Setting Purpose: Vowel Sounds in Print | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:S1:C1:L1

Setting Purpose: Vowel Sounds in Print

In this Lesson

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A: I can identify the vowel sounds in spoken words. (RF.1.2)
    • I can listen to several one-syllable words and identify the short or long vowel sound they contain.
  • Work Time A: I can examine the spelling of vowel sounds in a printed word and determine the syllable type (closed, open, or magic "e"). (RF.1.3)
    • I can explain that single-vowel letters in one-syllable words usually have short vowel sounds.
    • I can explain that in CVCe (consonant, vowel, consonant, silent "e"), one-syllable words ending in final "e," the V (vowel) letter usually has a long vowel sound.
    • I can decode a word with a vowel in the middle and a silent "e"at the end.
    • I can identify the five or six types of syllables in written words.
  • Work Time B: I can examine the spelling of vowel sounds in a printed syllable, determine the syllable type, and use that information to combine it with another syllable to make and read a word (real or nonsense). (RF.1.3)
    • I can decode a two-syllable word that contains the CVCe vowel pattern.
    • I can decode (read) two-syllable words by thinking about the syllable type.

Ongoing Assessment

  • Observe students during Opening A. Determine whether they can identify the vowel sounds in a spoken word.
  • Observe students during Work Time A. Determine whether they can identify the sound-spelling pattern (syllable type) in a word that indicates the long or short vowel sound in the word.
  • Observe students during Work Time B. Determine whether they can decode a syllable by thinking about the syllable type and "build" and read a two-syllable real or nonsense word based on that information.

Agenda

Agenda

1. Opening (5-7minutes)

A. Vowel Sounds: Sound Sort

2. Work Time (10 minutes)

A. Vowel Sound Spelling Patterns: Closed, Magic "e," and Open Syllable Types

B. Syllable Type: Build a Word(optional)("den-tist," "pan-cake," "pine-cone," "pic-nic," "mo-ment," "sun-shine," "si-lent," "up-set," "un-til," "con-crete," "back-bone," "rep-tile," "in-vite," "pro-gram")

3. Closing and Assessment (3 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning: What Does It Mean to Be Proficient or Really Good at Something?

4. Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations (40-45 minutes)

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Enlarged Sound Sort T-chart (on whiteboard or chart paper, "Short" on one side and "Long" on the other; see supporting materials for example)
    • Articulatory Gestures chart for short vowel sounds (from Grade 1; one for display; optional)
  • Cut apart and fold the single-syllable Closed, Open, and Magic "e" Single-Syllable Word Cards so that the picture shows on one side and the word on the other (to display in Work Time A).
  • Cut apart Build a Word Cards for Work Time B (in supporting materials).
  • Gather materials for independent work time (see Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations).

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)

  • identify, responsibility, syllable, vowel (L)

Materials

  • Closed, Open, and Magic "e" Single-Syllable Word Cards (see Teaching Notes, "In advance," above)
  • Enlarged Sound Sort T-chart (on whiteboard or chart paper; "Short" on one side and "Long" on the other; see supporting materials for example)
  • Articulatory Gestures chart: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/ (optional)
  • Build a Word Cards (one set, for teacher and student use)
  • Tape, magnet, or other material to fasten Closed, Open, and Magic "e" Single-Syllable Word Cards to the Sound Sort T-chart (one for teacher)
  • Optional Cycle Assessment (for use at any point in the cycle; optional)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Vowel Sounds: Sound Sort

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of “The Muffin Man”):

Teacher sings: “A syllable has a vowel sound, a vowel sound a vowel sound. A syllable has a vowel sound. Is it short or is it long?”

Students repeat: “A syllable has a vowel sound, a vowel sound, a vowel sound. A syllable has a vowel sound. Is it short or is it long?”

  • Begin the Vowel Sounds instructional practice:

1. Teacher invites students to listen as he or she sings the transition song.

2. Teacher invites students to repeat.

3. Teacher repeats steps 1 and 2 as needed until students are comfortable with the lyrics.

4. Teacher says: “The first part of this song tells us something, and the last part asks us something. Let’s see if we can figure that out.”

5. Teacher sings: “A syllable has a vowel sound, a vowel sound, a vowel sound.”

6. Teacher asks:

“What is the song telling us?” (A syllable has a vowel sound.)

“What is a syllable?” (a beat in a word)

“Can someone give me an example of a vowel sound?” (Responses will vary. Listen for /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/, /ā/, /ē/, /ī/, /ō/, and /ū/.)

“So what does ‘a syllable has a vowel sound’ mean?” (Every beat has one of those vowel sounds in it.)

7. Teacher says: “That’s right. Every syllable, or beat, in a word has one of those vowel sounds in it.”

8. Teacher sings: “A syllable has a vowel sound. Is it short or is it long?”

9. Teacher asks:

“What is the song asking us?” (Is it short or is it long?)

“Is what short or long?” (the vowel sound in the syllable)

“Can someone give me an example of a short vowel sound? A long vowel sound?”

10. Teacher says: “So every syllable has a vowel sound, and that sound can either be short, like /a/ and /i/, or long, like /ō/ and /ū/.”

11. Teacher says: “Now it’s time to play a game. I’m going to say some words. Each time I say a word, I’ll pause and you’ll show me the number of syllables in the word with your fingers.”

12. Teacher shows the picture side of each Closed, Open, and Magic “e” Single-Syllable Word Cards and says the word aloud, pausing in between each, while students hold up one finger to show that each word has one syllable.

13. Teacher says: “Every one of these words has just one syllable. The song said every syllable has a vowel sound, so there must be one vowel sound in each of these words and it must be either long or short.”

14. Teacher displays the enlarged Sound Sort T-chart and points out the title of each column: “long” and “short.”

15. Teacher says: “Now it’s time to see if we can figure out what the vowel sounds are in these words and sort them into the right group.”

16. Teacher facilitates the Sound Sort:

      • Teacher mixes up the Word Cards and puts them in a pile facedown.
      • Teacher invites a student to pick up the card, look at the picture, and say the word.
      • Teacher invites the group to identify the vowel sound and whether it is long or short.
      • The student who picks the card places it in the appropriate column (picture side showing).
      • This process is repeated until all words are sorted onto the T-chart.

17. Teacher points to the “short” column and says: “/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/ are the vowel sounds we heard in these words.”

18. Teacher points to the “long” column and says: “/ā/, /ē/, /ī/, /ō/, and /ū/ are the vowel sounds we heard in these words.”

19. Teacher says: “We’ve done a great job identifying (naming) the short and long vowel sounds in these spoken words.”

20. Teacher asks:

“I wonder what short and long vowel sounds look like in a written word?”
  • In step 5, emphasize that every syllable has one vowel sound as opposed to one vowel letter. This supports the word analysis in Work Time A when students see that two vowels in a CVCe word work to produce one vowel sound.
  • When posing questions, consider first inviting students to turn to an elbow partner to share their ideas, then inviting one or two students to share with the group. This promotes active participation from all students.
  • Steps 1-13 provide a review of the relationship between syllables and vowel sounds and the difference between short and long vowels through the vehicle of "unpacking" the meaning of lyrics in the transition song. If students are well versed in the meaning of syllable, vowel sounds, and the difference between long and short sounds, consider skipping steps 1-13 and starting with the sound sort.
  • Depending on the group's comfort level in distinguishing between long and short vowel sounds, consider reminding students that the long sound for a vowel is the sound we hear when we say its name.
  • Note that pictures used in this opening activity include a girl for "she", a "you are here" image for "here", and a circle with a diagonal line through it for "no." Consider saying the name of the pictures right away when holding those cards up. For example: "We'll call this picture 'she' because I want us to really think about the vowel sound we hear."
  • If students need help identifying the vowel sounds in each word during step 16, consider inviting them to segment each sound in the words to isolate the vowel sound with the thumb- or arm-tapping technique used in the Kindergarten and Grade 1 curriculum. In the thumb-tapping technique, students say the word slowly; each time their mouth changes position, they tap a finger (index finger first) to the thumb. The arm-tapping technique involves extending one arm and tapping each sound in turn with the other hand beginning at the shoulder and moving down the arm.
  • Consider using the Articulatory Gestures chart as needed to support students who may have difficulty distinguishing the sounds of the short vowels.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Vowel Sound Spelling Patterns: Closed, Magic “e,” and Open Syllable Types

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of “The More We Get Together”):

“Now it’s time to be detectives, detectives, detectives, now it’s time to be detectives, and look for some clues.”

  • Introduce the Vowel Sound Spelling Patterns activity:

1. Teacher points to the short vowel column in the T-chart and says: “We figured out that these words have short vowel sounds like” (invites students to say the sounds together) “/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/. Let’s see if we can figure out how those sounds look in written words.”

2. Teacher invites students to say each word as he or she turns the Word Card over to reveal the written word and secures it to the chart.

3. Teacher asks:

“What do you notice about all of the words?” (one vowel letter, closed in by a consonant)

4. Teacher says: “There is one vowel letter in each of these one-syllable words, and the vowel is closed by a consonant. The short vowel sound is spelled by the closed vowel pattern.”

5. Teacher points to the long vowel column in the T-chart and says: “We figured out that these words have long vowel sounds like” (invites students to say the sounds together) “/ā/, /ē/, /ī/, /ō/, and /ū/. Let’s see if we can figure out how those sounds look in written words.”

6. Teacher invites students to say each word as he or she turns the card over to reveal the written word and secures it to the chart.

7. Teacher asks:

“What do you notice about these words?” (Most have a vowel in the middle and an “e” at the end; two have just one vowel.)

8. Teacher groups the CVCe words (“cane,” “here,” “smile,” “bone,” “mule”) together and the CV (“she,” “no”) words together.

9. Teacher points to the CVCe words and asks:

“How is the long vowel sound spelled in these words?” (magic “e”)

“What is making the middle vowel letters say their name/make their long sound?” (the “e” at the end)

10. Teacher says: “These words have two vowel letters but just one long vowel sound. The magic “e” at the end of the word is giving its voice to the vowel in the middle.”

11. Teacher points to the CV (open syllable) words and asks:

"What do you notice about the vowels in these words?” (at the end of the word)

“What is making the vowels long in these words?” (open, not closed in by a vowel)

12. Teacher says: “We call these open syllables. The vowel is not closed in. It is wide open and can shout out its name for all to hear!”
  • Consider inviting students to stand while singing the transition song. Invite them to mime holding a magnifying glass, as though looking for clues.
  • Use the Articulatory Gestures chart as needed to support students' ability to differentiate the sounds of the vowels.
  • If your students are comfortable and proficient with all of these syllable types, consider asking them in steps 7-11 to look at each column in the T-chart and explain what syllable types they see that result in the short and long vowel sounds in those words.

B. Syllable Type: Build a Word (optional) (“den-tist,” “pan-cake,” “pine-cone,” “pic-nic,” “mo-ment,” “sun-shine,” “si-lent,” “up-set,” “un-til,” “con-crete,” “back-bone,” “rep-tile,” “in-vite,” “pro-gram”)

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of “The More We Get Together”):

“Now it’s time to be word builders, word builders, word builders. Now it’s time to be word builders, using these syllable types we’ve found.”

  • Introduce the Build a Word activity:

1. Teacher says: “All of the words we just worked with are one-syllable words. Some were closed syllables, and those made the vowels short. Some were magic ‘e’ syllables, and some were open syllables. Those types of syllables made the vowels long. Now we’re going to play another game. Each of us will get a syllable, and we’ll need to read that syllable. Then we’ll find someone else and see if we can build a two-syllable word.”

2. Teacher models how to read the syllable and then wait for directions:

      • Teacher hold up the stack of Build a Word Cards and picks one.
      • Teacher shows it to the students (example: “mo”) and then models decoding the syllable (example: “I see that the vowel ‘o’ isn’t closed, so it must make the long sound. This syllable must say /mō/”).

3. Teacher distributes one Build a Word Card to each student and invites them to decode their syllable. When they are done, they should indicate they are ready to learn how to play the game (example: put their card in front of them and put their hands on their knees to show they are ready).

4. Teacher models the Build a Word activity:

      • Teacher invites a volunteer to stand up with his or her card.
      • Teacher reads his or her syllable (example: “mo”) and invites the volunteer to read his or hers (example: “pan”).
      • Teacher and volunteer try to build a word with those two syllables, trying “mopan” and “panmo.”
      • Teacher explains that because it didn’t result in a real word, they need to move to another partner.
      • Teacher invites a student who thinks he or she might have a syllable that will make a word with “mo” to join him or her and see if it will build a real word (example: “mo-ment”).
      • Teacher explains that once students have built a word with a partner, they will sit together.

5. Teacher invites students to play the game while he or she circulates, supporting as needed.

6. When the game is finished, teacher tells each pair to read and show their two-syllable word to the group.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning: What Does It Mean to Be Proficient or Really Good at Something?

  • Invite students to reflect on what it means to be proficient or really good at something. Consider providing a familiar context, such as dance, playing an instrument, singing, or other relevant context. Students think about the qualities of proficiency or being "good at" something.
  • Example: Ask:

"What does it mean to be proficient/good at playing the piano?" (know all the notes, how to put them together, how to hold the fingers, how to listen to the rhythm...)

"What does it look like or sound like to be proficient/good at...?"
  • Consider recording students' ideas on chart paper to revisit at the end of the cycle.

Independent Work Rotations

Suggested Plan: This first cycle provides time for students to practice what it means to work independently. A brief introduction is made to materials and expectations for work habits, and social interactions are established.

Note: Three suggestions for independent activities are given. Consider using any or all of these. For example, you may want to have all students working on the same activity or you may want to have two or three activities happening simultaneously for a set time, and then rotate students through. By Cycle 2, students are expected to be engaged in purposeful independent rotation work while one group meets with the teacher for differentiated small group instruction. Refer to Independent and Small Group Work Guidance document for more information.

Independent Reading:

  • Students spend time looking at their own individual book(s).

Word Work:

  • Build a Word activity: Students work individually or in pairs to cut apart the syllables and combine them to make a two-syllable real word.
  • Activity Bank suggestions:
    • An Activity Bank activity from the Vowels category (V)
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Build a Word Cards (one set per pair; in supporting Materials, same as those used in the whole group lesson; students can glue them to a blank sheet of paper to show the words they made)
    • Scissors, glue sticks, and blank paper (one each per pair)

Responding to Reflection:

  • Students draw a picture representing something they (or perhaps someone they admire) are proficient or "good at." They label and/or write about the qualities that "show" proficiency. Example:
    • "The piano player knows all the keys. She holds her hands in just the right curve. She knows how to read music."
  • These can be displayed in the classroom.
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Blank paper and writing utensil (one per student)
    • Drawing supplies

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