I ate GRAPE cake!
In order for children to become fluent readers, they must develop the necessary skills that enable them to decode words successfully. Students must learn how to determine to distinguish between long and short vowels. It is important for them to understand that the same letter can make more than one sound! In addition, it is important that they understand that correspondences can be spelled and pronounced differently. This lesson will review a=/a/ and introduce a_e=/A/ using instruction, worksheets, decodable books, and pseudo-words.
Elkonin Letter boxes (one set per student)
Set of letters (each in a Ziploc baggie) per student - a,t,e,i,c,n,f,m,b,h,r,v,u,s,g,p,l,d
Large Elkonin Letter boxes for teacher (made out of felt)
Large felt board
Large set of felt letters - a,t,e,i,c,n,f,m,b,h,r,v,u,s,g,p,l,d
Jane and Babe (decodable text, one per child)
Poster with the tongue twister: “Kate baked a grape cake!”
Worksheet (requiring the matching of printed words to pictures) using the words: cake, gate, cat, wave, hat, grape, crab, grass
Note cards with the following pseudo-words: HAP, PATE, WAT, NAPE, TAT, and JAVE
Dry erase board
2 different colored dry erase markers
1) First go over the a = /a/ as a review; I will then introduce the a_e = /A/. “Friends, we already know that when we say a alone in a word, it makes the /a/ sound (a = /a/). Today we are going to learn something very special about letter a! It can make more than just an /a/ sound! When there is an a then a consonant, then the letter e, a makes a different, special sound! The a_e makes the a say its name! (write a_e = /A/).” Explain to the students that the e is silent, but it helps the a say its name. Write the word plan on the board. “Friends, what does this word say? /p/-/l/-/a/-/n/, plan! That’s correct! But, what if I add an e to the end of this word? (Place an e at the end of the word in a different color). What does this word say now? /p/-/l/-/A/-/n/, plane! That’s right! Great! The silent e makes the a say its name! Let me model another one for you. (Write the word can on the board. /c/-/a/-/n/, can! Now, I am going to add an e to the end. /c/-/A/-/n/, cane! Does everyone understand? We would practice with two more words, at/ate and mad/made.
Next will be the letterbox lesson activity (The students would
already had a lot of practice with the letterbox lesson
will do 2, 3, 4, and 5 letter words with review short vowels mixed in
as well. The
students will be taught that since we don’t say the e, it goes
outside (not in a box). The teacher will model with a felt board
large Elkonin boxes/letters. “Ok class here is your letterboxes
and a bag
full of new letters for our words. Who can raise their hand and
what you do when I call out a word? Good, yes you spell out each
or letters that you hear in each box. Let me show you an
want you to spell the word cat; I
have a white cat. Good you put the c in one box, the a
the second box, and the t in the last box (teacher models in
the word too). Ok now before we begin this lesson, who can tell me what
think we might do differently? Well for the a,
consonant, e (or
a silent e) letterbox lesson (a_e=/A/), you are to put
outside of the last letterbox. Since we don’t hear the e we put it on the outside of the last
box. Let me show you how to do one. For the word same we
hear the s
so the s goes first, then what do we
hear next? Right a long a, therefore we know that
we have to
put the e on the outside of the last box. Next is, right m in the last box and the e on
the outside; now we have the word same. I believe you are
ready! Let’s begin!”
(Say each word and have the students spell each word in their letterboxes) – hint: You might want to say a sentence using the word after you say it. It helps them to understand the context of each word.
2 phonemes: ate, it
3 phonemes: cane, fame, babe, hat
4 phonemes: brave, hunt, scare, grape
5 phonemes: scrape, blend
& Kornblum, R. Jane and Babe.
Morrow, C. Blakes Brave Race.
Click here to return