READING FLUENTLY WITH MS. FIELDS
Oliver the Octopus Says ‘Ahhhhh’
Beginning Reading Design
Rationale:
This lesson will help students to learn the short vowel correspondence o=/o/. Children must be able to recognize this correspondence in order to read certain words correctly. In this lesson, children will learn to recognize, spell, and read words containing the o=/o/ correspondence. They will learn a meaningful representation (child opening their mouth at the doctor’s office and saying “Ah”), they will spell and read words containing this spelling in a Letterbox Lesson, and finally they will read a decodable book that focuses on the o=/o/ correspondence.
Materials:
Graphic image of a an octopus at the doctor’s office (opening his mouth and saying “ah”)
Whiteboard for modeling LBL
Individual Elkonin letterboxes for each student
Letter manipulatives for each student: b, c, d, f, g, h, k, l, m, n, o, p, p, r, s, s, t
Magnetic letters for whiteboard modeling: b, c, d, f, g, h, k, l, m, n, o, p, p, r, s, s, t
Cover-up critter
Words on poster to read: on, dog, stop, clock, slob, cross, frog, frost, strong
Decodable text: Doc in the Fog
Assessment worksheet (URL below)
Procedures:
1. Say: In order to become great readers, we need to learn how to pronounce words correctly. Today, we are going to learn one of the codes to help us do that! We have already learned to read short vowel words with icky sticky i, like tip, and today we are going to learn about the short vowel o and how it makes the “ah” sound in certain words. To help you remember, think about going to the doctor and how sometimes the doctor tells you to open your mouth and say “ah” so they can look in your throat. Think about the shape your mouth makes when you do that. It makes a big o shape doesn’t it? And you make the “ah” sound when you open your mouth. [Show image of Oliver the Octopus at the doctor saying “ahhhh.”]
2. Say: Before we learn about spelling with /o/, we need to listen for it in some words. When I listen for /o/ in words, I say the word out loud and see if my mouth makes the big o shape, and I listen for the “ah” sound like when I open my mouth at the doctor’s office. I’ll show you first: splotch. I heard the “ah” sound and my mouth made the o shape! Now I’m going to see if it is in the word spit. Hmm, I didn’t hear the sound I make when I open my mouth for the doctor and my lips didn’t open and make a big O shape. Now you try! Listen to the words I say and if you hear the /o/ sound say “Ah ha!” and if you don’t hear it say “No way!” Ready? Is it in hot, warm, sock, shoe, peep, pop?
3. Say: Now we are going to learn how to spell words with the o=/o/ correspondence. Everyone take out your letterboxes and letter tiles! Let’s spell a word together first. We are going to spell the word prompt. First, I need to figure out how many phonemes are in this word so I know how many letterboxes I need. Stretch out the word prompt and count: /p//r//o//m//p//t/. Let’s clap out the phonemes this time: /p/ (clap), /r/ (clap), /o/ (clap), /m/ (clap) /p/ (clap) /t/ (clap). Great job! I need 6 boxes. I heard that /o/ right before the /m/ and just after the /r/, so I’m going to put the o in the third box. The word starts with /p/, right? What letter makes that /p/ sound? Very good, the letter P does! So I’m going to put a letter p tile in the first box. What sound do we hear at the end of the word? That’s right, we hear the /t/ sound! Now it gets a little tricky so I’m going to say it slowly, /p//r//o//m//p//t/. I think I heard the growling /r/ so I’ll put an r right after the p. Hmmm, I also hear the /m/ sound so I’m going to put the letter m in the fourth box after the o. I have one box left so let me say it slowly one more time, /p//r//o//m//p//t/. Oh! I hear /p/ after /m/, so the letter p must go in the fifth box! That is how you spell the word prompt.
4. Say: Now you are going to spell some words on your own! Let’s start with the word on. You will need two boxes for this word. I’ll use it in the sentence: “My cat hopped on my bed.” What should go in the first box? What goes in the second box? [Walk around the room and check the students’ spellings]. You will need three boxes for the next word. Listen for the beginning sound that goes in the first box. Then listen for the o=/o/ sound. The next word is dog: “The dog chases his tail”. [Allow students to spell word]. Now let’s see if you got it right. Watch how I spell it in my letterboxes on the board: d-o-g and see if you have spelled it the same way. Let’s try one with four boxes! The word is stop: “The teacher told the class to stop what they were doing.” Who wants to volunteer to come up to the board and spell this word for the class?
[Repeat these steps for each word in the LBL. Rotate between having the students spell the words themselves and having volunteers come up and spell them on the board. Use the words: on, dog, stop, clock, slob, cross, frog, frost, strong]
5. Say: Now I am going to have you read the words you spelled, but first I’ll show you how to read a tough word [display poster of words and model how to read stomp]. I’m going to use my cover-up critter [uncover and blend sequentially before the vowel, then blend with the vowel] /s//t/=/s/+/t/=/st/. Now I’m going to blend that with /o/= /sto/. Now lets look at the last part. /m//p/=/mp/. Stomp, that’s it! [Have students read the word in unison. Then, have the students read the rest of the words on the list making sure everyone has a turn].
6. Say: You have all done a great job reading and spelling words with /o/. Now we are going to read a book called Doc in the Fog. Have you ever wanted to do magic? This story is about a wizard named Doc who uses his magic wand to change objects into something new! One day, while he was doing magic, a dark fog surrounded him. What do you think is going to happen? Let’s read the story to find out! [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 Doc in the Fog aloud together, and stops between page turns to discuss the plot.]
7. Say: What a fun story! But what happened to Doc? That’s right, the fog got Doc! Before we finish for today, I want to see how well you know /o/. I want you to complete this worksheet to practice spelling and reading short /o/ words. [Collect worksheets to evaluate individual student progress.]
Reference:
Cushman, Sheila. Doc in the Fog. Educational Insights, 1990
Czak, Michelle, Open Up and Say AHHH: http://mlc0039.wixsite.com/reading-designs/contact
Assessment worksheet: http://www.funfonix.com/worksheets/book1_page28.php
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