Say Ahhhhhhh
Beginning Reading
Chelsea Hall
Rationale: This lesson teaches children about the long vowel correspondence o = /o/. In order to be able to read, children must learn to recognize the spellings that map word pronunciations. In this lesson children will learn to recognize, spell, and read words containing the short o spelling. They will learn a meaningful representation (going to the doctor and saying ahhhh), they will spell and read words containing this spelling in a Letterbox lesson, and read a decodable book that focuses on the correspondence o = /o/.
Materials:
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Graphic image of kid at doctor saying ahhh
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cover-up critter
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whiteboard or smart board LBL boxes for modeling
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individual LBL boxes for each student
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letter manipulatives for each child: o, n, h, t, d, c, e, b, l, k, s, f, r, t
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list of spelling words on poster or whiteboard to read: on, hot, nod, stop, fresh, block, frost
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decodable text: In the Big Top
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Worksheet for assessment.
Procedures:
1. Say: In order to become expert readers we need to learn the code that tells us how to pronounce words. We have already learned to read short vowel words with a and e, like hat and bed, and today we are going to learn about short o to make the sound /o/. When I say /o/ I think of when I go to the doctor and have to say ahhhh so the doctor can check my throat [show graphic image]. Listen to this tongue tickler: Oliver had an operation in October. Did you hear the /o/ sound that we make at the doctor? Let’s stretch out the /o/ sound: Oooooliver had an oooooperation in Oooooctober. Great job. Now let’s break the /o/ sound off of the words: O-liver had an o-peration in O-ctober.
2. Say: Before we learn about the spelling of /o/, we need to listen for it in some words. When I listen for /o/ in words my lips make a big o shape like this and I make the sound I make at the doctor. [Make vocal gesture for /o/.] I’ll show you first: mop. I heard /o/ and I felt my lips make a big o [make a circle motion around pursed lips]. There is a short o in mop. Now I’m going to see if it’s in map. Hmm, I didn’t hear /o/ and my lips didn’t make a big o. Now you try. If you hear /o/ stick out your tongue like you would at the doctor. If you don’t hear /o/ then close your mouth really tight. Is it in rock, rain, shirt, pot, nose, locks? [Have children make a circle motion around their pursed lips when they feel their mouth make a big circle.]
3. Say: Now let’s look at the spelling of /o/ that we’ll learn today. We spell /o/ is with the letter o. What if I want to spell the word stop? “We have to stop and look both ways before crossing the street.” To spell stop in letterboxes, first I need to know how many phonemes I have in the word so I stretch it out and count /s//t//o//p/. Let’s clap out the phonemes this time: /s/ (clap), /t/ (clap), /o/ (clap), /p/ (clap). I need 4 boxes. The word starts with /s/. What letter(s) makes the /s/ sound? Great job, the letter s does. What letter comes after the s? I’m going to say it slowly, /s//t//o//p/. I think I heard /t/ so I’ll put a t right after the s. What comes after the /t/, hmm . . . /s//t//o//p/, I felt my mouth make a big o and I heard the sound I make at the doctor, so the third box is where our short o goes. I have one empty box now. [Point to letters in boxes when stretching out the word: /s//t//o//p/.] The missing one is /p/ = p.
4. Say: Now I’m going to have you spell some words in letterboxes. You’ll start out easy with two boxes for on. “We turn on the lights when it gets dark.” What should go in the first box? [Respond to children’s answers]. What goes in the second box? I’ll check your spelling while 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 /o/ and the last letter we need. Here’s the word: hot, it is hot outside today; hot. [Allow children to spell words.] Time to check your work. Watch how I spell it in my letterboxes on the board: h – o – t and see if you’ve spelled it the same way. Try another with three boxes: nod; I nod my head to answer the question. [Have volunteer spell it in the letterbox on the front board for children to check their work. Repeat this step for each new word.] Now let’s try four phonemes. Listen to see if this word has /o/ in it before you spell it: fresh; I love to eat fresh fruits and veggies. Do you hear the sound you make when you go to the doctor? That’s right you don’t. We spell it with our short vowel e. [volunteer spells it on the front board and have students finish the four phoneme words]. Let’s do one more word: frost. “After a cold rainy night there may be frost on the windshield.” Frost is the icy stuff that sometimes we see on the windows of cars and on the ground when it’s cold. Remember to stretch it out to get this 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 stop on the top and model reading the word.] First I see the vowel o. It must say /o/. I’m going to use a cover-up to get the first part. [Uncover and blend sequentially before the vowel, then blend with the vowel.] /s//t/ = /st/. Now I’m going to blend that with /o/ = /sto/. Now all I need is the end, /p/ = /stop/. Stop; 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 and reading words with our new spelling for o = /o/. Now we are going to read a book called In the Big Top. This story is about Roz, Tod, and Rob. They are going somewhere on a special trip with their mom and pop. They each are bringing something special on their trip. Their dog Tom is also going on their special trip. You’ll have to read to find out where they are going. Let’s pair up and take turns reading In the Big Top to find out where they are going. [Children pair up and take turns reading alternate pages each while teacher walks around the room monitoring progress. After individual paired reading, the class rereads In the Big Top aloud together, and stops between page turns to discuss the plot.]
7. Say: That was a fun story. Where were they going? Right, they were going to the big top. Do you know what a big top is? Right, it’s a circus. Before we finish up with our lesson about how to spell /o/ = o, I want to see how you can solve a reading problem. On this worksheet, we have different pictures. Your job is to look at the picture and decide what it is. Then you will look in the work bank at the bottom. First try reading all the words in the box, then choose the word that matches your picture. Reread your answers to see if they make sense. [Collect worksheets to evaluate individual child progress.]
Resources:
Geri Murray, Oh, I didn’t know
Kathleen McGahan, Say Ah for Short O
Book:
Cushman, Shelia. In the Big Top. 1990.
