ELEC Standard Lesson Plan Format
Lesson Title (Subject): Double Vowel Digraphs
Name : Devin McAllister Cooperating Teacher ______________________
Date_________________ Time __________________ Grade Level: 1-2 Grade
LEARNING GOALS
Students will demonstrate understanding of how to pronounce double vowel diagraphs within words.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES TO ATTAIN LEARNING GOALS


Students will pronounce words with double vowel digraphs correctly for at least 10 words.
Students will chant sounds of the double vowel digraphs taught in class.
MATERIALS NEEDED
Teacher:
 Prewritten anchor charts on easel:
- Double vowel digraph words from Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
- Breakdown Chart of double vowel digraphs
- List of types of double vowel digraphs
 Alphabet/letter note cards
 Oh! The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
 Double vowel digraph flash cards
 Homework assessment worksheet
Students:
 Students will not need any materials during this lesson.
MOTIVATIONAL TECHNIQUES
EAT. AUNT. BEE. SAY.
Write these words on the board as you say them. Ask student volunteers to underline the two vowels in the word.
We have been learning all about vowels and their job in words. I have seen in some of your reading that you have
stumbled upon some really tricky words that have not just one but two vowels side by side in a word just like the
words I put on the board. Today, we’ll be learning how to conquer those words.
PROCEDURES FOR LESSON

Students are already seated in table-arranged groups for management in the classroom. Each table grouping
has an assignment table number. They know their table number because it is hanging on a bright sign above
their table. Children often have a hard time remembering things so I felt putting their group number above
their table groupings was a friendly reminder.

To call the students to the learning carpet, I call the students by their table number one by one. Call them by
which group is being the best example.

The reading carpet has colored blocks, enough for each student to have their own place. I have the students
color coded for management purposes for behavior and attention cases in students. Each student has a
previously assigned number, so when they arrive to the carpet they know exactly where they will be sitting.

At this point, the lesson may begin.

During the lesson, I will constantly have active participation by all students whether it be calling out
sounds, tugging on their ears to show they are paying attention to the story, or physically becoming part of
a word containing a double vowel digraph. This is to monitor that all students are participating therefore
taking in the information that I am teaching them.

For my students that struggle with paying attention and staying still for a period of time, those are the
students I will be choosing for the active involvement when the children hold the alphabet/letter cards.

Dismiss students back to their table groups:
Students with red shirts are dismissed. Students with brown hair are dismissed.
(Dismiss them in this type of style.) This organized dismissal allows for minimal chaos.
TEACHING STRATEGIES OR ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

Once all seated, pull out Dr. Seuss’ Oh! The Places You’ll Go. I chose this book because of the great
number and variety of double vowel digraphs throughout the text.

Next to you on the easel have the list of every double vowel digraph in the Dr. Seuss story in order. Explain
to the students that as they hear each one word on the easel to gently tug on their ear to signal that they
heard it. This is to make the students familiar with the words that we are about to learn more about.

I chose to call double vowel digraphs “double vowel teams” on each anchor chart and in my teaching. This
is because I feel that is a more relatable and retainable phrase rather than ‘digraph’.

Read Story. If students are not signaling when they hear the words on the easel, model tugging on your ear
when you read the word.

After the story is read, place book on easel ledge.

By show of hand, how many of you have come across one of these words in their books before? How many
have heard these words before? These words are all around you, boys and girls! These words have what
we call Double Vowels. They are tricky to read until you know their secrets, and today I will be showing
you their secret to that you can read, too.

By the clues in the name, what do you see in common between each of these words?
(the teams of double vowels)

Appoint one student at a time to underline a double vowel team in a word. Do this for a few words until the
children are able to spot a double vowel team.

Pronounce the first three words on the chart as they WOULD be pronounced.
BRA-I-NS. HE-A-D. SHO-E-S.
Does this sound right?Or…
Brains. Head. Shoes.

Flip chart on easel to next anchor chart. This chart will be the three words ‘brain’, ’head’, and ‘shoe’
written large at the top with a breakdown on their double vowel digraph under them.

Let’s take a closer look at the word ‘brain’. You would think it is pronounced the way I just had, but you all
said I sounded silly. What vowel sound do you hear when I say ‘brain’? BRAIN (slowly). We hear the ‘A’,
but where did the’I’ go?
Do this for ‘head’ and ‘shoe’.

When we have two vowels together in a word like these, we hear only the first vowel out of the team.

Flip chart to next anchor chart. There will be a list of a-, e-, i-, o-, and u- digraphs. As a class, go through
the list. Teacher pronounces digraph followed by the students. For each digraph, think of a word as a class
that has that digraph in it. Stop to explain the ones students struggle with or look confused about.

Pull out letter cards that are organized into words with double vowel digraphs.

Appoint four students to come to front of the classroom and hand each one of them a letter. Organize them
into order of a word.

Today we will be using ___,___,___, and ____ to help us learn our double vowel teams. Right now they are
holding up a word that has a double vowel team in it.

Have the double vowel digraph team step forward one step. Class, these two letters together say “___”.
Now, you try it. (Students pronounce it). Have the two students step back into the word.

Class, call and act out what word your classmates are holding. (At this point the class will have done this
before, acting out a word. For example: for brain, they can point to their brain. For cold, they can act cold.
For silly, they can act silly.)

Do this for four words: ‘sneak’, ‘wait’, ‘play’, ‘canoe’. For the words with five letters, use yourself.
CLOSURE

In closing, I will assess the students retained knowledge of double vowel digraphs by a quick flash card
call-out exercise. This is to be fairly quick and exciting for the students.

There will be pre-written flash cards with double vowel digraphs and the students will call out the sound
that it makes. This should be fairly fast paced.

Double vowel digraphs they are not confident on will be put back into the pile for a second attempt.

After finishing the pile of digraphs:
Students, as you can tell from our lesson, double vowel teams are everywhere around us! In the sentence I
just said there were four double vowel teams, alone! Now that you know all about double vowel digraphs,
you can carry this knowledge into your reading workshop as well as your writing workshop. You can use it
at home during free reading and writing time, too!

At this point, the lesson is finished and students are to be dismissed as described above.
HOMEWORK/ASSIGNMENT
For homework, I will assign a take home worksheet to assess their retained knowledge about double vowel digraphs.
The worksheet will have a list of ten different double vowel digraphs with a blank next to it. Above is a word bank
of twelve words. There will be enough words with double vowel digraphs to fill each blank, using each word once.
Two words will be left, but these words do not contain double vowel digraphs. This is to ensure that my students can
spot words with and without double vowel digraphs.
ASSESSMENT
This lesson includes multiple differentiated ongoing assessments, all of which are actively involved by movement or
calling out. Summative assessment will be exercised during the take-home worksheet which will be graded. Aside
from these two, exercises could be taken from the phonetic awareness packet to check retention later on in the year.
ADAPTATIONS

For students who have difficulty paying attention in class, I have the entire lesson very involved and
exciting. At all times the students are actively engaged with the lesson by movements (tactile), acting out,
expressing, and calling out. I also have pre-arranged seating to have behavior and attention cases close to
the teacher.

For children who are ESL, my anchor chards have drawn pictures of the words that have double vowel
digraphs. This is to correlate a visual representation with the word then connecting the word to the digraph.

Children who have special needs can active engage in this lesson because it is so incredibly broken down
and repetitious. Repetition is a great way to exercise learning and knowledge and reinforces learning.

Those with disabilities have a weekly appointed buddy that aides them in involvement during lessons. This
buddy models good behavior and actions during the lesson. This not only helps the student by modeling,
but also creates a sense of community.
DIVERSITY
This lesson is very attainable and mutual for all genders, sexes, ethnicities, and ability levels. No cultural or ability
bias is included. All students are actively involved.
Slippery Rock University
The Teaching of Elementary Reading
Lesson Plan Portfolio Peer Feedback
Candidate:___Devin McAllister_________ Date of Review: __23 October
2011___
Literacy Lesson: (Check one)
_____ Using Knowledge of Writing to Teach Reading
_____ Reading Comprehension Strategy
_**_ Phonics Component
Give the teacher candidate feedback in each area listed below. Try to give at least one positive
comment and one suggestion (chance for professional growth) for each area.
After the candidate has addressed each of your suggestions, s/he should check the box marked
“addressed” to indicate that this suggestion has been considered in the revision of the lesson
plan.
Overall Lesson Design (organization, contents, balance)
Addressed
Followed the guidelines very well on what were to be placed in each section.
Materials Used (developmentally appropriate, interesting)
Addressed
The materials, like the book, are perfect for this grade level. It is interesting for younger
children to see the colourful books you have chosen.
Procedures (clear, well-organized)
Addressed
Procedures are easy to follow and very clear to understand. They could have a little more
specifics throughout.
Active Involvement of Students

Addressed
Great way to involve the student with the anchor charts. I think that this section could
have had more classroom management skills. Maybe have the students work with learning
partners opposed to whole group instruction.

Assessment Plans/Procedures

Addressed
Very detailed with great vocabulary. I think that another specific form of assessment
would be more beneficial for the student to practice on.

Consideration of Diversity
Addressed
Very well stated consideration. I think that you clearly laid out diversity however I think
that you could have incorporated different types of diversity into your framework.

Attention to Different Learning Styles
Addressed
You use many different activities throughout your lesson plan. This is a great way to get
every student involved no matter how they learn.

Authenticity of Literacy Activities
Addressed
Very true to life and makes great connections to life. Although Dr. Suess is no where near
what real life is, I think it is a story that the children will all recognize and appreciate.

Other Comments:
Addressed
I really enjoyed this lesson plan. It was very easy to
read and I think that it is a very adaptable for
different levels of learners.
Reviewer’s Signature: ______Carly A Mastrian____