Rational: This lesson will help young students identify /v/, the phoneme represented by V. For beginners, spelling and reading can be tough. Coming up with a fun and unique way to make a connection between the sound and what it looks like in print can make the process much more efficient. Today we will learn symbols and representations to help us learn the phoneme /v/.

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Materials:

• Primary paper

• Letter “V” worksheet

• Tongue tickler for the phoneme /v/

• Book that features the phoneme v repeatedly

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Procedure:

1. “Hello class! Today we will be learning about the letter /v/. The big V and little v both make the same sound. They both sound like this ‘vvvvv’. We are going to learn how to identify the /v/ sound when we hear it and when we see it. It sounds sort of like a vacuum!”

2. “When we pronounce the letter V our teeth sit on top of our bottom lip like you are about to bit it. Everyone make the V sound and look around at your classmates so you can see the face you make when you say the letter V. If you do it for a while, it might tickle your lip a little. It sounds like a vacuum cleaner, cleaning up a big mess. Try making the /v/ sound while pretending to vacuum up around your desk like this.” *pretends to extend the vacuum cleaner when making the /v/ sound* “Good! Now the floor looks spotless!”

3. “Alright, now let’s try a funny sentence to practice that ticklish vvvvvacuum cleaner sound. Valorie vacuumed up the very valuable vase. Say it with me this time! Okay now let’s stretch out the V at the beginning of each word and use our vacuum cleaners on the /v/ sound too. Vvvvvalorie vvvvacuumed up the vvvery vvvaluable vvvvase. Awesome vvvvacuuming class!”

4. Pass out primary paper. “Everyone take out a pencil, we are going to practice writing big V and little v. Once you know big V, you’ll learn little v fast because little v wants to be just like big V. First, let’s practice big V. Go up to the tallest slid and slide down. Now go up the other tall slide and slide down until they meet. Great! Now let’s try little v. It’s the same but this time we are going to the baby slide. Go all the way to the top and slide down, now go to the next baby slide and slide down until they meet. Awesome job boys and girls! Y’all are professionals. Try by youselves 5 more times. Now, when you see the big V and little v, you will think of the vacuum cleaner vacuuming up the big mess!”

5. Let’s practice finding /v/ in words we hear and say. I’ll say two words and y’all tell me which word you hear the /v/ sound in. Okay here we go! Do you hear /v/ in SILVER or GOLD? SAD or NAVY? STAY or MOVE? Awesome you all found the /v/ sound fast!

6. “Now we are going to read a /v/ book called The Viper.” Booktalk: “Peggy, the pig, gets sort of scary phone call from the “viper” and it says it is coming in a year. The viper keeps calling to update Peggy on when he is coming. Peggy is sort of scared about the viper coming because she thinks he is a big scary snake! When the viper arrives he is not what Peggy thought. We will have to read to find out who the viper really is and what he is coming for!” Have students draw a picture of what they think the viper will look like when he comes to Peggy’s house.

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Assessment: To assess the students on phoneme awareness I will pass out a work sheet for them. The students will draw a line to the objects that start with the letter V. Give the students who struggle with the work sheet some explicit phoneme instructions to help them grasp the phoneme /v/.

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References:

Worksheet: http://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/v-begins1.htm

Tedder, Morgan, Silly, Slithering Snakes: http://morgan12bhs.wixsite.com/misstedder/emergent-literacy

Book: “The Viper” By, Lisa Thiesing

http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/cultivations.html