Using Repetition and Picture Cues to Foster Independent Young Readers
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Overview
This minilesson encourages students to use their knowledge of letters and sounds to make an alphabet book that focuses on a specific letter. After the teacher models the given letter sound, each student, in turn, repeats the sound and names a word beginning with that letter sound. The teacher pronounces each word, encouraging students to tell the sounds they hear. The teacher writes the word on chart paper or the board, and then repeats these steps for each student. The sentence "This is a _____." is written on each page of the book. Each student draws the word they named beginning with the targeted letter and labels it on the line provided. The pages are then combined into a classroom book.
From Theory to Practice
According to Karen DaSilva, "When reading, making, and writing images are connected, literacy is expanded." In this activity, students combine letter-word exploration with illustration. Thereby, new learning develops by connecting familiar to new information-students connect their knowledge to the letters being examined. Further, young children can develop a sense of the relationships between letters and sounds when they are engaged in writing for a meaningful purpose.
Further Reading
Common Core Standards
This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.
State Standards
This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.
NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts
- 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
- 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
- 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Materials and Technology
- Chart paper or board for writing
- Marker or chalk
- Crayons, markers or colored pencils and pencils
Printouts
Preparation
- Prior to this lesson, the teacher should read many alphabet books to provide students with a model for their own publications.
- Chart paper or board for writing.
- Marker or chalk.
- Activity sheet.
- Crayons, markers or colored pencils and pencils.
Student Objectives
Students will
- tell the teacher a list of words that begin with a specific letter (for example, b).
- illustrate the word on the activity sheet provided by the teacher.
- use their knowledge of letters and sounds to assist the teacher with spelling words that begin with the targeted letter.
- write the word in the space provided on the activity sheet.
- read the sentence describing their illustration.
- Become more aware of letter sound and word relationships.
Instruction & Activities
- Begin by telling the students that you would like for them to help you make a list of words that begin with a specific letter (for example, b).
- Model the sound that "b" makes, and ask students to repeat the sound.
- The teacher should be prepared to explain that some letters make more than one sound (i.e. giant and garden both begin with g).
- Ask each student to tell you a word that begins with the letter "b."
- Slowly pronounce the word, enunciating to allow the students to hear each letter’s sound.
- Encourage students to tell you the sounds they hear.
- Write the word.
- Repeat steps 4-6 for each word.
- Write the student's name next to the word that he or she gives. This will be the word the student will illustrate later in the activity.
- If a student is having difficulty thinking of a word that starts with the letter b, you can help by saying "which of the following words begin with b, red, white or blue?" You can provide other appropriate prompts depending on the student’s level.
- After everyone has contributed to the list, give each student an activity sheet.
- Review the list, reminding students of the words they are to illustrate.
- Instruct students to draw a picture to illustrate their word and write the word on the blank line.
- Combine the pages to make a book.
- Add a cover to the pages, and title it "Our Bb Book".
- Let the students read the book to one another.
Extensions
- Make a book for every letter of the alphabet.
- Make a book that focuses on items found in a certain setting for example, things found in a school, doctor's office, bathroom, restaurant, and so on.
- Write sentences with the students, and let them type them on the computer, print them and draw the illustrations.
- Students who require a challenge should be instructed to develop an entire sentence or sentences without use of the templates provided.
- Make books that focus on specific letter sounds (i.e. soft c sound vs. hard c sound, vs. ch sound).
- Provide advanced students with the text A is for Salad by Mike Lester. Students interact with this book by finding the picture on the page that goes with a specified letter. Students might use Lester's book as a model for a similar book that they create as a class.
Student Assessment / Reflections
- Since this is a whole group activity, it is important to encourage all students to contribute to the word list and spell words. Be sure to include students who do not ordinarily participate.
- When necessary, it is important to create a successful environment for those students who do not normally experience success. Provide prompts that will help students achieve success. Making a conscious effort such as this will hopefully help build their self-confidence to initiate participation in future large group activities.
- Take note of those students who need help with letter recognition and/or letter sounds.
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