Dana Gioia
CSL610
3/19/13
LESSON TOPIC:
Vowel Digraphs—Decoding Vowel Teams and Pronouncing them Correctly
NEEDS ADDRESSED:
1. Decoding
2. Differentiating between vowel sounds
ASSESSMENTS INDICATING EVIDENCE OF NEED:
Based on the various tests administered thus far, I have noted Darwin’s
tendency to miscue words that feature vowel teams. While we discussed it during
one lesson in passing, Darwin’s difficulty with vowel teams was further solidified
when playing a group game that entailed pronouncing vowel teams.
RATIONALE:
The impetus for this lesson is Darwin’s lack of foundational reading skills.
Decoding words, especially those with vowel teams, is an essential skill that if left
unmastered will yield in frustrating reading experiences for Darwin. My reason for
this lesson is to provide Darwin with a strategy for, as well as practice in, decoding
vowel team words.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS:
2.RFS.3 Phonics and Word Recognition Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis
skills in decoding words.
a. Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.
b. Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.
c. Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.
d. Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.
e. Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences.
f. Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
2.RFS.4 Fluency Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive
readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as
necessary.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Student will successfully identify a variety of vowel teams.
2. Student will accurately decode and pronounce words that feature vowel teams.
MOTIVATION OR ANTICIPATORY SET:
Darwin and I have already played a literacy card game in the vein of Go-Fish.
Since that game was very successful and sustained Darwin’s interest, I will invite
Darwin to play a new card game.
BRIEF PROCEDURE:
-After inviting Darwin to partake in the card game, I will teach him the rules of the
simple game, Slap Jack. With a traditional deck of cards, the dealer flips the cards,
one by one, until a Jack is revealed. When a Jack is revealed, the players compete to
slap it first. Whoever does so, wins the card.
-Before engaging in the game, I will tell Darwin there is something that we need to
figure out before we play: what is a vowel team? With that I will teach Darwin what
exactly a vowel team is. I will review the Youtube video seen during our group game
session a few weeks ago found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o84ndBQU6vQ. I
will reiterate the idea that “When two vowels go walking, the first one does the
talking—or says its name.” Following the video, we will practice decoding a few
vowel digraph words together.
-I will tell Darwin that this game will be similar except that we will be looking for a
different set of vowel teams each time. Once a player slaps the vowel team spotted,
he or she will have to pronounce the word alone and then use it correctly in a
sentence.
-The game will continue this way, but the dealer (teacher) will change the featured
vowel team.
-For example, “This round we’ll be looking for an “ea” vowel team.” When a
player slaps “beach” and uses it correctly, he or she will gain that card and
then vowel team for the next round will change to, for example, “ee”.
-We will play five rounds for a complete game, but we can play as many games as it
takes for Darwin to have seen, read and pronounced each vowel team, multiple
times.
-For an informal assessment, Darwin will play Coconut Vowels at
http://www.arcademics.com/games/coconuts/coconuts.html.
MATERIALS USED:
-Index cards, halved
-List of words that contain vowel digraphs, found at
http://www.printablereadinggames.com/change/2vowelchange.pdf
(My game is altered from directions provided on this website)
-Computer to access http://www.arcademics.com/games/coconuts/coconuts.html
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o84ndBQU6vQ.
TECHNOLOGY COMPONENT:
In this lesson, two technology components are featured. The first is a Youtube video,
describing vowel digraphs found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o84ndBQU6vQ.
The second is an informal assessment of the skill taught and practiced. The informal
assessment is a game, Coconut Vowels, found at
http://www.arcademics.com/games/coconuts/coconuts.html.
ASSESSMENT OF COMMON CORE STANDARDS:
2.RFS.3 Phonics and Word Recognition Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis
skills in decoding words.
 Evidence of this standard will unfold as Darwin participates in the card game. As he chooses
a word, he will be asked to identify the team and then pronounce the word. With luck, as the
game progresses this word recognition will occur more easily. It will occur once more as he
plays the Coconut Vowel assessment
2.RFS.4 Fluency Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
 This standard relates to the previous one in that as Darwin plays the card game, he will be
requires to use the chosen card correctly in a sentence. If he can do this, the standard will
have been met.