Rationale: This lesson teaches children about the short vowel correspondence a = /a/. In order to be able to read, children must learn to recognize spellings that map word pronunciations. In this lesson children will learn to recognize, spell, and read words containing the spelling a. They will learn a meaningful representation (hand gesture wiping away tears), they will spell and read words containing this spelling in a Letterbox Lesson, and read a decodable book that focuses on the correspondence a = /a/.

 

Materials: Graphic image of a baby crying; cover-up critter; whiteboard for modeling and individual letterboxes for each student; letter manipulatives for each child and magnetic letters for teacher: a, b, f, g, l, m, p, r, s, t; list of spelling words on poster or whiteboard to read: bat, at, mat, flag, strap; decodable text: Cat Nap; assessment worksheet.

 

Procedures:

1. Say: In order to become expert readers we need to learn the code that tells us how to pronounce words. Today we are going to learn about short vowel a and its sound, /a/. When I say /a/ think about a little baby in her crib crying for her mommy (show image of baby crying)

 

2. Say: Before we learn about the spelling of /a/, we need to listen for it in some words. When I listen for /a/ in words, I hear a say its name /a/ and I can feel my mouth open wide while my tongues stays low like this, /a/. (Make vocal gesture for /a/). I’ll show you first: sat. I heard a say its name and I felt my mouth open wide while my tongue stayed low when I said /a/. There is a short a in sat. Now I’m going to see if it’s in stay. Hmm, I didn’t hear a say its name and my mouth didn’t open wide while my tongue stayed low. My throat also didn’t make the sound /a/. Now you try. If you hear /a/ say, “aaa” and cry like a baby. If you don’t here /a/ say, “That’s not it”. Is it in bat, bit, lack, cat, red, mad?

 

3. Now let’s look at the spelling of /a/ that we’ll learn today. We spell a very simply, a. (Write a on the board). What if I want to spell the word bat? “I hit the ball with my bat and made a home run.” Bat is something baseball and softball players use to hit the ball really far. To spell bat in letterboxes, first I need to know how many phonemes I have in the word so I stretch it out and count: /b//a//t/. I need 3 boxes. I heard that /a/ just before the /t/ so I’m going to put an a in the 2nd box. The word starts with /b/, that’s easy; I need an b in the first box. Now it gets a little tricky so I’m going to say it slowly, /b//a//t/. I have one box left now. Let’s really stretch the last part of this word. (Point to letters in boxes when stretching out the word: /b//a//t/). I hear t at the end so it must go in the last box.

 

4. Say: Now I’m going to have you spell some words in letterboxes. You’ll start out easy with two boxes for at. What should go in the first box? (Respond to children’s answers). What goes in the second box? (Respond to children’s answers). I’ll check your spellings as I walk around the room. (Observe progress). You’ll need three letterboxes for the next word. Listen for the beginning sound that goes in the first box. Then listen for /a/. Here’s the word: mat, I sat on a mat in the reading center; mat. (Allow children to spell words). Time to check your work. Watch how I spell it in my letterboxes on the board: m-a-t and see if you’ve spelled it the same way. Try another with three boxes: sad; I was so sad when I had to leave the beach. (Have volunteer spell it in the letterboxes on the front board for children to check their work. Repeat this step for each new word). Next word.  Now let’s try 4 phonemes: flag; The American flag waves in the wind. One more then we’re done with spelling, and this time you need five boxes: strap; Make sure the strap is pulled tight so it won’t fall? Remember to stretch it out to get this tough word.

 

5. Say: Now I am going to let you read the words you’ve spelled, but first I’ll show you how I would read a tough word. (Display poster with strap on the top and model reading the word.) First I see there is an a, which is our cry baby /a/. I’m going to use a cover-up critter to get the first part. (Uncover and blend sequentially before the vowel, then blend with the vowel.) /s//t/ = /st/ +/r/ = /str/. Now I’m going to blend that with /a/ = /stra/. Now all I need is the end, /p/ = /strap/. Strap; that’s it. Now it’s your turn, everyone together. (Have children read words in unison. Afterwards, call on individuals to read one word on the list until everyone has had a turn.)

 

6. Say: You’ve done a great job at reading words with our spelling for /a/= a. Now we are going to read a book called A Cat Nap. This is a story about a Cat named Tab. Tab likes to nap, so one day Tab napped in a bag. It turned out to be Sam’s baseball bag! Oh no, Sam take his bag to practice. What will happen when they get to practice and Tab is in the baseball bag?! We will have to read and find out! Let’s pair up and take turns reading A Cat Nap to find out if Sam finds Tab. (Children pair up and take turns reading alternate pages to each other while teacher walks around the room monitoring progress. After individual paired reading, the class rereads a Cat Nap aloud together, and stops between page turns to discuss the plot.)

 

7. Say: That was a fun story. Did the Sam find Tab? Right, he did! Before we finish up with our lesson about one way to spell a =/a/, I want to see how you can solve a reading problem. On this work sheet, your job is to look at the picture, and determine if it has our cry baby /a/ sound. Circle the pictures that do. Check your answers to see if they make sense. (Collect all worksheets to evaluate individual child progress.)

 

Work Sheet: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/563020390890982411/

Reference: http://mks0036.wixsite.com/mysite/beginning-reading