs and Ham, one smaller spaceship that at least 6 letters can fit on it
 

Procedures
1. Ask students who wants to review all the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make.  Great job guys!  Now who wants to learn to read words?  Well we have got to learn how to blend sounds together first, then we can make words, YIPEEE!

2. Go over sounds of the alphabet.
 

3. Now tell them a story about Mr. B (call him by the sound he makes not the letter name).  “Mr. B wanted to ride to outer space but he knew he couldn’t go alone.  NASA said he would have to go with a partner to space.  If he found an appropriate partner that made it a complete crew, he could go (complete crew meaning a word).

4. Have Mr. B go around looking for partners and ask the children if can make a complete crew with these sounds, bt (no), ba (yes), bm (no)… hint=he needs a vowel or an r or l… be (yes), bi (yes)… go on to let the class find other letters that will make up a complete word.
 

5. Once the class makes a complete word on the smaller spaceship blast it off and tell the class that it is going to Wordland.  Take the letters off the smaller spaceship and start with another letter.         “ Mr. D wants to go to space but he can’t go alone either, class, can you help him find a partner?”  Great!

6. Continue doing this same process but let each student to make up the word and let them blast off the spaceship.
 

7. Now ask the children to do this procedure with the letters b, d, c, t, m, a, e, I,  on their own sheets of paper.  See how many words they can make.  Tell them to remember the must have a consonant then a vowel.  For assessment walk around the room and take notes if any child is not grasping the concept.

8. Keep the spaceships in a convenient place in the room and tell them it is great fun to practice blending words.  Go over this lesson several times during the week and have them practice daily.
 

9. For a reading assignment they can read Green Eggs and Ham to help them see blended words in print.  Note any miscues.

Reference: Building Blocks to Reading: Activities by the Letter
http://www.thepotters.com/ltrain/activities.html
 

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