Beginning Reading Lesson Design

Chuck the Chimp Chomps on Cheese

 By Bridget Clabby

 Rationale: Students will need to understand the phoneme /ch/ (along with others) in order to become fluent readers. Some single sounds can be represented by more than one letter, as in when two letters are put together, like in /ch/. When combinations of letters make up one sound, we call this a digraph. Students will learn the digraph /ch/ in this lesson. We will focus on this digraph in speech and print, and the students will use this digraph to write words. It is also important for students to know and understand that this digraph does not always have to be at the beginning of the word.

 Materials:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin (big book)
Big letter - h
Big letter - c
White board
Dry erase markers
Chart with the tongue twister on it (with picture of chimp eating cheese)
Pencils - one per student
Primary paper -one per student
Worksheet to read -one for each student (printed on colored paper)
Individual practice worksheets -one piece for each student (printed on colored paper)

 Procedure:

1. Introduction: Introduce the lesson by holding up the letter C. "Can you all tell me what this letter is?" Then hold up the letter H  ask students again to tell what letter that is. Then introduce the idea that they make a different sound when they are put together. "We all know these letters when they are alone, but it is important to know that when they are next to each other, they make a different sound." Put the C and the H together, and say /ch/. "It is the sound you make when you say 'chomp', let's all say it together now, 'chomp, chomp, chomp'. Now let's just say the /ch/ sound - /ch/ /ch/ /ch/"

2. Review: "Alright, now let's do some practice with the new sound. We are all going to say some words that have the new sound in them. Let's try it first with the word 'chicken'. [All say chicken together]. Now let's separate the /ch/ from chicken, and say the word slowly - /ch/ icken, can everyone do that? Good." Continue the practice with the words chuck, chimpanzee, cheese, check, etc.

3. Explain how: "We have a tongue twister now that we are going to say all together. Let's all look at this poster and say the tongue twister together -'Chuck the Chimp Chomps on Cheese'. Repeat this a few times all together. Now let's go through it and this time, every time we say a /ch/ sound, we are going to use one of our hands and 'chomp' with it (chomp your four fingers onto your thumb)." Go through the tongue twister again, chomping our fingers every time we hear /ch/ - repeat again if necessary for students' understanding.

4. Model: "Now I am going to show you how I use my chomping fingers to find the /ch/ sound in words you might hear all the time. What about with the weather? What if I say it is hot outside and chilly inside? Do I hear /ch/ in hot or chilly? Let's see -'hot'…did I chomp when I said hot? No I didn't. 'Chilly'-did I chomp when I said chilly? Let's say it slowly ' /ch/ illy. I chomped! So we found the /ch/ sound in chilly and not in hot."

5. Simple practice: Let's all try this together. Raise your hand, and don't yell out answer, if you think you know which word chomps with the /ch/ sound. Do you hear /ch/ in children or parents? Chunk or piece? Number or channel? Bracelet or chain? Lunch or Dinner?" Explain how /ch/ can come at the end of a word if necessary, etc.

6. Whole texts: Have students gather around me in the front of the room on the floor. "Every time we get to a word that has the /ch/ sound, I want you to chomp your fingers if you hear it. You are going to have to read and hear the /ch/ sound in your words, and chomp with your hands." Read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin (the big book) all together, as a class. Read with them because some words are harder and they may not know them yet. It is a repetitive book, so they will learn the words as they go. Read slowly.

7. Practice reading words with the /ch/ sound: Everyone can go back to their seats. Give out the paper with the reading on it, primary paper, and pencils. Students will individually read the story on the worksheet, and write the words on their own primary paper that have /ch/ in them. Afterwards, go over the words that we found with /ch/ in them -make sure everyone found the right words. Did we miss any?  Remind them to use their chomping fingers.

 (*The story the students will be reading)

 Chuck the Chimp Wants to Eat
Chuck is a chimp.
Chuck wants to eat lunch.
Chuck has a friend chipmunk named Charles.
Charles wants to eat lunch, too.
Chuck and Charles want to eat.
Chuck and Charles go for a walk in the sun.
They find a cherry tree.
Chuck and Charles eat all of the cherries from the tree.
Chuck and Cherry chomp and chomp.
They still want to eat.
Chuck and Cherry walk and walk.
They try to find more food.
Chuck and Charles find chunks of cheese on the grass.
They eat the cheese.
Chuck and Charles chomp and chomp.
Then they hear a "grrr" in the bushes.
It is a cheetah!
Chuck and Charles run all the way home.
They do not want to eat anymore now.

8. Practice worksheet to assess individual learning: This worksheet will have the pictures of a chicken, church, dog, cat, cheese, and mouse on it. The students will have to circle the pictures that, when spoken, have the /ch/ sound in them -then they will write the word underneath the picture it matches. Remind them to use their chomping fingers.

9. Assessment: I will be going around the room to see everyone's work. I will make sure that they are reading the story about Chuck and Charles, and writing words that have the /ch/ sound on their primary paper. We will go over this as a class to make sure everyone understands. I will go around the room while they do the second worksheet to make sure they are saying the words that there are pictures of and writing the word below the picture. They should be using their 'chomping' fingers to be sure they are finding the /ch/ sound.

 
References:

"Chug-a Chug-a Chug Choo Choo with /ch/" by Jamie Ann Mathis -from the reading genie website.   www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/

 www.enchantedlearning.com to find words with /ch/ in them

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