rub a dub

Beginning to Read:
Rub a Dub in the Tub

Rationale: Children need explicit instruction to learn how to recognize phonemes so they can learn to read. Vowels are the basis for children being able to decode words. Children need to be able to recognize vowels because they are seen in almost all our words. This lesson will focus on the correspondence /u/ (short u). The students will learn the correspondence with a meaningful representation. They will use the letterbox lesson to spell short u words and then they will be given opportunities to recognize short u words while reading.

Materials: A chart with the words Rub-a-dub in the Tub on it. Multiple copies of the book "Rub-A-Dub Cub" (Innovative Kids). Letterboxes and letters for the each student to use. Letters are: s u b t g m n n d r l c k p. Primary paper and pencil for each student.

Procedures: 1. Today we are going to learn the mouth move for the letter /u/. The letter u makes the uuuhhh sound. Now you say the /u sound with me·.uuhhh. Now repeat after me Rub-a-Dub in the Tub. Can you hear the u sound? Say it again to yourself and stretch out the words so you can hear the /u/ sound. Very good.
2. (Pass out copies of the book "Rub-a-Dub Cub" to the class.) "Now we will read our story about cub who takes a bath. Let us see what happens." (Read the story in a shared reading format and let the kids read the story along with the teacher.
3. Pass out letterboxes and the letters to each child. (The children should be familiar with letterbox lesson and know what to do already.) "Now let us try to spell some words with the /u/ sound. Let us start with the word sun." Go around and check each student's words and keep do the same with the following words: sub, tug, mud, nun, rut, luck, and stump.
4. Have each student reread the story. "Now I want you to reread the story and ask me for help if you do not know a word."
5. Give each student a partner and tell him or her to work together and look through the story and look for words that have the /u/ sound in them. Have them write the words on their paper.
6. For assessment, have each child come up and pronounce three pseudo words to the teacher.
Reference: Gaydons, Nora. Innovative Kids. (2001). Adams, Marilyn J. "Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print". (!990). Pinell, Gay S., Fried, Mary D., Estice, Rose M. "Reading Recovery: Learning how to make a difference."

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