Sammy the Slimy Snake
Rationale: Letter Recognition is a
vital part of learning to
read. According to research, it is one of the best predictors of
-primary writing paper
-a pencil for each student
-poster with tongue twister and other “s” words (soccer, sleepy, snake, sloth, sun, stop, sign)
-Tongue twister: Sammy the slimy snake slid across the slippery slope
-dry erase board with primary writing lines and dry erase markers
-picture worksheet for assessment (will include pictures of snake, soccer, sun, dog, cat, tree)
- picture of
Sammy the slimy snake
objects (sunflower, baseball, star, sea, school, worm, book),
some starting with s and
-Slowly, Slowly, Slowly said the Sloth
by Eric Carle
1. First, we will review the letters that we have already learned. We will review what the letters looks like as well as the sound it makes. "Do you remember some of the vowels that we have covered so far?" What sounds does the letter a make? e?j?p? Have students give an example of a word that starts with each of these letters. Good job everyone! I really liked how you came up with your own words for those sounds!
2. Today we are going to learn about the letter s. My friend Sammy the slimy snake (show picture) is going to help us with this letter. First, let's see what our mouth does when we make the sssss sound, like in Sssssally, ssssnake, and ssssun. Everyone make a big smile for me. Very good! Now keep your teeth together and blow through your teeth. It makes a hissing noise. Let's all try it together!
3. Do you hear the sssss in snake or bake? Sail or pail? Gum or bug? Sun or moon?
4. Next, I will show the poster with the tongue twister on it
a. Sammy the slimy snake slid across the slippery slope
I will read the tongue twister to them, emphasizing the sss sound. Then I will have them say it with me, making the ssss sound on every s word.
5. I will then have them take out their primary paper and pencil to practice writing their upper and lower case s. I will first model this on the dry erase board. To make a capital S, you draw a c in between the rooftop and the fence. Then to make the bottom part, you swing back. Everyone practice this as I walk around the room. To make a lower case s, you do the same thing, make a c then swing back, but make sure it is all below the fence.
6. Next, I will show them pictures of different objects and will ask them which ones they hear the sss sound in. I will model this for them by saying, " I hear the sss sound in sssunshine and in ssstars, not in rock". Then I will show them the pictures to informally assess them.
7. I will read the book Slowly, Slowly, Slowly said the Sloth by Eric Carle. This book is about a sloth that lives in the rain forest. Like most sloth's, he moves very, very slowly. He meets a lot of interesting animals on his journey. Let's read to find out who he meets! Let's pay extra close attention to words where you hear the ssss sound.
8. For assessment, I will pass out the worksheet with pictures on it. They will have to circle which picture has an s sound in its name.
Adams, Marilyn Jager. Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print. Urbana, IL: Center for the Study of Reading, 36-43
Elizabeth. "Slinky Scaly Snakes" http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/persp/bellel.html
Deanna. "Super Susie Slithered Slowly" http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/innov/barrerael.html
Carle, Eric. Slowly, Slowly, Slowly said the Sloth. New York. Philome Books, 2002.
Bruce. "Example of Emergent Literacy Design: Sound the Foghorn".