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Lesson Plans
Let ter Detectives
Purpose: Students will be able to recognize letter shapes and sounds. Along with letter recognition students will learn word a specific word family and build words off of it. Objectives: • Students gain exposure to letter recognition and phonetic sounds. • Students improve gross motor skills by forming letters using PLAYDOH compound. • Students improve fine motor skill by writing the letters after forming them with PLAY-DOH compound. • Students learn that letters have specific sounds and when put together make words. Grade Levels
Pre K Science K 1 2
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Curriculum Areas: • Language Arts
Supplies Needed: • PLAY-DOH compound (two colors) • Writing Journal • Pencils
Themes: • Vowels • Shapes • Phonetics
Social Studies Directions: 1. Remind students that letters have specific sounds that they Math make. Give students the opportunity to make words using specific word families. Start with the word family –at. Language Arts Sound out both letters with your students, stressing that Fine Arts the “a” sound is the short a sound and sounding out the “t” sound as well. Visual Arts 2. Give each student a bit of PLAY-DOH compound to form the letters “a” and “t”. You may need to circulate and give additional support to some of the students. Have the students place the letters side by side and say the word “at”. 3. Next, give the student another bit of PLAY-DOH compound to form the letter “b”. Once again you may need to give extra support, as it is important for the students to form the letter correctly, so as not the practice it incorrectly. Ask the students to put the letter “b” next to the word family “at”. Help students sound out the whole word, taking time to sound each letter. It is encouraged that you have the students place their finger under the letter being sounded. Record the word bat on the board because the students will be manipulating their PLAY-DOH compound into new words. 4. Next, have students form the letter “c”. Once it is formed ask students to move the letter “b” out of the beginning sound position and place the “c” in its place. Discuss the sound that the letter “c” makes and then sound out the whole new word. Again, record the word on the board. Continue having students form different letters to place in the beginning word position using the word family “at”. 5. Students should write the words that were formed using the “at” word family into their writing journals. Students can reform the word onto their tabletop and then record it in their writing journal if the students need an additional visual.
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Extensions: • Using the same method build off of other word families. • Students create poems from the words formed with the “at” word family. • Play “Quick Draw”: Say a word, using the practiced word family, and students race to see who is able to form the word quickest. (Students have the word family set in front of them and the beginning letter sounds at the top of their workspace. You say the word, stressing the beginning sound, and the students pick the appropriate letter from the top of their workspace and place it in front of the word family.) • Play other games that reinforce phonetic rules. Suggested Guidance: • Adult supervision is required to ensure the safety of the children. Related Resources: Literature Connections: Word Family Tales - ISBN 0439262461 Hop on Pop, By: Dr. Suess - ISBN 039480029X Websites: parentschoiceawards.com, readinga-z.com