"R" controlled vowels

Summary

Students will be instructed on how to identify and pronounce r-controlled vowel patterns in words. Teachers will use a variety of videos and books to help give students examples as well as as options to use online games and presentations to help students learn the concept.

Materials

Book: "The Clown in the Gown drives the Car with the Star" by Brian Cleary

Background for Teachers

When the letter r follows a vowel, the vowel is usually forced to change its sound. That's why we call it the "Bossy R." In most small words with one vowel in the middle, that vowel has a short vowel sound as in the words bad, hen, sit, fox, and fun. Listen to how the sound of the vowel changes if we replace the last letter of each of these words with the letter r: Fat changes to far, cat to car, hen to her, sit to sir, fox to for, fun to fur

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Identify r-controlled vowel patterns
2. Pronounce vowel patterns
3. Use vowel patterns to help with reading words
4. Understand the concept of r-controlled vowels
5. Categorize words into their correct patterns

Instructional Procedures

1. Write the 5 different vowel patterns on the board or using poster boards (ar, er, ir, or, & ur).
2. Read the book: "The Clown in the Gown Drives the Car With the Star" by Brian Cleary.
3. Throughout the book, after each page, state a word that was mentioned in the book. Have students attempt to categorize the words in their respective boards. Start by helping them and slowly guide them to participate as a class in categorizing words.
4. Explain the concept of "r" controlled vowels. When the letter follows a vowel, the vowel is forced to change its sound. Also make note of why we call it the "Bossy R".
5. Reinforce learning activity by showing the "Bossy R" video to the class.
6. Create 5 separate "stations" around the classroom. One for each vowel pattern.
7. At each station, there should be a blank sorting sheet and one of the vowel pattern attached documents.
8. Divide class into 5 groups with relatively the same amount of students in each group
9. Each group should be instructed to sort each of the words into a "short" vowel column and a "bossy r" column. Once groups have completed that, students should use the word bank to build "short" vowel and "bossy r" words to match each of the pictures.
10. Give students about 10-15 minutes at each station, and then have the groups switch until students have completed all 5 stations.
11. As a reinforcement activity (can be done another day), students need to have access to a computer/internet.
12. While at the computer, let students watch the Prezi video as a review of the lesson and some example words/images/sentences associated with "r" controlled vowels
13. Let students choose which game (listed above) to play.

Assessment Plan

1. Hand out copies of the attachment to each student. Give instructions to cut and paste (or tape) the word into the appropriate place. Assess students on the correct placement of each vowel pattern.
2. Alternate assessment: Create a word list with at least 5 words from each of the 5 vowel patterns. Instruct students to divide a paper (horizontal direction) into the 5 vowel patterns. Recite words aloud and students are to write the words into the correct vowel pattern.

Bibliography

http://www.talkingfirst.net/word-sorts.html
http://charleighstephens.weebly.com/r-controlled-vowels.html