A Lesson for the ou/ow Sound

Teaching phonics can be boring, but it is actually one of my favorite things to teach. I enjoy helping my students “break the code” of reading. But, if you do not find ways to make learning phonics fun, your students will be BORED OUT OF THEIR MINDS!

This lesson is one of my absolute favorite ways to review the ou/ow sound and make it FUN for your students!

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION by wrapping your head in a bandage. I have even had teachers reach out to me after doing this lesson that told me they brought in crutches or a neck brace that they had at home. You can go completely over the top, or very simple. Trust me, all I do is wrap this gauze wrap around my head, and they are hooked!

BE VERY DRAMATIC as you explain to your students that they will have to read through the clues to figure out what happened to you. You can hide the clues around your classroom or just open each one to read to the class.

AFTER YOU READ EACH CLUE and look for the ou/ow words in the clue, the students will write or draw their predictions on the included paper. I always call on the students to share their predictions after each clue with the class. They are so creative, and often times, absolutely hilarious. In the past, they have predicted that I was hit by a pizza delivery man, a rock fell off a cliff and landed on my head, a dog attacked me and knocked me over, and even scratched by a rabid squirrel. I have them share their new or adjusted predictions after each clue.

AFTER THEY FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED, they can use the sequencing organizer to write about it. This lesson is perfect for working on making predictions, organizing a story, and retelling a story in the correct sequence.

IT REALLY IS SUCH A FUN LESSON AND ONE THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO DO YEAR AFTER YEAR!

You can check out this whole lesson by clicking on the picture below.