This lesson is designed to help Emergent readers to learn how to detect /p/ when listening to auditory cues. It uses a comparison of the /p/ phoneme to the sound a cat makes when it purrs to connect the phoneme with a familiar sound. Further practice use of the phoneme will be gained through including an alliterative tongue twister, choosing which objects out of a group begin with the /p/ phoneme, and detecting the sound in similar and rhyming words.

 

Materials:

A printed image of a cat purring with the both uppercase and lowercase P beside it

Sheet with “Pete’s pet parrot Polly pranced proudly!” printed on it in large font

Objects for phoneme recognition activity:

Pear

Toy bear

Apple

Leaf

Hat

Pencil

Flashcards with all words from the oral phoneme awareness activity printed on them

 

 

 

Procedures:

1. Today our new letter is P. We’ve been learning how to listen for sounds in words because each letter has its own special sound. P’s special sound is /p/, and it sounds a lot like the sound a kitty cat makes when it p-p-purrs, doesn’t it?

2. Let’s pet the kitty cat so it will purr for us and we can hear the /p/ sound! (stroke the air as if petting a cat) /p/…/p/…/p/… I think the kitty likes that! Notice how when you make the /p/,/p/ sound, your lips press together to make the sound!

3. Now I’ll show you how to listen for /p/ in a word. I’m going to remember our kitty cat purring: /p/,/p/,/p/ and see if I hear him in the word “pack”. P-a-ck. Hm… let’s say that again. P-a-ck, P- there it is! There’s our kitty! Let’s pet him! (motion to pet the cat) The /p/ sound is in in “pack”

4. Now here’s a fun story I want you to listen carefully to. Pete is a boy who had a pet parrot named Polly. Polly was very smart and Pete liked to teach her how to do tricks. Polly could fly through hoops, catch peanuts in her beak, and most importantly, she could DANCE! Polly was getting ready to show Pete her trick and began to move… Pete’s pet parrot Polly proudly pranced! There! Did you hear all those /p/ sounds? Let’s say that last sentence again. (emphasize the /p/ sounds) “Pete’s pet parrot Polly pranced proudly!” Great job!

5. Now we’re going to see if we can find some real life things that begin with the /p/ purring sound. I’m going to show you some objects and you’re going to tell me if they start with /p/. Remember to listen for the kitty, /p/,/p/,/p/ (pet the cat).

Show the class each item from the objects for phoneme awareness activity section in Materials and ask if it starts with /p/, encouraging them to say what it is first and then listening for the purr. Confirm whether they are right or wrong on each one and briefly explain why in either case.

1. Now we’ll listen for /p/ in some words that sound a lot alike but aren’t quite the same! Do you hear the purring kitty /p/ in “peak” or “seek”? “lamp” or “lamb”? “home” or “hop”? “pet” or “met”? “tear” or “pair”?

This activity is useful for assessment.

1. Take out the flashcards with the words from the above step printed on them and ask which of the same two words each of them is, for example, show the card with “peak” and ask if it is “peak” or “seek”.

 

End of lesson

 

References:

https://jlm0104.wixsite.com/readingdesigns/emergent-literacy-design