October Operations

Beginning Reading

Kayla Jones


1. Poster for Tongue twister: In October, Oscar the ox operated on the octopus.

2. Flash Cards with words: shop, hit, cop, frog, clock, fast, frost, and strong.

3. Letter Boxes and Letter[s,h,l,o,t,c,f,r,g,c,k,a,s,t,n] per child.

4. Document Camera or Overhead

5. Book Doc in the Fog [per child]

6. Cover-up Critter

7. Student's notebook and pencil [per child]


1. Say: In order for us to become excellent readers we need to learn the code that tells us how to pronounce words. We have already learned how to read words with short vowel words of a, e, and I such as snack, bell, and pig.

2. Today we are going to learn about the short /o/. [Pull out the poster with the tongue twister on it: In October, Oscar the ox operated on the octopus. ]I am going to read a sentence, listen for the /o/ sound as I read. In October, Oscar the ox operated on the octopus. Now let's read it together.  Did you hear the /o/ in the sentence? Can you tell me what words have /o/ in them?

3.Say before we can spell /o/, we need to listen for it in some /o/ words, When I say /o/ in words, my lips open wide and my tongue stays still. I will show you how first; fl-oooo--p. Yes, I hear the /o/ in flop. Let's try one more, foot. My mouth did not open wide with this one. Now you try, pop or sat, pet or knob, cat or hot.

4. Letter Box Lesson: Now we are going to practice spelling words that have /o/ in them. I will first model how to spell using the Elknonin boxes and letter tiles on the overhead. First I l will show you how to spell the words out in the Elkonin Boxes. Each phoneme will get its on box. For example, I am going to spell plop. P-L-O-P. Now you can practice some on your own.

3-shop, hit, cop

4-frog, clock, fast

5-frost, strong

5. I will now use the document camera so the students can read the flashcards Class, now I am going to let you read the words you all have just spelled. I will show you how to read on of the tough words first. [Display the word Frost] I am going to use my cover-up critter to get the first part. Fr-ooo. [Uncover s]-ssss [Uncover t]-t. Frost. Class read frost with me. FROST. Okay, now its is your turn to practice spelling. [Have class read the words off the flash cards until the list is complete.

6. You all have done a great job reading our new sound /o/. Now we are going to read a book called Doc in the Fog. Doc is a magical wizard. He liked to show that he could use magic to change one object into something else. For example, he turns the mop into a doll, the doll into a top. He is going to turn the dog into something, but you will have to read to find out what the dog Is turned into.

7. Have students pair up with a partner to read Doc in the Fog. After the class is finished regroup as a class and reread he book altogether and ask questions before turning the page such as what do you think will happen next or what will the pot turn  into?

8. For the assessment: I will have students write a message in their journal as an extension of the reading. Student should use the prompt, If I were a Doc in the fog, what I would turn myself into. [Collect notebooks at the end of the day and evaluate their responses]


Bruce Murray. Reading Genie website. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/

Lindsey Stewart. Jog through the Fog. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/invitations/stewartbr.htm

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