Beginning Reading lesson design
ay = /A/
do the nay nay, ayyyyy!
Rationale: This lesson teaches children about the long vowel correspondence ay = /A/. In order to be able to read, children must learn to recognize the spellings that map word pronunciations. In this lesson children will learn to recognize, spell, and read words containing the spelling ay. They will learn a meaningful representation (doing the nay nay dance), they will spell and read words containing this spelling in a letterbox lesson, and read a decodable book that focuses on the correspondence ay = /A/.
Materials: Graphic image of the man doing the trendy dance the nay nay; cover-up critter; whiteboard or smartboard, Elkonin boxes for modeling and individual Elkonin letterboxes for each student; letter manipulatives for each child and magnetic or smartboard letters for teacher: a, c, f, g, i, l, n, p, r, s, t, w, y; list of spelling words on poster or whiteboard to read:
way, lip, play, clay, flag, tray, crab, stray, spray
pseudoword: splay
assessment worksheet and decodable text: James and the Good Day [links below]
Procedure
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Say: In order to become expert readers we need to learn the code that tells us how to pronounce words. We have already learned to read short vowel words with ay, like pay, and today we are going to learn about long A and the silent y signal that is used to make A say its name, /A/. When I say /A/ I think of the funny little dance the nay nay and saying ayyyyy when we do it [show graphic image]. Now let’s look at the spelling of /A/ that we’ll learn today. One way to spell /A/ is with the letter A and a y right next to it as A’s buddy. This tells me A’s name. [Write ay on the board.]
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Say: Before we learn about the spelling of /A/, we need to listen for it in some words. When I listen for /A/ in words, I hear a say its name /A/ and my tongue stays behind my teeth and I let out a long ayyy sound. I’ll show you first: May. I heard a say its name and I felt my tongue stay behind my teeth and my throat say the ayyy sound [make the mouth gesture]. There is a long A in may. Now I’m going to see if it’s in trap. Hmm, I didn’t hear a say its name. Now you try. If you hear /A/ say, “ayyyyy like you’re doing the nay nay. If you don’t hear /A/ say, “That’s not it.” Is it in bay, trip, coat, lay?
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What if I want to spell the word spray? “If I spray water on my muddy shoes they will be clean.” To spell spray in letterboxes, first I need to know how many phonemes I have in the word so I stretch it out and count: /s//p//r//Ay/. I need 4 boxes because ay are always buddies. So let’s put /ay/ together in the 4th box. The word starts with /s/, that’s easy; I need an s. Now it gets a little tricky so I’m going to say it slowly, /s//p//r//Ay/. I think I heard /p/ so I’ll put a p right after the s. One more before the /A/, hmm . . . /s//p//r/ay/, I think I heard the rumbling /r/ so the r will go into the 3rd box. /s//p//r//ay/.] Now I’ll show you how I would read a tough word. [Display poster with spray on the top and model reading the word.] I’m going to start with the ay; that part says /A/. Now I’m going to put the beginning letters with it: s-t-r, /str/. Now I’ll put that chunk together with the last sound, /str-Ay/. Oh, stray, like “I saw a stray dog.”
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Say: Now I’m going to have you spell some words in letterboxes. You’ll start out easy with two boxes for way. “It is way too hot.” What about silent y, did you remember to put it in the same box with its buddy a? I’ll check your spelling while I walk around the room. [Observe progress.] You’ll need three letterboxes for the next word. Listen for the beginning sound to spell in the first box. Then listen for /A/ and don’t forget to put the silent y at the end, inside the box with its buddy a. Here’s the word: play, I love to play with my dog; play. [Allow children to spell remaining words, giving sentences for each word: lip, clay, flag, tray, crab,
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Say: Now I am going to let you read the words you’ve spelled but I will show you how to read them first. Let’s practice together on the word play. [display poster with play on the tip and model reading the word] First, I see that A is with its buddy Y so I know it makes the nay nay sound. I am going to use a cover-up to sound out the word. [uncover and blend sequentially before the vowel the blend in the long vowel] p-l =/p//l/ then add /ay/=/A/: play, that’s it! Now its your turn to try some words to read! [Show the words way, lip, clay, flag, tray, crab, stray, spray and the pseudoword splay. Have children read words in unison. Afterwards, call on individuals to read one word on the list until everyone has had a turn.]
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Say: You’ve done a great job at reading words with our new spelling for /A/: ay. Now we are going to read a book called James and the good day. This is a story of a boy named James. He wakes up one morning and is really wanting to have the best day ever. He goes all around his house trying to find the best things to do but he gets into a little bit of trouble along the way. To find out how his day goes you will have to read James and the Good day.
Assessment
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Say: Before we finish up with our lesson about one way to spell /A/ = ay, I want to see how you can solve a reading problem. On this worksheet, we have some pictures of many different things. I want you to circle to word with the correct spelling of the word
that goes with the picture. [Collect worksheets to evaluate individual child progress.]
References:
Meagan Spradlin, “ ayyyy Fonzie”
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/guides/spradlinbr.html
Book: Cushman, Sheila, et al. James and the good day. Educational Insights, 1990.
Assessment worksheet: https://www.myteachingstation.com/picture-word-find-ar-words
