Vacuum with the Letter V

Emergent Literacy Design

Jase Phillips 

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Rationale: This lesson will help children identify /v/, the phoneme represented by V. Students will learn to recognize /v/ in spoken words by learning a sound analogy (vacuuming) and the letter symbol V, practice finding /v/ in words, and apply phoneme awareness with /v/ in phonetic cue reading by distinguishing rhyming words from beginning letters.

 

Materials:

1. Primary paper (I will be using the rooftop, fence, sidewalk, and ditch) and pencil

2. Tongue tickler chart with “Victor’s friend Vincent vacuums vastly”

3. Crayons and drawing paper

4. Alphabet song video (link below)

5. Dr. Suess’ ABC Book  

6. Word cards with VAC, VINE, SEE, VOTE, PAN, and VOW

7. Assessment worksheet writing the letter V and coloring objects that contain the /v/ sound (URL below)

 

Procedures:

1. Our language is like a secret code. The tricky part is how our mouths move as we say different words and letters. Today, we are going to focus on how our mouths move to make the sound of the letter V. The letter V makes the /v/ sound. The letter V looks like birds flying and /v/ sounds like a vacuum.

2. Let’s pretend to vacuum, /v/, /v/, /v/. [Act like you are vacuuming] What does my mouth do when I make the vacuum sound? To make the /v/ sound, our top teeth touch our bottom lip. Also, when we say /v/, we blow air through our top teeth.

3. Let me show you how to find /v/ in the word vase. I’m going to stretch out the word vase in slow motion, and I want you to listen for the vacuum. Vvv-a-a-ss-e. Slower: Vvv-a-a-a-sss-e. Did you hear it? I felt my teeth touch my bottom lip and air blow through my top teeth. Our vacuum /v/ is in vase.

4. Let’s try a tongue tickler [on chart]. Victor has a messy room. His friend, Vincent, loves to clean and vacuum. So, here’s our tongue tickler: “Victor’s friend Vincent vacuums vastly.” Now let’s say it again, and this time, stretch the /v/ at the beginning of the words. “Vvvictor’s friend Vvvincent vvvacuums vvvastly.” Try it again, and this time break it off the word. “/v/ ictor’s friend /v/ incent /v/ acuums /v/ astly.”

5. (Have students take out primary paper and pencil) We use the letter V to spell /v/. The capital V looks like birds flying. Let’s write the lowercase letter v. Start at the fence and draw a slanted line down and to the right to the sidewalk. Then, make a slanted line up to the right back to the fence.

6. Now, let’s see if students can hear the letter v when I say it. Do you hear /v/ in vet or pet? Vase or case? Move or tool? Very or berry? Vibe or Tribe? Say “let’s see if you can spot the mouth move /v/ in some words. Vacuum if you hear /v/: pea, vest, tall, vouch, shave, run, walk, vice.

7. Let’s learn about the letter V. Where did the letter come from? Let’s watch a video about V that says /v/ to learn more. (link below)

8. Say: “Let’s look at an alphabet book. Dr. Suess tells us about all of the letters in the alphabet, and he gives us a special tongue tickler for the letter V. Let’s read to find out what it is!” Reading the alphabet helps review previous graphemes and phonemes that the students may have learned. In the tongue tickler, draw out the /v/ in each word. “Big V, little v, what begins with v? /v/erna /v/era /v/in and her /v/iolet /v/iolin.” Next, have them make up their own super silly name using the letter V. Have each student write out their silly name with invented spelling, and they can draw a picture to go along with their name. Have them display their silly names and pictures.

9. Show VAC and model how to decide if it is vac or back. The V tells me to vacuum, /v/, so this word is vvv-ac, vac. You try some: VINE: vine or shine? SEE: veto or see? VOTE: vote or tote? PAN: van or pan? VOW: vow or wow?

10. For assessment, distribute the worksheet. Students practice drawing the letter V and color the objects that contain the /v/ sound. Give 10 minutes to work on it, and then allow the students to get into groups to discuss the objects they colored. Lastly, come together and review.

 

 

References: Connor Campbell, Shave with the letter /v/

https://csc0062.wixsite.com/readingdesigns/emergent-literacy

 

ABC Amazing Alphabet Book, Dr. Suess, Random House, 1963.

 

Alphabet song: Iken Edu, Alphabet Songs - Story Of Letter V for Nursery Kids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP3YiHuG_l0&ab_channel=IkenEdu

 

Assessment worksheet: https://www.readingbyphonics.com/worksheets/pre-school/v.pdf

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