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Image by Tamanna Rumee

Pass the Pepper, Please! by Macy Gann

Emergent Literacy Design

Rationale:

  • This lesson is designed to help children identify /p/, and the phoneme represented by “P”. Students will learn how to recognize /p/ in spoken words in a meaning.

  • They will learn this sound through a meaningful representation- clench hands in fist, then release and say “pop!” like you’re popping popcorn. This will teach the kinesthetics of making the /p/ sound, and make the phoneme /p/ memorable. 

  • They will learn how to write the symbol “P” with worksheet provided below

  • Students will then practice finding /p/ in words on a worksheet.

  • They will also learn to practice applying their phoneme awareness of /p/ in phonetic cue reading by reading a list of words with /p/ in them.


Materials:

  • Pencil

  • Primary Paper

  • Markers

  • Tongue tickler story- “Patsy Parked her Pony by the Pizza Palace”

  • Drawing paper

  • Crayons

  • “The Letter P song” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stMIusugnvk

  • Worksheet #1 (primary paper that helps them learn the symbol P) : 

​​https://d2sid734d4oryb.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/Kids-vs-Phonics_Level-1_p-Sound-Worksheet.pdf

  • Pirate Pups! (Paw Patrol) by Ursula Ziegler-Sullivan, and Fabrizio Petrossi

  • Note cards with words: PAT, CAP, PUPPY, PEN,TOP, 

  • Worksheet #2 (practice finding /p/ in a worksheet)

https://www.daycareworksheets.com/beginning-sounds-p-phonics-worksheet/

Procedure:

  1. Introduction: Teacher says out loud: “Today we have a really fun lesson planned. Raise your hand if you are ready to have a P-P-P-ositive learning P-P-P-arty?” (Students: raise hands)

Teacher says out loud: “Does anyone notice anything about the last thing I said?” If someone says they do, let them make their comment. This will get the class engaged, and boost communication skills. Once a student catches on to the “P” then the teacher says, “That’s right! Today we are going to be learning the letter “P”!

  1. Teacher plays “The Letter P Song” to make kids more alert, get kids engaged, and set the tone for today’s lesson. 

  2. Make each phoneme memorable through phoneme Kinesthetics: Teacher says aloud: “Let’s pretend we’re at the movie theaters. What kind of movie snack are we going to get?” Let students raise their hands, and call on students individually. The first student should say pop corn, but if one says candy, wait until a student answers with “Pop corn!”

Teacher then says: “Yes! I want everyone to stand up and pretend like we are POP-ping POP-corn.” Instruct students to stand up and pretend like they are popping popcorn.

Teacher should model this sound- by clenching fist and releasing it like the “popping” of the popcorn. And saying “Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!” as the fist releases like popcorn. While saying “Pop!” Teacher should emphasize the “p” sound by turning lips in, and releasing fast. Encourage students to do this as well.

  1. Teacher says out loud: “Let’s change the word up.  I’m going to demonstrate finding the /p/ in the word “Pat”. Say it out loud with me very slowly.”

Students join in: “Ppp-a-t”

Teacher says: “Let’s do that one more time!”

Students join in: “Ppp-a-t”

Teacher says: “Do you feel the /p/ sound?”

Students: “Yes!”

Teacher says: “Where do you  hear the /p/ in “Pat?”

Engage in a class discussion on where they hear /p/.


5.  Arrange Phoneme-Finding Practice through a Tongue tickler: Story: Patsy was invited to Piper’s birthday party. The party was at the park. They had pizza, popsicles, and pastries. A puzzling,  yet pleasant surprise popped out of nowhere. A polite pony named Penelope came to wish Piper “Happy Birthday!”

Tongue Tickler: The polite pony Penelope came to Piper's party at the park.

Teacher writes it on board, and has the class say it three times. On the fourth time, emphasize the /p/. For example: “The ppp-olite ppp-ony PPP-enelope came to PPP-iper’s ppp-arty at the ppp-ark.” 

6. Teacher instructs students to get a pencil out, and passes out worksheet #1 (Primary paper that helps them learn how to write “P” and “p”). https://d2sid734d4oryb.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/Kids-vs-Phonics_Level-1_p-Sound-Worksheet.pdf

Teacher says out loud: “We use this symbol to write “p”. 

However, it is important for teachers to remember  that often children this age will get “p” and “q” confused.

Teacher says, “Students, make two thumbs-down motions for me. When we say the alphabet, what comes first: p or q?” Remember “p” comes first, before “q”. And your first “thumbs-down” shows the shape of “p”.

7. Teacher says out loud, “Now we are going to read one of my favorite books, Pirate Pups! (Paw Patrol). Let’s set sail with these rescue puppies as they set sail for lost treasure! Do we think these puppies can find the treasure? Let’s read to find out!”

Read the book out loud to students. As we read, ask students if they notice any words that begin with the letter /p/.

8. After the read aloud is finished, have students draw a picture  with markers and paper of any other words that begin with the letter /p/. Have them write a sentence using these /p/ words.

9. Show students the note cards with words: PAT, CAP, PEN,TOP, 

The first note card we will work with is PAT. Teacher says: “The /p/ in this word makes the “p” sound like it’s popping popcorn. So this means this word is Ppp-a-t, PAT. Now let’s try as a class! 

CAP: Is this “Cat? Or Cap?” Let students discuss.

PEN: Is this “Pen? Or Ten?” Let students discuss.

TOP: Is this “Top? Or Tot?” Let students discuss. 

Call on kids to try to sound the /p/ words out. 

10. For the final assessment, distribute the worksheets out. Students will then use this worksheet to display their knowledge of the letter /p/. 

Sources:

ABCmouseOFFICIAL. (2014, January 10). "The letter p song" by abcmouse.com. YouTube. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stMIusugnvk. 

by Nicole, P., & Nicole. (2017, May 29). Trick to help preschoolers with B D and P Q confusion (plus slideshow). Mommy Share Space. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://www.mommysharespace.com/trick-to-help-preschoolers-with-b-d-and-p-q-confusion-plus-slideshow/.  

Free letter P phonics worksheet for preschool - beginning sounds. Daycare Worksheets. (2020, April 4). Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://www.daycareworksheets.com/beginning-sounds-p-phonics-worksheet/. 

Red Cat Reading. (2017). S, a, T, P, I, N, D, E I`I page`5`of`8 - d2sid734d4oryb.cloudfront.net. Red Cat Reading. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://d2sid734d4oryb.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/Kids-vs-Phonics_Level-1_i-Sound-Worksheet.pdf. 

Ziegler-Sullivan, U., & Petrossi, F. (2019). Pirate pups! Centum Books Ltd.

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