Jump Roping for Joy with the Letter "J"

Emergent Literacy Design

Hannah Atchley

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Rationale:

The lesson is meant to teach students the letter J and its phoneme, /j/. Students will accomplish this goal by using a sound analogy (jump rope hitting the floor) to be able to recognize /j/. By the end of the lesson, the student should be able to recognize the sound 

/j/ in words and recognize the letter symbol J. The student will also be able to recognize /j/ in phonetic cue reading using phoneme awareness. This goal will be accomplished through an activity with rhyming words where the student will distinguish them by listening to the beginning letter.

 

Materials:

• Primary paper and pencil

• Chart with “Jasmine jumped joyfully with her jump rope.”

• Word cards with JAM, SAT, BOOK, JAW, FIG and JUG

• Crayons

• White board and dry erase marker

• Writing paper

• Class copy of “Jamberry” by Bruce Degen

• Assessment worksheet (writing J, and coloring pictures that start with /j/)

 

 

Procedure:

1. Say: Today we are going to learn the letter J. Can everyone say “J?” Listen to how you say the letter J- say it again slowly. Do you hear the sound /j/ when you say J? That’s because J makes the sound /j/. Let’s think of a word that

2. starts with the sound /j/. Maybe you thought of jam, jar, jet, or jump. If you could not think of anything, do not worry! We are learning about it today.

3. Say: Have any of you jumped rope before? Maybe you hear the sound /j/ /j/ /j/ when the jump rope hits the ground. That sound is what J sounds like! Can everyone move your arounds in a circular motion and say /j/ /j/ /j/ every time your jump rope hits the ground?

4. Say: Now I am going to say a word, and I want you to tell me if you feel the sound /j/. The word is “jacket.” Let’s say it together slowly. Jjjj-aaa-cckk-ettt. One more time- Jjjj-aaa-cckk-ettt. Did you feel your teeth get close and air push out between your teeth? J is at the beginning of the word jacket.

5. Say: Now, we are going to try a tongue tickler. *on chart* This will help us remember sounds, and today our tongue tickler will help us remember the sound for J. What is the sound again? /j/. Here is our tongue tickler story. Jasmine loves recess. All of the other kids play kickball at recess, but Jasmine loves to jump rope. It is her most favorite game to play. It brings her joy. After she had been jumping for a while, some of her friends joined her in jumping rope. Here is our tongue tickler: Jasmine jumped joyfully with her jump rope. Now let’s say it together very slowly, dragging out our J’s. Jjjjasmine, jjjjumped, jjjjoyfully with her jjjjump rope.

6. Say: *Pass out paper and pencils* Next, we are going to practice writing the letter J. One more time, what does the letter J say? /j/. The letter J kind of looks like a fishing pole.  Let’s try drawing it.” *draw it on the white board with the kids* “First, you are going to start at the rooftop and draw a straight line down to the sidewalk. Once your line reaches the sidewalk, you are going to curve the line to the left at the sidewalk (kind of like a ‘u’) (continue showing them on the whiteboard). Then, you are going to go straight up to the fence and stop. Finally, you are going to draw a straight line, at the rooftop, that crosses through the line you drew. That is it! You drew the letter J. Everyone turn your paper around toward me and stick it high in the air and let me see your J! Now practice 5 more times.

7. Say: Next, I am going to read you two words and show them on notecards, and I want you to tell me which of the words you hear the sound /j/. Raise your hand if you know the answer, and pretend to jump rope if you hear the sound /j/. Do you hear /j/ in jam or sat? Do you hear the sound /j/ in book or jaw? Do you hear the sound /j/ in fig or jug? 

8. Say: Now we are going to read a story with the letter J in it. Our story is called “Jamberry” by Bruce Degen. This story is about a boy and his friendly bear. They go on a mission to search for many types of berries and pick them. What do you think they might could make out of these berries that starts with /j/? Jam! What sound do you hear in “jam?” /j//j/ Jam!

9. Say: Next, we having an activity we are going to do!” *pass out worksheet* Students will practice writing J a few times at the top of the worksheet. After they have completed the top, they will work on the other half of the worksheet (color the pictures that begin with /j/).

 

References:

 

Resource: “This Macaroni is Mm Mmm Good” by Elizabeth Welch 

https://elizabethkatewelch.wixsite.com/my-site-2/emergent-literacy-design

Book: Degen, Bruce. Jamberry. HarperCollins Publishers, 1995. 

Assessment Worksheet: https://free4classrooms.com/free-beginning-sounds-worksheet-letter-j/

Reading Genie Awakenings Index: https://wp.auburn.edu/rdggenie/home/classroom/awakenings/