Rationale: Before children learn to read and write, they need to learn first, that letters of the alphabet stand for phonemes, and spelling words map out phonemes in spoken words. Of all the phonemes, short vowels are the hardest to identify. This lesson will teach childrento identify. i=/i/ and how to recognize this phoneme in spoken words.
1. Our written language is a secret code and we are going to try to figure out some of that code. First we need to learn what letters stand for and what sounds they make. Then we need to see what mouth moves make those sounds. In this lesson we are going to learn the mouth move /i/. The sound /i/ is used in many words. By the time we finish today, you will be able to read new words that contain this letter. When we say /i/ our mouth opens a little and the middle of our tongue moves up toward the top of our mouth. OUr tongue kind of makes itself a hump on it like a camel's back.
2. Have you ever felt something so slimy that it made you say /i/? The letter i says /i/ and that's the mouth move we are looking for. Stretch it out and see if you can say /i/. Now let's put /i/ in a word like big and see if we hear the sound, bbi-i-i-i-i-gg. Did you hear it right in the middle of the word?
3. I have a tongue twister I want you to try. (on chart) "Big Jim tips over Tim the Tin Man". Let's say it together, then you try by yourself. Now say it again but stretch the /i/ out when you come to the sound. "Bi-i-i-i-g Ji-i-i-i-im t-i-i-i-ps over T-i-i-i-m the Ti-i-i-in Man." You did a great job with that tongue twister.
4. Now let's get out our primary paper and pencil. We ar going to use the letter i for the sound /i/. Let's practice writing it first. If you draw a line from the fence to the floor then give it a dot on top then you will have an i.
5 I am going to call out some words and I want you to tell me if you hear the /i/ in it. Do you hear /i/ in tip or jog? Cab or big? Hat or kit? In or out? Fix or jump? We are listening for the sound /i/. If you hear the /i/ sound in the words I am going to call out show me the smiley face card. If you don't hear it show me the sad face card. (Give words one by one) man, sit, sid, job, did, hop.
6. Read Tin Man Fix-It and talk about the story together. Read it again but have the whole class stretch out the /i/ sound in the words.
7. For assessment, have the student complete a picture worksheet. The students will circle the picture that has the /i/ sound in it.
The Reading Genie- http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/insights
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