Drum Roll Please

Ashley Baker

Emergent Reading



I have been teaching short vowels, but my student is having trouble with the consonant D. This lesson will help children identify with /d/. They will learn to recognize /d/ in spoken words by learning meaningful representation and letter symbol and then use their own words with /d/.



Primary paper

Chart with “Dan danced with Domino the dizzy dog during the disco drums”


Hand mirrors



1. Introduce the lesson and the letter d to the students. When we say the the letter d our tongues are on the back of our top teeth, our lips are open a little bit. Now lets practice saying the letter /d/ using our hand mirrors to observe the changes our mouth makes. Pass out hand mirrors and allow them to see their mouth movements.


2. Ask: Does anyone have a dog? I know a dog named Domino. Domino and dog both begin with /d/. That’s the mouth movement we are looking for. Let’s try the sound together.


3. Let’s use a tongue twister that uses that letter. “Dan danced with Domino the dizzy dog during the disco drums.” Let’s repeat the tongue twister again. Now say it again, and this time lets stretch out the /d/ at the beginning of the words. “DDDan dddanced with DDDomino the dddizzy dddog ddduring the dddisco dddrums.” Now lets try it again but this time we will break off the /d/ in the words. “/D/an /d/anced with /D/omino the /d/izzy /d/og /d/uring the /d/isco /d/rums”.


4. Have the students take out the primary paper that is supplied and have them practice writing the letter d. Start at the fence with little c then d.


5. Now I’m going to stretch out the word hound in slow motion and I want you to listen for the /d/ we hear in Domino the dog. H-o-u-n-d.


6. Call on a student to answer which word they hear in /d/ in. Do you hear /d/ in den or room? In loud or soft? In pound or home? In cow or donkey?


7. Have the children draw a picture of Domino the dog and have them make up their own story using as many words using invented spelling with /d/ that they can.

Students should display their work.


Reference: 8. Preteaching: Moore, 1st, Ridgeland Elementary, Auburn, AL, 2008

Internet site: www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/passages/mitchellel.html