Reading with Ms. Floyd 

1.  Begin by talking to students about the alphabetic code, explaining that our language is full of different sounds. Talk to the students about the different sounds letters make and how our mouths move a different way for each letter/sound. "Today we will be working on the letter /s/ and we will focus on how it sounds and the way our mouths move"

 

2.  Ask the students "Have you ever heard a snake hiss before? Did you notice that it made a ssss sound? Can you make that sound? Great! It is the same sound you hear when you say slither. For example, you hear the same sound in sit and sad. The /s/ sound is in the beginning, let's sound it out /s/ - /i/ - /t/ and /s/ - /a/ - /d/. Did you hear the /s/ sound? When you make the /s/ sound the tip of your tongue goes up to touch the back of your front two teeth. Then you curl your tongue like a snake to touch the sides of the top of your mouth. Then you open your lips just a little bit and let the /s/ slither out. Now let's practice! When I say the following words I want you to hiss like a snake if you here the sound /s/. So here we go: Sssssat. Great Job, you all should hiss because s-s-s-at had the sound /s// What about cat? There is not /s/ sound in that word so we do not hiss!

 

3.  Show students tongue twister on board.  "A silly snake named Sally slithered so slowly."  Now let's say it together, and really emphasize the /s/ sound:  "A silly snake named Sally slithered so slowly."  This time break off the /s/ sound from the words.  “A /s/ illy /s/ nake named /S/ ally /s/ lithered /s/ o /s/ lowly.” Every time you say /s/ make a snake with your hands and make it slither. GREAT JOB!

 

4.  Now take out your primary paper and a pencil.  "Let's practice writing the letter /s/.  Watch me write it first, and then we'll write it together.  Start just under the fence and curve backwards until you touch the fence (remember Sally is a silly snake so she moves backwards!) then you slither down to the side walk and make a silly curve backwards again. Snacks always curve so the letter s is only curves! Now you try.  (Assist if needed, put a smiley face on correct papers.)  Now make two rows of S’ s. Now write one row of capital Ss and one row of lowercase Ss. Tell the students it is the same but you start just under the rooftop and move down to the sidewalk.

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5.  In order to assess the students, give them words and ask which word has the /s/ sound. "I am going to give you a word and if you think it has the /s/ sound, put your hands together and make them slither like a hissing snake, like this (model the representation of the sound). Sat? Tip? Cats? Loss? Jump? All? So? Such? With? For? Side? 

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6.  Have you ever gone to the play ground to play and there was no one to play with? We are about to read a book about a dog named Sal. He goes to the pond to play, but no one is there to play with! What will he do? Will someone come join him! Lets read this book to find out! Read Sal and the frogs. " I am going to read a story and there are going to be a lot of words with the /s/ sound. The first time I read the book, simply listen. I will read it for a second time and when you hear a word with the /s/ sound, do our same "slithering" action." I will read the book and when I read it a second time I will write down the /s/ words they hear and discuss them. Ask the students what other words start with S then have them write that word on their primary paper and draw a picture that goes along with it.

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7. Show the word SNAKE and modle how to deside if it is SNAKE or RAKE. The s tells me to slither, so this word is ssssssnake.

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7.  To assess the children I will give them a coloring page with pictures that start with /s/ and some that do not: sun, seahorse, sink, sock, sandwich, sandcastle,  and ones that do not: lemon, mushroom, hammer, jelly, yoyo. The students will be instructed to color ONLY the words with the /s/ sound. While they are doing this I will call up individual students and have them read Sal and the Frogs. This will be an easy and accurate way to see if the students understand what the /s/ sound is within written words as well as spoken words (they would have to sound it out to themselves).