Under
the Umbrella!
Beginning Reading
Rational: Breaking the alphabetic code is important for
beginning readers. In order for
beginning readers to read they have to understand phonemes. This lesson is designed to help beginning
readers understand how u = /u/. We
will do this by working with a tongue twister.
Students will be able to find and
hear /u/ in spoken and written words.
Materials:
Picture
of a girl under an umbrella
Elkonin
letter boxes (one for each child)
Elkonin
letter boxes for teacher
Letter
manipulatives (one set for each child and one set for teacher - b, u,
f, s, n,
f, g, c, m, t, r, k, p, p)
Primary
paper (one per child)
Blank
paper (one per child)
Pencil
(one per child)
Chart
with tongue twister: Uncle was upset because he was unable to put his
umbrella
up.
Fuzz
and the Buzz
(one
per two students)
Procedure:
1.
I
will show the students the picture of the
girl under the umbrella. I will ask them
if they know what letter makes the /u/
sound. "Boy's and girl's, this is a
picture of a girl under an umbrella.
Does anyone know what letter the /u/
sound makes? Today we will be talking
about the letter u and how it makes the/u/
sound. Let's all make the /u/ sound
together. Can anyone think of a word
that has the /u/ sound in it?" This
will be an opportunity for the students
to think on their own before instruction begins. "When
we say umbrella we hear the /u/ sound.
Has everyone used an umbrella before? Say
umbrella with me. Do you hear the /u/ sound?"
2.
Next
I will show them the tongue twister
chart. : Ok everyone, this is a tongue twister.
Let's count how many times we hear the /u/
sound. I'm going to say
the twister slowly and you listen carefully.
UUUncle was uuupset because he was uuunable to put his
uuumbrella
uuup. How many times did you hear the
sound/u/? Five! That's
correct. Some of you may think six because
of the
letter u in put but it doesn't make the /u/
sound." Now I will show them the
sign we use when we say the /u/
sound. This is when you place your index
finger and your thumb under your chin, like you are thinking. "Now I want everyone to say the tongue
twister together and this time I want you to make our hand sign and say
it
slowly with me just like I say it slowly for you."
We will repeat the stretching out of the /u/ in
the tongue twister and make the
motion every time we hear the /u/
sound.
3.
Next
we will work on the /u/ sound in
spoken words. This is reinforcement from
the tongue twister chart. "Now we
are going to choose between two words we hear.
The catch is, you have to repeat the word that has the /u/ sound in it. Does
everyone understand? Ok let's
begin. Do you hear the /u/
sound in truck or car? Push or shove? Skip
or run? Bottle or cup? Smash or crush?
Great job."
4.
Before
giving each child their own letter
box and letters I will show them how the letter box lesson works. I will model for them how to sound out and
sell the words that will be presented to them.
"My word is bug. The first
thing I hear when I say bug is bbbb, so I will place a b in the first
box. The next thing I hear is that /u/ sound we have been talking about, uuuu,
so next I will put a u. The last sound I
hear is a gggg, so I will lay down my g in the last box.
Now I will blend the letters in the box
together, b-u-g, bug." Modeling is
a great way for children to understand how things work.
"Now I will give you each your letter
boxes and letters."
5.
Each
child will receive their own letters
and boxes. We will start out with two
boxes and end on five boxes. I will tell
the children when they need to change the size of their boxes. These words will be given to the one by one
to spell in their boxes: up,
buff, dug, cub, scum, snug, pump, spun,
struck, strut.
6.
To
assess their understanding of the /u/ sound I will
have the students write
out ten /u/ words on a blank piece of
paper. These words include: club, duck,
cuff, rug, plum, jump, spun, crush, nut, dunk.
This will show me that they can sound out the
words quietly to themselves and spell them out correctly. "Now I want
to
see that you know how to hear and spell words with the /u/
sound"
7.
Next
is book time. The children will be in
pairs to read
together. Each child will take a turn
read a page out of Fuzz and the Buzz.
"Fuzz and the Buzz is about a little
bear who gets into mischief. Now he can't
get the buzzing buzz away from him. What
is he to do? To find out you have to
read Fuzz and the Buzz. Now I want you
to split into pairs and read one page per person. If
you get finished early reread the book
except change up pages."
8.
Last
is the message time. This is when the
children are given a piece
of primary paper. The teacher can give
the students an idea to write about or they may write about anything
they want
to.
Assessment:
I
will be assessing the
students throughout the entire lesson.
In process six there will be an assessment that requires paper
and
pencil. The students have a "spelling
test". This shows me that they can
hear the /u/ is spoken words and
transfer that onto paper.
References:
Uhhhh…I
Can't Remember What Sound the U Makes by Adriane Harden
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/odysseys/hardenbr.html
Tongue
Twister by Wallach and Wallach
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/twisters.html
Picture
of girl under umbrella
http://www.top4best.info/images/girl-under-umbrella-med1.jpg
Educational
Insights. Fuzz and the Buzz. 1990.
