Teaching Short-Vowel Discrimination Using Dr. Seuss Rhymes

Overview

Featured Resources

From Theory to Practice

 

OVERVIEW

The study of common rimes, or word families, is vital to students' early reading and writing skills. Through the contrast of short-vowel patterns, this lesson supports first- and second-grade students' use of analogy to apply their knowledge of vowel sounds in reading and spelling new words. The integration of Dr. Seuss rhymes creates an engaging study of onsets and rimes. Students will discover patterns in words, sort words based on their vowel patterns, and apply their knowledge in reading and writing activities.

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FEATURED RESOURCES

• Pup in Cup: Your students will love using this worksheet to cut out each section and glue it onto a piece of construction paper so they can practice reading the sentences aloud with a partner.
  
  
• Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss: Your students will be excited to hear this tale read aloud, including its familiar, engaging rhymes

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Johnston, Francine R. (1999). The timing and teaching of word families. The Reading Teacher, 53(1), 64–75.

• The study of common rimes helps students learn to hear, see, and develop analogy to read and write new words.
  
  
• Contrasting word families with different vowel sounds can help children discriminate between vowel sounds in their writing.
  
  
• In the study of word families, reading and spelling words are integrally related as processes that reinforce each other and have a common source of knowledge.

   

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