Engaging Phonics Lesson Plan: Teaching the Long and Short 'oo' Vowel Sounds with Fun Activities

Explore a detailed phonics lesson plan designed to teach children the long 'oo' (as in moon) and short 'oo' (as in book) vowel digraph sounds. Includes materials needed and engaging activities like word hunts, sound sorting, silly sentence creation, and spelling practice to help master reading and spelling the 'oo' digraph.

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Materials Needed:

  • Whiteboard or large paper
  • Markers or crayons
  • List of 'oo' words (e.g., book, look, food, moon, spoon, took, good, zoo, foot, cool)
  • Index cards (optional)
  • Simple picture books
  • Paper and pencil

Lesson Activities:

Introduction: The Super 'OO' Sound! (10 mins)

Let's meet the super letter team 'OO'! Sometimes they work together to make a long sound, like a ghost says 'ooooooo' or an owl says 'hoooot'. Can you think of a word like that? (Guide towards 'moon' or 'food'). Other times, they make a shorter sound, like when you read a good 'book'. Let's explore these super sounds!

Activity 1: 'OO' Word Hunt (15 mins)

Look through some simple picture books together. Can you be a detective and hunt for words with 'oo' in them? When you find one, shout 'OO found!' and we'll write it on our whiteboard. Alternatively, use a pre-made list and hunt for the words around the room if you write them on index cards first.

Activity 2: Sound Sorting Fun (10 mins)

Let's look at our list of 'oo' words. We'll sort them into two groups based on their sound. Does it sound like 'moon' (long oo) or 'book' (short oo)? Draw two columns on the whiteboard: 'Moon Sound' and 'Book Sound'. Read each word together and decide where it belongs. For example: 'food' goes under 'Moon Sound', 'look' goes under 'Book Sound'.

Activity 3: Silly 'OO' Sentences (10 mins)

Now, let's use some of our 'oo' words to make silly sentences! Try to use at least one 'oo' word in each sentence. For example: 'The cool moose took a book to the moon.' Write down 3-4 sentences together.

Activity 4: Spelling Practice (10 mins)

Time to practice spelling! Choose 5-6 'oo' words from our list (mix long and short sounds). Practice writing them. You can:

  • Write them on the whiteboard.
  • Write them with your finger in the air.
  • Write them on paper with a pencil or fun crayons.

Focus on getting the 'oo' part correct.

Wrap-up: 'OO' Review (5 mins)

Great job working with the super 'oo' team today! What are the two sounds 'oo' can make? Can you tell me one word with the long 'oo' sound like 'moon'? Can you tell me one word with the short 'oo' sound like 'book'?