Feel the Beats | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA GK:S2:C11:L60

Feel the Beats

In this Lesson

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A: I can review what I have learned about syllables and rhymes. (RF.K.2, RF.K.3)
    • I can listen to a list of words and identify which one does not rhyme.
    • I can listen to the same set of CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words and pronounce the final consonant phoneme (sound) in the word.
    • I can count the syllables in a spoken word.
    • I can segment (break apart) and pronounce separate syllables in a spoken word.
    • I can blend separate syllables to form a spoken word.
    • When given a word, I can create a new rhyming word by changing the first sound in the word.
  • Work Time A: I can feel and count the syllables (beats) in the words of a poem. 
    • I can segment and blend the onset (beginning sound) and rime (ending chunk) of a one-syllable word. (RF.K.2)
    • I can count the syllables in a spoken word.
    • I can segment (break apart) and pronounce separate syllables in a spoken word.
    • I can blend separate syllables to form a spoken word.
    • I can blend onset and rime in a single-syllable word.
    • I can segment onset and rime in a single-syllable word.

Ongoing Assessment

  • Observe students during Opening A.
  • Determine whether they demonstrate phonemic awareness skills for RF.K.2 targets from the first two modules.
  • Observe students during Work Time A.
    • Determine whether they can identify the number of syllables in spoken words.
    • Also determine whether they can pronounce each individual syllable, blend it, and segment it.
  • Record students' progress on the Snapshot Assessment.

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening (5 minutes)

A. Review Game: Question Cards

2. Work Time (10 minutes)

A. Feel the Beats

3. Closing and Assessment (2 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning

4. Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations (40-45 minutes)
  • Copy and cut apart Question Cards.
  • Prepare the Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student).

Vocabulary

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

  • rhyme, rhyming (L)

Materials

  • Question Cards (see supporting materials)
  • White boards, white board markers, and white board erasers (one of each per student)
  • Enlarged poem: "My Camera" (to display; from Lesson 57)
  • Pointer (optional)
  • Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Review Game: Question Cards

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"):

"It's time to play a game together now. Open up your ears so you can learn how. We'll listen to some questions and then we'll show. Now we'll practice what we know."

  • Begin the Review Game: Question Cards instructional practice:

1. Teacher shows students the stack of Question Cards (facedown).

2. Teacher says: "Each card will ask you a question that will help you practice what you've been learning."

3. Teacher distributes white boards, white board markers, and white board erasers.

4. Teacher draws the first card and reads it aloud.

5. Teacher models how to respond to the card on his or her own white board.

6. Teacher draws a second card.

7. Students respond on their white boards (if applicable).

8. Teacher invites a student volunteer to share while other students check their work.

9. Continue with as many prompts as time allows.
  • Consider modeling with a Question Card and a white board before distributing materials.
  • The cards labeled "RF.K.2" do not need the students to record anything on their white boards unless otherwise indicated. After prompts such as "What is the first sound you hear in the word 'tot'?" consider inviting them to write the letter that makes that sound on their white boards.
  • Consider inviting students to come up and pick the cards.
  • Consider changing the sounds, letters, or words in the prompts on the cards according to your students' needs.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Feel the Beats

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"):

"Let's count the syllables, beat by beat. Tap your fingers and drum in your seat. When we hear a syllable, we will tap. Try it out with a rat-a-tat-tat."

  • Begin the Feel the Beats instructional practice:

1. Teacher reads the Enlarged poem: "My Camera" once, pointing to each word as he or she reads it (with a finger or pointer) with expression.

2. While reading, teacher draws students' attention to the rhythm and syllables (beats) by tapping each beat under the word.

3. Students and teacher recite the poem aloud, slowly.

4. Students and teacher tap each beat of the poem as they read, using the index and middle fingers of the right hand against the same two fingers of the left.

5. Teacher recites the first two lines of the poem again while tapping as students listen: "I looked in my camera and what did I see? Two African animals looking back at me."

6. Teacher invites students to say "camera" aloud, tapping out each beat.

7. Teacher asks:

"How many beats are in the word 'camera'?" (three)

"What is the first syllable in the word 'camera'?" ("cam")

"What is the second syllable in 'camera'?" ("er")

"What is the third syllable in 'camera'?" ("a")

8. Repeat steps 6-7 with the words "animals" and "looking."

9. Teacher says: "Now that we've listened for each syllable in words that have more than one syllable, let's go a little smaller. Let's play a game with words that have just one syllable."

10. Teacher asks:

"Who can find a word in the poem with only one syllable?" (Answers will vary; example: "back.")

11. Teacher says: "Let's break that word into its beginning sound and ending chunk."

12. Teacher models with the word. Example: "'back,' /b/-/ack/."

13. Teacher invites students to do this with one or two more single-syllable words from the poem.

14. Teacher says: "Great job!"

15. Teacher asks:

"Why is it important to hear the beats in words?" (to identify and count each syllable)
  • It can be challenging for young students to differentiate the number of beats in a spoken word from the number of printed words on a page. Many expect that the finger will move on after each beat when pointing to words in a text. In this lesson, tapping each beat in a word with two or more syllables directly under the word lays the groundwork for understanding the difference between "beats" (syllables) and words.
  • For students who have difficulty managing the timing and coordination involved in physically marking each beat in spoken words: Allow them to recite it slowly instead.
  • Consider substituting the tapping of the fingers with marching in place or gently slapping a knee with one hand for students who need a more gross motor method.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning

  • Emphasize that successful learners think about what they've learned and why it's important. Consider using a metaphor, such as a baseball player learning to keep his or her eye on the ball to know exactly when to hit it.
  • Ask:

"How do we know that 'see' and 'me' are rhyming words?" (have the same ending sound)

"How might knowing rhyming words help us with reading and writing?" (Responses will vary.)
  • For students who need additional support organizing their ideas: Provide sentence frames. Example:
    • "When I say the words 'see' and 'me,' I hear _____."

Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher

Suggested Plan: Teacher works with the Pre-Alphabetic and Early Partial Alphabetic groups. Teacher may meet briefly with the Late Partial and Early Full Alphabetic groups to get them started on independent work.

Note: Groups not working with the teacher at a given time should be engaged in purposeful independent rotation work. Refer to the Independent and Small Group Work guidance document (see K-2 Skills Resource Manual) for more details.

Pre-Alphabetic:

  • Practice activity: Teacher guides students as they tap out each beat in the first two lines of the poem: "My Camera" as they recite it. Students work with the teacher to determine the number of syllables (beats) in a specific word. They continue the process with the remaining lines, if time allows.

OR:

  • Suggested Activity Bank activity:
    • An Activity Bank activity from the Syllable (S) category

Early Partial Alphabetic:

  • Practice activity: Teacher guides students as they tap out each beat in the first two lines of the poem: "My Camera" as they recite it. Students work with the teacher to determine the number of syllables (beats) in a specific word. They continue the process with the remaining lines, if time allows.

OR:

  • Suggested Activity Bank activity:
    • An Activity Bank activity from the Syllable (S) category

Late Partial and Early Full Alphabetic:

  • Independent practice activity: Students practice reciting the poem: "My Camera" and tapping the beats with their fingers a few times. Then they read the poem aloud in their poetry notebooks and indicate the number of syllables under each word. Example: Under the word "my," they will make one line, while under the word "camera," they will make three.

OR:

  • Suggested Activity Bank activity:
    • An Activity Bank activity from the Syllable (S) category
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Poetry notebooks (from Lesson 57; one per student)

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