Anticipatory Set:
Before beginning the lesson with the students, I explain my expectations for the lesson and what we will be doing during the lesson. I then give the students a pre-test (see Appendix) in order to determine each student’s ability to rhyme. Upon completion of the pre-test, I ask the students to explain rhyming. Then I tell the students that words rhyme when they have the same ending or phonemes.
Input/Modeling:
I pull out small flash cards with endings on them (-an, -at, and -et). I show the students the endings and how they are underlined to show that any words ending with these letters rhyme. I explain to the students that we are going to play the Rhyme Game! (see Appendix). I give them a flash card and they have to determine which suffix or category it goes under, then demonstrating that all of the words under the same ending rhyme with each other. I give each student a flash card, one at a time going around the table several times, to observe whether or not the students are identifying and recognizing phonemes and understanding that those words rhyme. The students and I orally say each column of words before moving on to the next activity.
Guided Practice/Checking for Understanding:
I pass out two pages of the book “Zac the Rat” and the students cut out all of the pages and then assemble their books in numerical page order. The students and I then round table read the book one page at a time. Once we have finished reading the book, I ask the students if they heard any words that rhymed in the book. Several students answer and eventually we get to the words “ran”, “can”, “pan”, and “fan” rhyme in this book. I then ask the students why those words rhyme and sound the same, with students answering that the endings or phonemes are the same. The students and I underline the endings together in the book to make it visually clear that all the phonemes are the same.
Closure:
I end the lesson by asking and restating questions to the students of how do we know when words rhyme and what does it mean when words have the same endings? I also congratulate the students on what they did, as throughout this lesson they worked hard and did their best ability.
Anticipatory Set:
I begin by referring to the previous lesson and discussion. Redefining an ending and what rhyming means/is. I also continue to give examples of rhyming words, incorporating objects around the room. Ex. glue (holding a glue stick) and blue (holding a blue crayon).
Input/Modeling:
I use the dry erase easel and a dry erase marker to model rhyming words to the students. I continue collecting words and items from around the room and play a game of which two objects rhyme. Students must pick the objects that rhyme and I write the words on the board and underline the ending of the word to visually show why the words rhyme and the similarities between the two words.
Guided Practice/Checking for Understanding:
I give the students the Rhyme Time puzzle activity (see Appendix). Students complete this worksheet independently receiving prompts and assistance from teachers and aides as needed. Students cut out the puzzle pieces on the worksheet and mix them up on the table. Students then glue the matching puzzle pieces, and essentially rhyming words, down onto a piece of construction paper. Students work is corrected immediately as well as I check work while students work to ensure success.
Closure:
To close the lesson, the students and I come back together as a whole group and discuss the words on the puzzle pieces. The group discusses which words rhyme with which and why the words rhyme, referring back to the anticipatory set about looking at the endings and phonemes and underlining the endings to make it more clear that the words have similarities.
Anticipatory Set:
I bring the unit to a close by stating that today’s lesson is the last day in this rhyming unit. The students and I play a game called rhyme leap. The students stand and as I reread the text “Zac the Rat” and instruct the students to leap on each word that rhymes, which were identified previously in the first lesson. As I reread the text, I explicitly tell students when to jump in order to help re-identify the rhyming words within the text.
Input/Modeling:
After the anticipatory set, I bring the group back together at the group table. I pass out the Rhyme Time! Worksheet (see Appendix) and the students and I read each word together. I give students directions to complete the worksheet. This worksheet is the final independent work that the students complete, with as little teacher assistance and prompting as possible. I instruct the other aides in the room to give the students as little prompting as possible, but to also give the students one direction at a time, as the Rhyme Time! Worksheet has several steps to complete it.
Guided Practice/Checking for Understanding:
The students work completely independently on the worksheet. Students are directed to cut out the words and pictures at the bottom of the page and glue them next to the coordinating rhyming word. Students then are instructed to underline the suffix or end of each word showing that the two words glued next to one another rhyme because the endings match. Students then choose one word from the front and write it on the back of the worksheet. Students take the word they choose and try to produce a new rhyming word (one different from the corresponding word on the front) by using substitution of the first letter. Students write and draw the new rhyming word on the back of the worksheet. Students may underline the phoneme or ending of the new word to show rhyming if time permits. The Rhyme Time! Worksheet will be graded on the four point Rhyme Time! Worksheet Rubric (see Appendix).
Closure:
To conclude the lesson and the unit students complete the post-test (see Appendix). The post-test is quite similar to the pre-test. The only difference from the pre-test to the post-test is that the pictures are taken away and students must match rhyming words using just written language.