Student Objectives

• Student will make the correlation between the visual Ss and the auditory sound /s/

• Student will write Ss

• Student will listen to a word and produce a rhyming word

• Student will blend onset (the consonant before a vowel) and rime (the vowel and consonant after it) when the broken parts are orally given to them

Extra Learning Activities

Here are some optional extra learning activities you can do with your student to help reinforce the concept. They are not required as part of the lesson:

Sky Picture

Have the student make white puffy clouds out of cotton on a sheet of blue construction paper. 

Skip

Teach the student how to skip. Step and hop on alternate feet.

Snacks

Eat snacks that begin with the letter S such as sandwiches, soup, strawberries, salad

‘S’ Song
(Sing to Mary Had a Little Lamb)

♫ Snowflakes falling from the sky, from the sky, from the sky,
Snowflakes falling from the sky, to the earth below.
Watch them as they dance and spin, dance and spin, dance and spin,
Watch them as they dance and spin, soft white winter snow. ♫

Beginning Letters & Sounds
Practice Games

Here are some optional fun games to help reinforce the concept your student is learning. They are not required as part of the lesson:

Review Cards

Sound Cards 

Review and Drill – b, c, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r

“When I hold up a letter, say the letter’s name, and give its sound.”

“Good job. Today we are going to learn to sound out, write, and recognize the letter s.”

Step 1

Picture Page

Student Workbook Page 51 

Hold up the s – sled

“The name of this letter is s. What is the name of this letter? The letter s is a consonant and it makes the sound /s/. What sound does it make? The picture page for the letter s is sled. Say sled. Good. When I point to the picture page, say the letter’s name, give its sound, and say the picture word. Watch me as I demonstrate.”  

Say s, /s/,sled then have student repeat three times.

Step 2

Phonological Awareness

“Close your eyes. I will say a word. You will repeat the word and listen for the /s/ sound at the beginning of the word. If you hear /s/ at the beginning of the word, raise your hand. Let’s practice. Say sled. Do you hear the /s/ sound at the beginning of the word sled? Yes, you hear the /s/ sound at the beginning of the word sled so you raise your hand. Good. Let’s practice some more words.” 

Repeat this activity with:

snow, pig, koala, sand, cat, soft, sun, sack, grape, sound

Step 3

Finger Tracing

Student Workbook Page 52 – Finger Tracing

Say “Point to the letter s. What sound does it make? Good. Let’s trace the letter s with our finger. Point to the number 1. Curve, slant, curve.” 

Have student repeat finger tracing three times and say – Curve, slant, curve.  

“What is the name of this letter? What sound does it make?”

For extra letter practice, you can have your student practice finger tracing on sandpaper, a carpet square, a salt or sand tray, or in shaving cream.

Step 4

Guess My Word Game

Say, “I am thinking of something that starts with the letter s. It is a crawly little insect.” (spider)

“Great! Now it’s your turn to think of something that starts with the letter s and I have to guess it.”

Say, “I am thinking of something that starts with the letter s. It is a sound I make with my fingers.” (snap)

“Great! Now it’s your turn to think of something that starts with the letter s and I have to guess it.” 

Say, “I am thinking of something that starts with the letter s. It is the opposite of the word hard.” (soft)  

“Great! Now it’s your turn to think of something that starts with the letter s and I have to guess it.”

Step 5

Pictures with Beginning Sounds

Student Workbook Page 53 – Beginning Sounds

“Look at the first picture. It is a picture of socks. Point to the socks. Point to the word under the picture. The word says socks. Circle all the s‘s in the word socks. What sound does the s make in the word socks?”

“Look at the next picture. It is a picture of a stamp. Point to the stamp. Point to the word under the picture. The word says stamp. Circle the s in the beginning of the word stamp. What sound does the s make in the word stamp?”

“Look at the next picture. It is a picture of a sun. Point to the sun. Point to the word under the picture. The word says sun. Circle the s in the word sun. What sound does the s make in the word sun?”

Review Cards

Sound Cards  

Review and Drill – b, c, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s

“Say the letter’s name and give its sound.”

“Good job! Today we are going to continue practicing the letter s.”

Step 1

Sky Writing

“Now we are going to Sky Write this sound. Let me demonstrate first.”

“Stand up and extend your arm all the way out in front of you. Ready?”

  /s/  (Say the sound.)  s  (Say the letter as you Sky Write.)  /s/  (Underline the sound and say the sound.)  

Have student repeat three times. (Curve, slant, curve.)

Step 2

Phonological Awareness

“Say green. Say a word that rhymes with green.” 

Repeat with:

go, ride, cake, him, pen, clap, space, do, see, nap

Step 3

Pen Tracing

Student Workbook Page 52 – Pen Tracing

“Pick up your pen. Now, let’s trace the letter s right here three times.”

(Curve, slant, curve.)

Step 4

Listen for Ending Sounds

“Say kiss. What sound do you hear at the end of the word?” 

“Say nurse. What sound do you hear at the end of the word?” 

“Say pass. What sound do you hear at the end of the word?”

“Say moss. What sound do you hear at the end of the word?” 

“Say mess. What sound do you hear at the end of the word?” 

“Say oops. What sound do you hear at the end of the word?” 

Step 5

Pictures with Ending Sounds

Student Workbook Page 53 – Ending Sounds

“Look at the first picture. It is a picture of a bus. Point to the bus. Point to the word under the picture. The word says bus. Circle the s in the word bus. What sound does the s make in the word bus?”

“Look at the next picture. It is a picture of a grapes. Point to the grapes. Point to the word under the picture. The word says grapes. Circle the s in the word grapes. What sound does the s make in the word grapes?”

“Look at the last picture. It is a picture of a vase. Point to the vase. Point to the word under the picture. The word says vase. Circle the s in the word vase. What sound does the s make in the word vase?”

Review Cards

Sound Cards

Review and Drill – b, c, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s

“Say the letter’s name and give its sound.”

“Good job! Today we are going to continue practicing the letter s.”  

Step 1

Sound Movement

“Move your hand like a snake. Good. Now when I show you the Sound Card s, you will make this movement while at the same time saying the letter sound /s/.”

Repeat three times.

“Let’s review all our learned sounds. When I hold up the Sound Card, you make the movement and say the sound.”

b – bouncing a ball

c – snipping fingers like you are cutting

f – moving fish fins

g- gulping from a cup

h – breathe in hand

j – jump up and down

k – kicking a ball

l – licking a lollipop

m – rub tummy like something is yummy

n – point finger and shake head like saying no

p – push outwards with hands

r –  pirate noise “argh” with pointer finger in a hook

s – move hand like a snake  

Step 2

Phonological Awareness

“What word am I trying to say?”

/h/ (PAUSE) /ot/ (hot)

Repeat with:

p-ot, d-ot, c-ot, h-op, p-op, l-og

Step 3

Letter Writing

Student Workbook Page 52 – Letter Writing

“Pick up your pen. Now, let’s write the letter s right here on the line three times.”

(Curve, slant, curve.)

Step 4

S Story

Student Workbook Page 51

“Listen as I read a story. I will ask you some questions at the end.”

“Sally has a slithery snake. Her snake likes to slide in her socks. It makes the sound s-s-s. Can you make the sound s-s-s?” (pause)

“There is snow in the sky. Sally snatches her sled. The sled spins in the snow and Sally smiles.”

“Sally sips on soda and feeds her snake some squash.”

“THE END.”

Ask the student:

“Did you like this story?” 

“What sound did you hear a lot in this story?” 

“Tell me two words that you remember from the story that have the s sound.”

Optional: Have student draw the two words on the page.

Step 5

Pictures with Beginning and Ending Sounds

Student Workbook Page 53 – Mixed Sounds

“Look at the first picture. It is a picture of a scarecrow. Point to the scarecrow. Point to the word under the picture. The word says scarecrow. Circle the s in this word. What sound does the s make in the word scarecrow?”

“Look at the next picture. It is a picture of horse. Point to the horse. Point to the word under the picture. The word says horse. Circle the s in this word. What sound does the s make in the word horse?”

“Look at the last picture. It is a picture of a sack. Point to the sack. Point to the word under the picture. The word says sack. Circle the s in the word sack. What sound does the s make in the word sack?”

Step 6

Sound Dictation

Student Workbook Page 54  – Sound Dictation

“Say /s/. What letter makes the /s/ sound? With your finger, write the letter that says /s/ on your palm as you name it. Now write the letter s on your paper naming it as you write. Now, look at the letter you just wrote. What is the name of this letter? What sound does it make?”

Repeat with:

/b/, /p/, /n/, /m/, /s/, /j/, /h/, /g/, /f/, /k, /r/, /s/

Capital Letters

Letter S

Materials:
– Alphabet Chart
– Whiteboard/Black Marker

Sing the Alphabet Song with your student. Point to the letters on the Alphabet Chart as each letter is named.

“Today we are going to learn about the capital letter S. Capital letters are used to begin sentences and names.”

Point to the Capital S on the alphabet chart.

“This is a capital letter S. What is this letter? What sound does it make?”

“Watch as I make a capital letter S on the whiteboard. Pull back, in, around, down, and back around. Now it’s your turn.”

Help student write the capital letter S on the whiteboard three times.