A. Words Rule: One- and Two-Syllable /ə/; Words Spelled “e” and “o”: “brother,” “monkey,” “lovely,” “kitten,” “some,” “even,” “chickens,” “covered,” “garden,” “front,” “among,” “covers,” “above,” “welcome”

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

Teacher: “Can you take a closer look, a closer look, a closer look? Can you take a closer look at these words today?"

Students: “Yes, we’ll take a closer look, a closer look, a closer look. Yes, we’ll take a closer look to group the words today.”

• Begin the Word Rules instructional practice:

1. Teacher says: “Remember, a schwa sound can be made by different vowels in a word with more than one syllable, and in some one-syllable words as well! The schwa sound comes in the unstressed syllable when a vowel doesn’t sound like it’s supposed to. In words where the vowel o is a schwa, it sounds like /ŭ/. In words where the vowel ‘e’ is a schwa, it sounds like /ĭ/. Let’s make a list of the words in our poem that have the schwa sound spelled with ‘e’ or ‘o’.”

2. Teacher asks:

“Who can identify one of those words?”

3. Student volunteers a word from poem; teacher writes word on the board.

4. Repeat step 2 until all words with the schwa sound spelled with “e” and “o” have been added to the list (“brother,” “monkey,” “lovely,” “kitten,” “some,” “even,” “chickens,” “covered,” “garden,” “front,” “among,” “covers,” “above,” “welcome”).

5. Teacher says: “So these are the words we read in the poem that share the schwa sound spelled with ‘e’ and ‘o’. Take a minute to examine these words, then share your thinking about how they are similar with an elbow partner.”

6. Students read words silently and notice similarities. (/ə/ sound spelled with “o” before “m,” “n,” “v,” and “th”; spelled with “e” at end of word as “en” ending)

7. Students share their thinking about similarities with an elbow partner.

8. Teacher asks:

“Who would like to share what they noticed about these words?” (/ə/ sound spelled with “o” before “m,” “n,” “v,” and “th”; spelled with “e” at end of word as “en” ending)

9. Teacher says: “Yes! When we hear the schwa sound before ‘m,’ ‘n,’ ‘v,’ and ‘th,’ it is spelled with ‘o.’ Instead of its long or short sound, the o makes a schwa sound similar to a u. When we hear the schwa in the second syllable before an ‘n,’ it is spelled with ‘e.’ Listen for the vowel sound in the second syllable of ‘garden’. Instead of its long or short sound, the e makes a schwa sound similar to an i.”

10. Teacher says: “Let’s put these words into two groups: schwa sound spelled with ‘e’ and schwa sound spelled with ‘o.’ I’ll read the word, then we will decide where to write it on this T-chart. The first word is ‘brother.’ Think of where you hear the schwa sound to identify the spelling with ‘e’ or ‘o.’”

11. Teacher asks:

“Does this word go in the ‘e’ column or in the ‘o’ column?” (“o” column)

“And how did you know the schwa sound in ‘brother’ is spelled with ‘o’?” (it sounds like /ŭ/; because it comes before “th”)

12. Teacher writes “brother” in the “o” column on the enlarged T-chart.

13. Teacher says: “Now let’s practice reading and writing these words with a partner. First, you will read a word, and your partner will write it on the chart under the  ‘e’ or ‘o’ column, and you will check it together with the Word Card. Then you will switch roles so your partner will read a Word Card and you will write the word in the ‘e’ or ‘o’ column. When you have written all the words on the T-chart, you will take turns reading the words.”

14. Teacher distributes Words Rule Word Cards and a T-chart to students as they partner together to practice sorting /ə/ words.

15. Students divide Words Rule Word Cards equally with partners and take turns reading /ə/ words:

• Student A reads word.
• Student B identifies each /ə/sound as spelled with “e” or “o.”
• Student B writes word in appropriate column.
• Students switch roles.
• Students take turns reading all words written.