SSSSneaky SSSSnake


Emergent Literacy

Beth Montgomery


            In order for children to be successful in phonics, reading and spelling, they need to understand phonemes.  Children learn to recognize different phonemes and sounds by matching letters to their vocal gestures in spoken contexts.  In this lesson, children will learn the sound and spelling of /s/.  They will practice using and identifying the letter s in written and spoken content.



  1. Begin by explaining to the children that we use an alphabet system for our written language.  In order to learn the alphabet system, we have to figure out how our mouth moves with each sound.  “We have a special secret.  It helps us be able to talk to each other.  There are many sounds that work together to make this secret work.  We are going to work with one sound today, the /s/ sound.  We want to figure out how our mouth moves when we make a /s/ sound.  You have to listen really careful in the words we say to find the /s/ sound and then let’s see how our mouth moves while we make a /s/ sound.” 


  1. Ask students:  “Can you think of any animal that makes a /ssssss/ sound (a snake)?  Can everyone make the /ssssss/ sound a snake makes and wave your hand like a snake?  What do you do with mouth to make this sound? (Put your teeth together and blow air.)”


  1. “Let’s try a tongue twister (written on poster board).” “Sammy the snake is simply silly sometimes.”  Model the tongue twister first and then say it with the children.  “This time when we say the tongue twister, I want you to stretch the /s/ whenever you hear the /s/ sound and wave your hand like a snake.”  Model the tongue twister, stretching the /sssss/ sound and then have students repeat.  “SSSSammy the ssssnake issss ssssimply ssssilly ssssometimes.”  “Let’s do it one more time and this time break the /s/ sound off the word.”  Model the tongue twister first and then say it with the children.  “/S/ ammy the /s/ nake i /s/ /s/ imply /s/ illy /s/ ometimes.”   


  1. Give each student writing paper and pencil.  “Now we are going to learn how to write the letter s, which makes the /s/ sound.”  Model writing s on the board and then break each step up.  Explain to the children who might not know what the rooftop, fence, sidewalk and ditch are.  “As I write on the board, I want you to write on your paper.  Start up high at the rooftop (top of line) and begin to make c.  When you get to the fence (middle line), loop back around with a tail and finish on the sidewalk (bottom line).  Now we know that the letter s makes the /s/ sound.  Keep practicing making an s as I come around.”  The teacher should walk around and review the students’ work. 


  1. For another activity, have students practice finding the /s/ sound in different words.  “Do you hear the /s/ sound in Sat or Rat?  Sock or Clock?  Song or Ring?  Stick or Book?  Whistle or Fall?


  1. “Now, I am going to read a poem about a sneaky snake and I want you to listen for the /s/ sound.”  Read them poem aloud to students.


“Such a Sneaky Snake”

I am a slippery snake.

And I like to slither.

I can’t sit, but I can slide,

And I don’t miss a trick.

I don’t go to school, but I’m no fool.

I can’t spell, but I’m sly.

I’m such a sly, sly, sneaky snake.

I’m such a sneaky snake.


            “When I read the poem this time, I want you to wave your hand like a snake each time you hear the /s/ sound. 


  1. Give each student a copy of the poem, a piece of construction paper and markers/crayons and let them color a picture of a snake.  After they are through coloring, let the students cut out the poem and glue it to the bottom of their snake picture.  Display the children’s artwork.  While the children are working on this, read the book A Sneaky Snake’s Bedtime Prank, by Sarah. M. Hupp.


  1. In order to assess the students knowledge about the /s/ sound, give each student a worksheet with pictures on it.  Have random pictures that begin with an /s/ sound or have the /s/ sound in the middle.  Students should circle the pictures with the /s/ sound in the word.  



Book:  Hupp, Sarah M.  A Sneaky Snake’s Bedtime Prank.  Colorado;      Zondervan.  September 2003, 12 p.

          Internet Site:  Choron, Anna.  SSSSnake Talk.

Click here to return to