Emily Ruhser and Kayla Huber

Lesson Title: Short-a and Short-u vowels Grade Level: 1st grade

Adaptations: Untimed

Materials Needed for the Lesson: Word sort

Prior Knowledge and Skills Needed: Knowledge of the words used, understand the difference between the short-a and short-u vowels, and use strategies to solve tricky words.

Key/New Vocabulary: Short-a and short-u

Lesson Component

Description of Planned Activities

Lesson Outcomes

IRA/NCTE Standard(s: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts. Iowa Core: RF.1.2. Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words. I Can: 1. 2. 3. I can compare, identify, and accurately categorize words that have a short-a and short-u vowel in the middle of them. I can compare, identify, and accurately categorize words that start with the tr, dr, and st blends. I can correctly explain what the similarities are in each word group.

Introduction of the Word Study

Display the words used to the students. Read the words to the students, then with them. Make sure students are familiar with the words. What do you notice about these words? We are going to do two different activities with these words. The first sort is focusing on the short-a and short-u sounds. Do you know what these vowels sound like?

Explains what to do and how to do it.

Modeling the Process: Demonstrate the Sort Explains what to do and how to do it. Shows how to do it.

Establish the column headers with two words: truck and stack We are going to listen for the sound in the middle of the words truck and stack. Watch and listen as I do the first few words. Here is the word trap. Trap has the short-a sound in the middle, so that will go under the header word stack because they both have the short-a sound in the middle. Here is the word drum. Drum has the short-u sound in the middle, so it will go under the word truck. It goes under the word truck because they both have the same short-u sound in the middle.

Model additional words following this process before turning the task over to the students.

Emily Ruhser and Kayla Huber

Guiding Practice: Sort and Check

Explains what to do and how to do it. Shows how to do it. Helps the student to do it

Turn the task over to the students, but continue to guide the task by helping them with each card. The student reads the card that is presented to them and compares it with each header word (truck/drum, stack/trap). If an error occurs, help the students to check the words by saying, We need to check this word. Help them focus on the middle sounds (short-a and short-u). After the initial sort, shuffle the word cards and create a stack. Student should turn over a card from the stack, say the word (give assistance if needed), and place it under the correct column. If an error occurs, dont correct. After the student sorts the words have them check their accuracy in each column. If the student isnt able to self-correct their mistakes, prompt them to listen to the middle sound. Pronounce the mistaken word for them compared to the column header.

Reflect: Declare, Compare, and Contrast

After the end of the sort, have the students verbally declare what the words in each column have in common. What do you notice about each word in the columns? How do they sound alike?

Guide the students to notice the blends in the beginning of the words. Is there anything else you notice about these words? Do some words sound the same in the beginning or the word? Which words sound the same in the beginning?

Have the student repeat the sort, but focus on the beginning blends (tr, st, dr). Repeat the sorting steps above by establishing headers (possible headers: truck, drum, stack). The students should check for the spelling patterns and how they relate to the blends. They should be able to correctly sort the blends in the same columns and verbally understand why each word goes in each column. What do these words have in common? How are the sounds and spelling patterns similar?

How does knowing this help you as a spelling, reader, and writer? Extend: Independent Practice
Provides opportunity for independent practice.

When writing you will need to spell as many words as you can correctly. When you dont think you can spell a word correctly, you can use spelling patterns to help you. Knowing the spelling patterns of the tr, dr, and st blends will help you spell many words.

The student repeats the two step word sort independently several times and approves it with the teacher. The student repeats the sort with a partner. Possible word hunt in the story Thats Not Our Dog.

Assessment

Observation.

Emily Ruhser and Kayla Huber