“Uhhh!” Says the Whining
Child
Carrie Smith
Beginning
Rationale: Before
children can learn to read
words, they need to
understand that the graphemes (letters and letter combinations) that
make up
words signify different vocal gestures (phonemes), and that when made
together,
these gestures produce complete spoken words.
Children can come to understand this notion by being the
recipients of
systematic and explicit phonics instruction.
Teaching the correspondences of the short vowels is a good
starting
place for phonics instruction. They are
often the hardest to master, but some of the most widespread
correspondences
(found in many words). In this lesson, students will learn
to read and spell words with the u=/u/ correspondence by practicing
placing letters from words that contain the /u/ correspondence in
Elkonin letter boxes, representing all the sounds in each word.
Materials: For
each student: 6 box Elkonin
letter boxes made
from card stock; plastic bag filled with the letters f, u,
n, t, g, m, c, l, b, d, s, t, a, p; assessment
worksheets. For each pair of students:
copy of Bud the Sub. For
the teacher: 6 large Elkonin letter
boxes made from card stock; roll of Velcro; large card stock squares
with the letters
f, u, n, t, g, m, c, l, b, d, s, t, a, p
printed on them; poster with picture of child with pouty face saying
/u/ on it; tongue-twister
chart (“Uncle’s
umbrella flew up, up, and away”); copy of Bud
the Sub; assessment worksheet.
Procedures: 1.
Begin lesson by explaining to
students that they
will now use some of the “clues” they have figured out to read and
spell words
with the /u/ sound. “This is the sound
we make when we are whining to our parents.
We hear it in many words, like in the word tub. Today, we are going to
spell and read some words with this sound.”
2.
Display poster that has picture of child with pouty face saying /u/ on
it. Tell students: “As I said, we make the
/u/
sound when we are whining to our parents.
So, let’s all put on our pouty faces and make that sound. Ready? (In unison) /u/. Very
good.”
3.
“Now,
let’s try a tongue twister with the /u/ sound.
(Put tongue twister chart on the board)
Repeat after me: ‘Uncle’s umbrella flew up, up, and away.’” Point to chart as children repeat.
4.
“Okay,
now let’s spell some words with /u/.
(Display large letter boxes on board and use Velcro to attach
letters to
the board). How about the word bus?
Bus. I hear /b/, so that’s a b (place b in first letter box).
Buuuuus. Next, I hear /u/, like
the sound of a whiner (place u in the
second letter box). Bussssssss. Finally, I hear the /s/ sound in the word bus.
That’s an s (place s in the
final letter box).”
5.
Pass out
to each student the
letter boxes and plastic bags filled with the letters.
Tell them that they “are now going to spell
some words with /u/.” Explain that “each
box stands for a sound and that they are going to place each sound they
hear in
a word in a box. Listen as I ask you to
spell some words. Okay, let’s spell the
word tub. Jimmy splashed around in
the tub. (Walk around and observe
students as they are using their letter boxes.
Provide scaffolding where needed).”
Repeat with the words fun, nut,
gum, bat, club, dust, stamp, stump.”
6. “Now, I am going to spell some words on the
board and I want you to read them after I put them all up.
Let me show you.” Put bus
on the board. Model how to say it: “If I
cover up the b and s, I see /u/ in the middle.
When I uncover the s, I see
/u/, /s/--/u//s/. Now, I'll add the first letter:
/b/,/u//s/. Oh, bus. Okay, your turn.” Put
up fun,
gum, nut, bat, dust, club, stump, and stamp.
7. Have students pair up. Give
book talk on Bud the Sub. “One
day, a
boat gets hit. But the sub has to save
it. Will he get the tug out in
time? To find out, you’ll have to read Bud the Sub.” Pass out to
each pair a copy of Bud the Sub. Have
them read to their partner.
8.
Assessment:
Pass out worksheet.
Tell students, “I am going to say two words and you are going to
circle
the one that you hear /u/ in. Do you
hear /u/ in mut or mat?”
Continue with the other 4 items.
Collect from students when they are finished.
References:
Cushman,
Sheila. Bud the Sub. Educational Insights:
Murray, B.A. and Lesniak, T. (1999).
The Letterbox
Lesson: A hands-on approach for teaching decoding. The
Barton, Sarah. "Oooohh
My!" http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/constr/bartonbr.html
Click here to return to Inventions.