Rationale:  According to Adams, letter recognition is one of the two best predictor of first year reading achievement (Adams, pg. 36).  Children need to be able to recognize letters when they see them and connect a meaning to the letter symbol.  The goal of this lesson is to introduce the class to the letter b.  We will learn how to write the letter b, upper and lower cases, how to say the letter b, and recognize and identify the letter b in spoken and written text.

Materials: Primary paper, pencils, tongue twister on big poster board, blank, paper, markers, worksheets, TONGUE TWISTER--"A big black bug bit a big black bear.  And made the big black bear bleed blood!"

Procedures:
1. Introduce the letter b.  "TODAY CLASS WE WILL LEARN THE LETTER B.  B SAYS buh, B=/b/.  CAN YOU ALL SAY buh?  ON THE COUNT OF THREE, LET'S ALL SAY B TOGETHER.  1, 2, 3, buh, buh, B.  WE HEAR THE LETTER B EVERYDAY.  EVERYONE IN HERE HAS A BIRTHDAY·.BIRTHDAY STARTS WITH B!!!!!"
2. "OK, LET'S THINK ABOUT HOW WE MAKE THE LETTER B IN OUR MOUTHS.  PUT YOUR LIPS TOGETHER AND SAY BUH, BUH, BUH.  CAN YOU FEEL THE BEGINNING OF THE BUH ON YOUR CLOSED LIPS?  KEEP YOUR LIPS SLIGHTLY OPEN WHILE SAYING BUH, LIKE THIS."  Model.
3. As a whole class, ask children to raise their hands and tell me which words they hear b in.  "RAISE YOUR HANDS; DO YOU HEAR BUH IN BUS OR PIG?  HOW ABOUT IN RUB OR DOG? BUH CAN BE AT THE BEGINNING OR END OF WORDS."  On the board, brainstorm with kids and chart their answers.  "RAISE YOUR HANDS AND TELL ME A WORD THATR STARTS WITH BUH.  GREAT JOB!! (take about five words) CAN ANYONE THINK OF A WORD THAT ENDS IN BUH?  (again, take about five words).  "LET'S SEE IF WE HEAR THE BUH SOUND IN A WORD.  BUH-U-SSS. YEP! I HEAR THE BUH SOUND IN BUS.  NOW YOU ALL TRY." Model.
4. Turn to the primary lines on dry erase board.  "NOW KIDS, WE WILL LEARN HOW TO WRITE THE LETTER B, BIG B AND LITTLE B.  MODEL TO WRITE BIG B, GO STRAIGHT DOWN THE SIDEWALK; AROUND FOR HIS BIG CHEST, AND AROUND FOR HIS BIG BELLY.  TAKE OUT YOUR PRIMARY PAPER AND PENCIL AND YOU TRY!"  I will walk around the room and observe the children's letter writing.  I will correct, encourage, and commend them)  "OK, NOW WE WILL LEARN HOW TO MAKE LITTLE B.  PENCILS DOWN, ALL EYES ON ME.  TO MAKE LITTLE B START AT THE ROOF, GO DOWN, AND B-B-B-BOUNCE UP AND AROUND.  NOW YOU TRY ON YOUR PAPER!!"  Again, I will walk around and help the children with their letters.
5. Take out large poster board with the Big Bear tongue twister on it.  See attached.  Read the tongue twister slowly to the children, twice.  "WHO CAN TELL ME ANY WORDS THEY HEARD THAT HAVE THE BUH SOUND IN THEM?  LET'S READ THE TONGUE TWISTER TOGETHER.  READY, 1, 2, 3"·.read together.  "GREAT JOB!!"
6. Now ask the children to draw and color a picture of the big black bear in the story and write all the BUH words they used in the picture.  Let them use inventive spelling.
7. For added assessment, distribute worksheets with various pictures on them.  Ask the children to circle any pictures they see that have the BUH sound in them.

References:

Adams, Marilyn-Jager. (1990) Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning
 About Print.  Center for the study off Reading and the Reading
 Research and Education Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-
 Champagne-12.

www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/inroads/hesterel.html
www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/inroads/hillel.html
www.rechtenkub.nl/koops/tongue.html  (tongue twister site)

How To Print Letters handout-Zaner Blouser (given in class)

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