Daily Lesson Plan -- Lesson 9

Short Sound "u"

Subject: English | Class: Prep | Series: Skillford

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Overview

In this lesson children learn the short sound "u". Your mouth barely opens at all, and the short sound "u" is over at once. Children say each sound, then push the sounds together into one word, using four word families: ub, ug, um and un. They read four sentences, then join words to pictures, decide which sentence is true, and write the missing vowel.

Learning Objectives

• Say the short "u" sound
• Read the word families ub, ug, um and un
• Push sounds together into words like "cub", "mug", "sum" and "sun"
• Read short sentences with short "u" words
• Join words to pictures, tick the true sentence, and write the missing vowel

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Day 1: Short "u" Word Families (35 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 16, a cup and a mug, a bowl of water, letter blocks

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Say the short "u" as it sounds in "mug" and in "sun". Children say it back.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

• Read: "Your mouth barely opens at all, and the short sound 'u' is over at once."
• Read the rule box: "Say each sound, then push them together into one word."
• Read the four word families, holding the vowel each time:
  • ub: cub, hub, rub, sub
  • ug: bug, mug, jug, rug
  • um: dum, gum, sum, tum
  • un: bun, fun, run, sun
• Read the four sentences at the foot of the page:
  • A bug is on the mug.
  • A cub is in the tub.
  • A bun has nuts.
  • A cub is on the rug.

Wrap-Up (10 minutes)

• Give children a word such as "bug" and ask for one that rhymes with it
• STEAM (Science): Fill a cup and a mug with water. Guess which holds more, then pour one into the other.
• STEAM (Engineering): Spell "bug" with letter blocks, swap the "b" for an "m" to read "mug", and keep going

Differentiation

• Support: Practise one family at a time, such as "un": bun, fun, run, sun
• Extension: Children make new words by changing the first letter in a family

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Day 2: Join and Tick (35 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 17, pencils

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Say a family, such as "ug". Children call out words from it: bug, mug, jug, rug.

Main Activity (20 minutes)

• Activity 1: "Join each word to its picture, then write the word on the line."
  • The words are hug, bug, cut, cup, bun and sun
  • The pictures show a sun, a bun, a cup, scissors cutting paper, a bug and two children hugging
  • Draw a line from each word to its picture, then write the word on the line under the picture
• Activity 2: "Read both sentences and tick the one that is true."
  • Hut picture: There is a jug in the hut. / There is a bun in the hut. (tick the bun)
  • Rug picture: A bug is on the rug. / A tub is on the rug. (tick the tub)
  • Cub picture: The cub has a nut. / The cub has a mug. (tick the mug)
  • Pup picture: This pup can run. / This bud can run. (tick the pup)

Wrap-Up (10 minutes)

• Read the four true sentences aloud together

Differentiation

• Support: Read each sentence aloud with the child and point at the picture
• Extension: Children say a new true sentence about one of the pictures

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Day 3: Missing Vowels (35 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 18, pencils

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Say the five vowels together: a, e, i, o, u

Main Activity (20 minutes)

• Read the instruction: "Say each picture, then write the vowel that is missing."
• Say the name of each picture, listen for the middle sound, and write the vowel:
  • can: c _ n (a)
  • dog: d _ g (o)
  • fig: f _ g (i)
  • box: b _ x (o)
  • fan: f _ n (a)
  • mug: m _ g (u)
  • zip: z _ p (i)
  • van: v _ n (a)
  • pot: p _ t (o)

Wrap-Up (10 minutes)

• Read the nine finished words aloud together

Differentiation

• Support: Say each word slowly, sound by sound, before writing the vowel
• Extension: Children sort the nine words by their vowel

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Teaching Tips

• Say the short "u" as it sounds in "mug" and in "sun", and have children say it back
• Read the words aloud together, holding the vowel each time
• Give a word such as "bug" and ask for one that rhymes with it