Flip Flop Flee

Emergent Literacy Lesson

Jane Moncrief

Rationale:  Children must have an understanding of various vocal gestures that make up written words before they can successfully read.  This lesson will teach the vocal gesture for /f/ and the written symbol for /f/.  This lesson will help develop the student’s phoneme awareness by giving them instruction on the vocal gesture for /f/ and providing a creative way to write f and F.

 
Materials:

▪  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

▪  Alliteration poster (Frankie found the frosting for the fruitcake.)

▪  Picture cards with name of picture written below picture in big letters (fruit, fork, feather, fin, fingerprint, fire, flag, flower, foot, frame, frog)

▪  Primer paper (enough for every student)

▪  Pencil (enough for every student)

▪  Poster with F, f, and primer paper lines on it

▪  Index cards with alliteration sentence written on them-Francis fed Freddie with a fork. (enough for every student)

 
Procedures:

1. “Today, we’re going to learn about the sound /f/.  Can everyone say /f/?  We make the sound /f/ when our lower lip touched our top row of  
     teeth.  Can anyone think of any words with the /f/ in them?”

2.  “Here are some words with /f/ in them.”  Show each picture card.  Have students say the word.  They should be able to figure out the word by
      the picture.

3.  “Let’s try this fun tongue twister made up of lots and lots of /f/.  Frankie found the frosting for the fruitcake.  Good job!  Now, let’s do it again. 
     But, this time, every time you hear /f/, hold that sound before saying anything else.  FFFrankie fffound the fffrosting fffor the fffruitcake.  Great
     job!”

4.  “We’re going to play a game with /f/.  It’s called the “Do You Hear?” game.  I’m going to say two words.  Tell me which words have /f/ in it after
     I’ve said the two words.  Is /f/ in the word fright or light?...fun or pun?...fed or bed?...fell of smell?...feast or least?”  Write the words with /f/ in
     them on the board.  This will help students to connect the written symbol for /f/ to the vocal gesture.

5.  “Now we’re going to write the letter F on our paper.  Everyone take out your paper and pencil.  We’re going to write capital F first.  First, draw
     an up-and-down line from the sky to the grass.  Now, draw a side-to-side line on the sky.  Now, draw a side-to-side line on the fence.  Practice
     writing your capital F for a while.  I’ll come around and check to make sure you’re doing it right.”  Walk around the room and check off those
     students who are correctly writing F. 

6.  “Now we’re going to learn how to write the lower-case f on our paper.  Start just below the sky.  Curve up to the sky, then go straight down to
     the grass.  This should look a lot like the shape of a candy cane.  Draw a line through your candy cane on the fence.  Keep practicing the
     lower-case f.  I’ll come around and check to make sure you’re doing it right.”  Walk around the room and check off those students who are
     correctly writing f. 

7.  “Everyone please put your pencils down.  I’m going to give each of you a card.  A sentence is written on this card.”  Read the sentence to the
     class.  Have the students read the sentence with you.  “I want you to find every f that’s written in this sentence and circle it.”

8.  “We’re going to read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom aloud.  Say /f/ really loudly every time you see “flip flop flee.”

9.  Use the children’s sentence cards with the circle F’s to assess their understanding of F/f. 

 
References:

 
Adams, Marilyn-Jager.  (1990)  Beginning to Read:  Thinking and Leaning About

     Print.  Center for the study of Reading and the Reading Research and

     Education Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne.

 
Martin, Bill Jr. and Archambault, John.  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  Simon and

     Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1989.

 
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