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Today’s Adventure: Exploring Variant Vowels! – What are vowels? – Vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y. – Importance of vowels in words – Vowels give words their shape and sounds. – Sounds of ‘oo’, ‘ou’, ‘ow’, ‘ea’ – ‘oo’ as in ‘moon’, ‘ou’ as in ‘cloud’, ‘ow’ as in ‘cow’, ‘ea’ as in ‘bread’. – Practice with fun examples – We’ll play games to learn these sounds! | This slide introduces the concept of variant vowels to third-grade students. Begin by explaining what vowels are and their role in forming words. Emphasize the importance of vowels in reading and spelling. Introduce the variant vowel sounds ‘oo’, ‘ou’, ‘ow’, and ‘ea’, providing clear examples for each. Use interactive activities such as matching games or word hunts to reinforce these sounds. Encourage students to listen for these sounds in words during reading exercises and to practice spelling words with these vowel patterns.

Meet the Vowels: Variant Sounds – Vowels: special alphabet letters – Short vs. long vowel sounds – Variant vowels: many sounds – Like ‘oo’ in ‘book’ and ‘moon’ – Examples: oo, ou, ow, ea – ‘oo’ as in ‘foot’, ‘ou’ in ‘could’, ‘ow’ in ‘clown’, ‘ea’ in ‘bread’ | This slide introduces the concept of vowels to third-grade students, emphasizing their importance in the English language. It distinguishes between short and long vowels, and introduces variant vowels, which are vowels that can make different sounds depending on their placement in a word. Provide examples of variant vowels like ‘oo’, ‘ou’, ‘ow’, and ‘ea’, and how they can represent different sounds. For instance, ‘oo’ can have a short sound as in ‘book’ or a long sound as in ‘moon’. Encourage students to think of more examples and to notice these sounds in their reading. This foundational understanding will help them with spelling and pronunciation.

The Sound of ‘oo’: Long and Short – ‘oo’ has two sounds: long and short – Like ‘moon’ (long ‘oo’) or ‘book’ (short ‘oo’) – Practice saying ‘oo’ words aloud – Repeat after me: ‘spoon’, ‘foot’, ‘too’ – Examples: ‘spoon’, ‘foot’, ‘too’ – ‘spoon’ (long ‘oo’), ‘foot’ (short ‘oo’), ‘too’ (long ‘oo’) | This slide introduces the variant vowel sounds of ‘oo’. Start by explaining that ‘oo’ can make a long sound as in ‘moon’, or a short sound as in ‘book’. Engage the class by saying ‘oo’ words together, emphasizing the difference in the long and short sounds. Use examples like ‘spoon’, ‘foot’, and ‘too’ to illustrate the concept. Encourage students to come up with more ‘oo’ words and to listen for the long and short sounds in words they encounter in their reading.

The Sound of ‘ou’: Spelling with Variant Vowels – ‘ou’ sounds like ‘house’ or ‘soup’ – The ‘ou’ vowel pair can make a loud sound, as in ‘shout’ – Think of words with ‘ou’ – Use your imagination to come up with ‘ou’ words – Examples: ‘cloud’, ‘about’, ‘shout’ – ‘Cloud’ is fluffy, ‘about’ is used a lot, ‘shout’ is loud | This slide introduces the vowel variant ‘ou’ and its pronunciation, which is similar to the sound in ‘house’ or ‘soup’. Encourage the students to actively think of words that contain the ‘ou’ sound. Provide examples like ‘cloud’, ‘about’, and ‘shout’ to help them understand the usage of ‘ou’. Ask the students to come up with their own examples and write them down. This will help them recognize the ‘ou’ sound in different words and improve their spelling skills. Make sure to pronounce the examples clearly and repeat them if necessary, so the students can hear the ‘ou’ sound distinctly.

The Sound of ‘ow’: Two Different Sounds – ‘ow’ as in ‘cow’ – The ‘ow’ makes a sound like the ‘ou’ in ‘ouch’ – ‘ow’ as in ‘snow’ – Here, ‘ow’ sounds long like ‘oh’ – List words with ‘ow’ sound – Think of words you know with ‘ow’ and write them down – Examples: ‘flower’, ‘down’, ‘bowl’ – ‘flower’ (like ‘fl-ow-er’), ‘down’ (like ‘d-ow-n’), ‘bowl’ (like ‘b-ow-l’) | This slide introduces the variant vowel sound ‘ow’ which can make two different sounds. The first sound is similar to the ‘ou’ in ‘ouch’, and the second is a long ‘o’ sound. Provide examples for each sound and encourage students to come up with their own list of ‘ow’ words, reinforcing their understanding through repetition and practice. Use common objects or experiences to help them connect the sounds to the words, such as mimicking a cow’s call for ‘cow’ or pretending to shiver and say ‘brrr, it’s cold’ for ‘snow’.

The Sound of ‘ea’ in Words – ‘ea’ with a short sound – Like in ‘bread’ or ‘head’ – ‘ea’ with a long sound – As in ‘sea’ or ‘clean’ – Examples of ‘ea’ words – ‘head’, ‘beach’, ‘clean’ | This slide focuses on the variant vowel ‘ea’ and its different sounds. The ‘ea’ vowel team can make a short ‘e’ sound as in the word ‘bread’ or a long ‘e’ sound as in ‘sea’. It’s important for students to recognize that the same combination of letters can produce different sounds depending on the word. Provide students with additional examples and encourage them to come up with their own list of ‘ea’ words, categorizing them by the short or long sound. This will help them understand the concept of variant vowels and improve their spelling skills. During the presentation, pronounce the words clearly and ask students to repeat after you to reinforce learning.

Practice Time: Spelling with Variant Vowels – Spelling with ‘oo’, ‘ou’, ‘ow’, ‘ea’ – Words like ‘moon’, ‘soup’, ‘cow’, ‘bread’ – Interactive board spelling activity – We’ll write words together and learn – Create sentences using new words – Use your words to make a fun sentence | This slide is for a classroom activity focused on spelling words with variant vowels. Start by explaining the different sounds that ‘oo’, ‘ou’, ‘ow’, and ‘ea’ can make. Then, move on to the interactive activity where students come up to the board to write words containing these vowel patterns. After writing, each student will use their chosen word in a sentence to demonstrate understanding. For example, ‘The moon is bright tonight,’ or ‘I had soup for lunch.’ Encourage creativity and provide assistance as needed. This activity helps reinforce phonics skills and word recognition. Prepare a list of words for each vowel pattern to guide the activity and ensure a variety of examples.

Game: Vowel Treasure Hunt – Search for variant vowel words – Look around for ‘oo’, ‘ou’, ‘ow’, ‘ea’ words – Pair up for a word list adventure – Work together to find and write down words – Share and spell words with the class – Take turns spelling words for your friends – Celebrate our vowel discoveries | This interactive game is designed to help students recognize and spell words with variant vowels. Students will work in pairs to search the classroom for words containing the vowel patterns ‘oo’, ‘ou’, ‘ow’, and ‘ea’. They will create a list of the words they find and then share their list with the class, practicing spelling each word aloud. This activity encourages teamwork, active participation, and reinforces the lesson on variant vowels. As a teacher, facilitate the activity by ensuring all students are engaged, provide hints if necessary, and celebrate all the words they discover. Possible variations of the activity could include a timed challenge, using classroom objects with labels, or extending the hunt to the school library or hallway.

Class Activity: Vowel Pattern Flashcards – Create vowel pattern flashcards – Illustrate each vowel sound – Draw or paste images like ‘moon’ for ‘oo’ or ‘house’ for ‘ou’ – Practice pronunciation and spelling – Say the word, then spell it out using your flashcards – Share your flashcards with classmates | This activity is designed to help students recognize and memorize different vowel sounds through a creative and interactive approach. Students will create their own set of flashcards, each representing a variant vowel pattern (oo, ou, ow, ea). Encourage them to think of words that contain these sounds and find corresponding images to reinforce the connection between the visual and auditory elements of the words. As they practice with their flashcards, they should say the word aloud and then spell it, which will aid in their auditory and visual learning. Allow time for students to share their flashcards with classmates to learn from each other and to practice their speaking skills. Possible variations of the activity could include pairing students to test each other, organizing a spelling bee using the flashcards, or creating a classroom display with the flashcards for ongoing practice.

Great Work on Variant Vowels! – Congrats on learning variant vowels – Write a story for homework – Include words like ‘moon’, ‘soup’, ‘cow’, ‘bread’ – Use oo, ou, ow, ea sounds – Practice pronouncing ‘book’, ‘out’, ‘snow’, ‘sea’ – Read your story aloud | Today’s lesson focused on the variant vowels ‘oo’, ‘ou’, ‘ow’, and ‘ea’. For homework, students are tasked with writing a short story that incorporates these vowel sounds, helping to reinforce their understanding. Encourage creativity and the use of new vocabulary. Remind them to read their stories aloud, which will aid in practicing pronunciation and fluency. In the next class, be prepared to listen to some of the stories and provide positive feedback on their use of variant vowels.