Whitni DeNamur

   Emergent Literacy


Appetizing Apples

 Rationale: In order for children to learn to read, they must understand letters represent phonemes. Phonemes are vocal gestures that they hear.  Children often have the most trouble grasping the short vowel sounds and this can result in lower reading achievement. Children’s reading develops as they begin to understand phonemes. This lesson is designed to help children identify the short a sound in spoken words and recognize the letter representing it.


Picture of a baby crying

Worksheet with the following pictures on it: nap, cat, apple, fish, house, ant, circle, fat, ham, apricots, book, alligator, bag, tree

Pat’s Jam, Carson, CA: Educational Insights, 1990.

Primary paper (for every student)

Pencils (for every student)



  1. I will introduce the lesson with a picture of a crying baby. Children what sound does a baby make? We are going to establish that a crying baby sounds like the short a sound. We are going to all act like crying babies for a minute and then say several words with a=/a/ in them while acting like we are crying. We are going to cry out (cat, pal, nap). Children, who knows another word we could cry out with the short a sound. 
  2. Children, there are many words that have the short a sound in them. I am going to read out several of words and I want all of you to act like a crying baby when you hear this sound. I am going to say the words damp, cold, clan, flag, stop and lamp.
  3. Next I am going to read you a very tricky sentence. This is called a tongue twister. Who knows what a tongue twister is? Well, I am going to read you this one and I want you to act like a crying baby again when you hear words with that special /a/ sound. I am going to let them do it on their own and I am going to watch the children to see if they comprehend the sounds. Now we are all going to say it together.   “Ashley gave alligators appetizing apples”. We are going to read this sentence several times stretching out the /a/ sound. “Aaaashley gave aaaaaligators aaaapetizing aaaaples.”
  4. Children, we are now going to practice writing that special /a/ letter. I am going to give you all a piece of paper and a pencil. I want you to practice writing this letter.  You write this letter by going around, down, up, down monkey tail. I will demonstrate this for you while we all sing the song. “round, down, up, down, monkey tail”. I want to see yall write this letter 5 times while I walk around and look at your amazing a’s.
  5. Next, read Pat’s Jam. Read slowly and enunciate the /a/ sound while reading. Have the children cry like a baby when they hear that special sound. Watch carefully for comprehension of the sound.
  6. Finally, to assess the children, give them a worksheet with pictures on it. Have a picture of a crying baby under all of the pictures. Have the children circle the crying baby if the word has the /a/ sound in it. Some pictures to use are crab, mouse, flag, hand, bat, foot/feet, tree, and cat.

Pat’s Jam, Carson, CA: Educational Insights, 1990.

“Cry Baby”. Emergent Literacy Design: Cendy Burbic.  http://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/begin/burbicel.html

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