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EMERGENT LITERACY DESIGN

Slither Like A Silly Snake

Rationale: This lesson will help children identify /s/, the phoneme represented by the letter S. The students will learn to recognize /S/ in spoken words by learning a sound analogy (sssslithering like a snake) and the letter symbol S, practice finding /s/ in words, and apply phoneme awareness in phonetic cue reading by distinguishing rhyming words from beginning letters.

Emergent Literacy Design: Services

Materials:

  •  primary paper and pencil

  • chart with “Sam’s silly snake slithered to the swamp” with a picture of a snake

  • crayons

  • word cards with SOCK, SACK, BIT, SAD, and SEAT

  • assessment worksheet identifying pictures with /s/ (URL below)

  • the book “Scaredy Squirrel” by Melanie Watt (URL below)

Emergent Literacy Design: Text

Procedures

  1. Say “Today we are going to talk about the letter S. S makes the sound “sss.” You probably say this sound a lot when imitating a snake “sssslithering.” We are going to practice moving our mouths to practice making the /s/ sound. This is going to help you be a great reader!

  2. Let’s pretend to be a snake /s,/s/, /s/ slithering around (putting both hands together waving them back and forth); What is your mouth doing?  Our teeth are put together pushing air out! And our lips aren’t touching- we are smiling!

  3. Let me show you how to find /s/ in the word mask. I am going to stretch the sound out and listen for my snake! “Mmm-a-a-a-ssss-k” There! I heard the snake and felt my teeth touch!

  4. Now we are going to try a tongue tickler to help you remember the slithering /s/! (point to the picture of the snake with the tongue tickler below) Sam has a pet snake who is so silly! Sometimes the snake likes to explore. One day he decided to explore a swamp. So, our tongue tickler is “Sam’s silly snake slithered to the swamp.” Let’s say the tickler three times all together! Now let’s say it and drag out the /s/ sound. “Ssssam’s sssssilly sssnake sssslithered to the sssswamp.” Now let’s try it and break it off the words “/s/ am’s /s/illy /s/nake /s/lithered to the /s/wamp.

  5. (Have students pull out primary paper and pencil) We use the letter S to spell /s/. The letter S looks like s slithery snake! Now let’s try writing an uppercase S. First form a c up in the air between the rooftop and the fence, then swing back. After I come by and put a sticker by your S I want you to make nine more just like that!

  6. Now show the word SOCK and explain how to decide whether that word is rock or sock. “The S tells me to slither like a snake! (use slither gesture, hands together waving back and forth) so this word is ssssock!” Now hold up each word card. Let’s try these words! SACK: sack or rack? BIT: bit or sit? SAD: sad or mad? SEAT: seat or meat?

  7. Call on students and ask how they know whether or not they hear the /s/ sound. Do you hear /s/ in Sun or cloud? Noisy or quiet? Some or none? Sing or talk? “Now slither like a snake when you hear /s/: The, silly, stinky, dog, stopped, to, sniff, the, skunk. Watch and see if the students are catching on to the idea.

  8. Now let’s read a book about a scared squirrel. This little squirrel is nervous to come down from his tree. He has no idea what the real world is like! But one day he accidently comes down! What will the little squirrel think of life outside of his tree? Let’s read and find out!

  9. Assess the students by distributing the worksheet (link below) and asking the students to color each of the pictures that begin with the /s/ sound.

Emergent Literacy Design: Text

References

Assessment worksheet:  

https://www.treevalleyacademy.com/letter-s-sound-worksheets/


Book:

Watt Mélanie. Scaredy Squirrel. Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority, Library, 2019.


Reference:

Lexie Moates, Hiss like a Snake with S

https://lmotes0053.wixsite.com/mysite/emergent-literacy

Emergent Literacy Design: Text
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