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Pre-Launch Lesson 2
Letter Focus: Ss

Lesson Overview:

Primary student objectives for each step of the lesson appear in bold. Use the Progress Monitoring Recording Form to record observations.

Phonological Awareness (Step 1)
  • Segment and count the number of words in a sentence
  • Recognize alliteration in a sentence

Letter-Sound Knowledge (including Letter Formation) (Step 3)

  • Identify the uppercase and lowercase Ss
  • Produce the /s/ sound
  • Form the upper- and lowercase Ss
  • Isolate the initial consonant sound: /s/

Concepts of Print (Step 4)

  • N/A

Oral Language Development (Step 4)

  • Speak in complete sentences when discussing the story

***Progress monitoring occurs daily throughout the course of the lesson and is organized around the primary objectives. Please note that in the lessons where a new read-aloud is introduced, concepts of print are explicitly taught and modeled but not assessed.

Teacher Materials:

Gather

  • Easel
  • Dry-erase marker
  • A small mirror (if needed)
  • Read-aloud book: Daisy's Party Dresses
  • ABC Chart Card

Prepare

  • One baggie with the magnetic lowercase letter s in it (to use as a model)

Download

  • Progress Monitoring Recording Form
  • Mouth Movement Card: Ss

Student Materials:

Gather

  • My ABC Journals
  • ABC Chart Cards and write-on sleeves
  • Dry-erase markers
  • Pencils

Prepare

  • Individual student baggies with the magnetic lowercase letter s in them

Progress Monitoring Note: As you teach this part of the lesson, record your observations on the Progress Monitoring Recording Form.

Sentence Segmentation with Alliteration

Remember, a sentence is a group of words put together.

Model: I am going to say a sentence where the words will begin with the same sound: /s/. Then I will repeat the sentence and count the words.

  • Say the sentence: Super Sam saved Scout.
    • The words in this sentence begin with the /s/ sound.
    • Listen as I say the sentence again. Repeat the sentence, emphasizing the beginning sound of the words that begin with the target letter/sound.
  • Now I am going to say the sentence again and count the words using my fingers.
    • The number of fingers I'm holding up tells me the number of words in this sentence: 4.

Guided Practice: Now let's practice together. I am going to say another sentence where most of the words begin with the same sound: /s/. Then we will repeat the sentence and count the words.

  • Say the sentence: Snails are super slimy.
    • I am going to say the sentence again. Listen for the beginning sound of the words. Repeat the sentence, emphasizing the beginning sound of the words that begin with the target letter/sound.
    • What sound do you hear at the beginning of many of the words in this sentence? /s/.
  • Have students repeat the sentence and count the words using their fingers.
    • How many words are in this sentence? 4.
  • If the student has difficulty hearing each word in the sentence, start by saying the first word in the sentence and have them hold up one finger. Next, say the next word in the sentence and have them hold up two fingers. Continue to add words to the sentence.
  • If the student has difficulty repeating the sentence, shorten the sentence and repeat it several times. For example: Snails are slimy.
  • All Learners: Use images to support students with understanding unfamiliar concepts. For example, show students a picture of a snail and discuss how snails are slimy.

Teach Letter Name and Sound

The alphabet is made up of 26 letters that are either consonants or vowels. The letter s is a consonant. On the easel, write an S and an s. As you point to each letter, say, This is the uppercase letter S, and this is the lowercase letter s. Point to the letter Ss card on the ABC Bulletin Board. The letter s spells /sss/ like in snake.

 

Teach Articulatory Gesture

We are going to learn how to make the /s/ sound.

Model: Watch my mouth as I make the /s/ sound.

  • Model the articulatory gesture for students.
    • Put your teeth together, edge to edge. Put your tongue behind your top front teeth. Do not let your tongue touch your teeth. Now blow air out. This is a sound that can be stretched out (unvoiced, continuous).

Guided Practice: Now it is your turn to practice making the /s/ sound.

  • Show students the mouth movement picture. Describe the articulatory gesture as students practice making the /s/ sound.
    • Put your teeth together, edge to edge. Put your tongue behind your top front teeth. Do not let your tongue touch your teeth. Now blow air out. This is a sound that can be stretched out (unvoiced, continuous).
  • Add the mouth movement picture for the letter Ss under the Ss card in the ABC Bulletin Board Set.
  • Distribute the ABC Chart Cards.
    • Let's find the snake on the ABC Chart Card. Let's say the picture: snake. Now let's say the sound: /sss/. Now let's say the letter: s.
  • If the student is sticking their tongue out too far, have them look in a mirror and tell them to keep their tongue behind their teeth.
  • If air is coming out over the sides of their tongue, help the student feel that the sides of their tongue should push against their upper back teeth. Have the student say the /ē/ sound and feel where the back of their tongue is.
  • All Learners: It is important that the student be able to recognize and name the pictures on the ABC Chart Card. Show the picture of the snake on the ABC Chart Card. Tell the student it is a snake. Have the student repeat the word and point to the snake. If necessary, find additional pictures of snakes to show to the student.

 

Teach Letter Formation

We will learn how to form an upper- and lowercase Ss.

Model: Watch me as I write another uppercase S.

  • Write an uppercase S on the easel as you say the verbal pathway: Pull back, in, curve around and back.

Guided Practice: Now you will write an uppercase S.

  • Have students practice forming the uppercase S with their finger in the air, then on the table.
  • Then have them practice using a dry-erase marker on the blank space at the bottom of the ABC Chart Card.
  • Recite the verbal pathway each time.

Model: Now let's learn how to form the lowercase s. This is very similar to the uppercase S, just smaller.

  • Write a lowercase s on the easel as you say the verbal pathway: Pull back, in, curve around and back.

Guided Practice:

  • Have students practice forming the lowercase s with their finger in the air, then on the table.
  • Then have them practice using a dry-erase marker on the blank space at the bottom of the ABC Chart Card.
  • Recite the verbal pathway each time.
  • As an additional scaffold, consider modeling forming the letter in the air prior to having students practice. When modeling, position yourself to face the same way as students so they observe correct letter formation.
  • If the student has difficulty forming the letter, have them place their hand on top of yours as you form the letter on the table. Say, Place your hand on top of mine as we form the letter: Pull back, in, curve around and back.

Progress Monitoring Note: As you teach this part of the lesson, record your observations on the Progress Monitoring Recording Form.

Match the Letters to the ABC Chart Card

We are going to match the letter in our baggies to the letter on our ABC Chart Cards.

Model:

  • Take the target letter out of your baggie and say the letter name: s.
  • Then find the match on the ABC Chart Card. Say the name of the picture on the ABC Chart Card: snake.
  • Isolate the first sound: Snake starts with /s/, and then say the letter name: s.
  • Place the magnetic letter on top of its match on the ABC Chart Card. I'm going to leave the s on its match.

Guided Practice: (Since this is the first lesson to teach a letter, students will only have one letter to practice with.)

  • Give each student a baggie and an ABC Chart Card. Have them take one letter out of their baggie and say the letter name.
  • Then have them find the match on the ABC Chart Card.
  • Ask them to say the name of the picture on the ABC Chart Card, isolate the first sound, and then say the letter name.
  • Have students place the magnetic letter on top of its match on the ABC Chart Card.
  • If the student has difficulty locating the picture on the ABC Chart Card, point to the row the letter is in.
  • If the student has difficulty isolating the first sound, demonstrate naming the picture and isolating the first sound. Then have the student repeat the sound and remind them of the articulatory gesture: Put your teeth together, edge to edge. Put your tongue behind your top front teeth. Do not let your tongue touch your teeth. Now blow air out. This is a sound that can be stretched out.
  • If the student has difficulty remembering the letter name, say, This is the letter s. Let's say the letter as we write the letter s with our finger on the table. Now let's find it on the ABC Chart Card.

 

Independent Practice: Ss

We are going to practice writing our letters and naming letter sounds.

Give each student their My ABC Journal and a pencil. Have them turn to the page for the target letter: Ss.

  • Have students point to the picture in the upper right-hand corner and say the picture name: snake, initial sound: /s/, and letter name s.
  • Ask students to find the first uppercase S on the page.
    • Have students put their pointer finger on the dot. Remind students that this is where they will start when they trace the letter.
    • Have students use their pointer finger to follow the track for the uppercase S. Say the verbal pathway: Pull back, in, curve around and back.
    • Then have students use their pointer finger to trace the solid uppercase S, again repeating the verbal pathway.
    • Next, have students use their pencil to trace the uppercase S with the dotted line.
    • Finally, have students write an uppercase S on their own in the blank space provided.
  • Repeat with the lowercase s row. Say the verbal pathway: Pull back, in, curve around and back.
  • Direct students to the three pictures. Begin by naming one picture (sun) and have students point to it. Have students say the picture: sun. Then have them isolate the initial sound: /s/. Repeat with the other two pictures (snail, socks).
  • If time allows, have students draw a picture of something that starts with /s/ in the blank space.
  • If the student has difficulty tracing the letter correctly, have them place their hand on top of yours as you trace the letter while saying the verbal pathway.

Progress Monitoring Note: As you teach this part of the lesson, record your observations on the Progress Monitoring Recording Form.

Read-Aloud Book: Daisy's Party Dresses

I am going to read a new book called Daisy's Party Dresses. This is about Daisy and the different colored dresses she wears. Think about what color dress you like best as I read the story to you.

Model: As you read the book aloud to students, model concepts of print and fluency.

  • Show students the book. This is the front cover. This is the back cover.
  • Read the title and the author's name. The author is the person who wrote the book.
  • Watch how I point to each word as I read. Read each page, pointing to the words and reading in a slow but fluent voice.
  • On page 2, point to the letter s.

Book Discussion: Work with students to develop oral language skills as you discuss the book. Encourage students to use complete sentences.


  • If the student has difficulty talking about their favorite part in a complete sentence, provide them with a sentence stem such as: My favorite part is _______.
  • If the student has trouble locating the letter s in the book, have them locate and point to the letter s on their ABC Chart Card. Then point to the word that contains the letter s. Have them use their fingers to frame the letter.
  • All learners: To support students while discussing the story, model speaking in complete sentences and provide sentence stems for students to use as needed.