Emergent Literacy Lesson

A Zoo Full of Z's

By: Miss Sara Mann

Rationale: This lesson will help students identify the phoneme /z/ represented by the letter Z. Students will learn to recognize the /z/ sound in spoken word by learning a meaningful representation (buzzing like a bee) and learning the letter symbol Z. Students will practice finding /z/ in words and apply phoneme awareness with /z/ in phonetic cue reading by distinguishing rhyming words by beginning letters. They will develop grapheme-phoneme correspondence through listening and writing exercises.

Materials:

Picture of Z

Picture of a bee

Chart with tongue tickler: Zippy the Zebra zoomed through the zoo

Primary paper

Pencils

Pictures of zipper, a mouse, a zoo, a dog, and a zebra on large flashcards

Chart with lyrics to Zany Z’s

Worksheets (attached)

Crayons

Procedure:

1. Say: “Today we are going to learn about the letter Z and the /z/ sound that it makes. (show picture of Z) When I hear the letter Z, I think of a bumblebee buzzing. (show picture of bee and put pointer finger and thumb together to represent a bee and pantomime a bee flying around while saying /z/z/z/z/) When we say /z/, the tip of our tongue touches our teeth and vibrates, it might even tickle. Can you try to buzz like a bee? (have students put fingers together and buzz round like a bee) Every time we hear /z/ or see a Z, I want you to buzz like a bumblebee.”

2. Say: “I’m going to show you how to find the /z/ sound in different words. Listen while I say the word zebra: Z-e-b-r-a. (slower) Z-e-b-r-a. Did you hear the bumblebee buzz sound in zebra? How about in the word zoom? Z-oo-m. (slower) Z-oo-m. I heard it! I could hear the bumblebee buzz when I said zebra and zoom.”

3. Show tongue tickler chart. Say: “Repeat after me. Zippy the Zebra zoomed through the zoo. (wait for students to repeat) Now we are going to say it three times together: Zippy the Zebra zoomed through the zoo. Zippy the Zebra zoomed through the zoo. Zippy the Zebra zoomed through the zoo. Now say it again, but this time stretch the /z/ sound at the beginning of the words. Zzzippy the Zzzebra zzzoomed through the zzzoo.

4. Say: “We use the letter Z to spell the /z/ sound. (draw capital Z on the board) Capital Z looks like a big zig-zag, so we can think about a bee buzzing in a zig-zag. (put pointer finger and thumb together and pantomime bee buzzing in a zig-zag formation) Can you make your bee buzz in a zig-zag? (draw lowercase z on the board) Lowercase z looks like a little zig-zag. (put pointer finger and thumb together and pantomime bee buzzing in a smaller zig-zag formation)

5. Say: “Now you are going to practice writing Z. (give students primary paper and a pencil) To write a capital Z, we start on the rooftop. Take two steps across the rooftop and then make a crooked line down to the sidewalk. Now that we are on the sidewalk take two steps across. I want you to practice writing ten Z’s. (allow students time to write ten Z’s)

6. Say: “Writing lowercase z is just like writing capital Z except we start at the fence. We make a line across the fence, then a crooked line down to the sidewalk. Now that we are on the sidewalk we take a step across. Can you practice writing lowercase z? I will come around to look at your z’s. (allow students time to write ten z’s)

7. Say: “Now I am going to ask you some questions. If you think you know the answer, raise your hand and I will call on someone. Do you hear the /z/ sound in zoo or too? In zero or hero? In zoom or room? In zone or phone?”

8. Say: “In this activity, I am going to show you some pictures. Some of the pictures will be things that have the /z/ sound in the word. If you hear the /z/ sound I want you to put your bumblebee in the air. (put pointer finger and thumb together and raise it up to demonstrate) Let’s begin. (show pictures of a zipper, a mouse, a zoo, a dog, and a zebra and give students time to think and respond)

9. Say: “Now that you understand the /z/ sound, we are going to sing a song that let’s you practice the /z/ sound.” (show Zany Z’s lyrics on chart or overhead) Sing once through so children can hear it. “Let’s sing together and when you hear the /z/ sound put your bumblebee in the air.”

10. For assessment, give students worksheet and crayons. Have students color the items that begin with Z and write z at the beginning of the word. Check each students worksheets to assess understanding of the letter Z and the phoneme /z/.

Zany Z's

(Tune: London Bridge)

Zany Z's are zipping by,

Zipping by, zipping by.

Zany Z's are zipping by,

Zip! Zap! Zoom!

Zany zebras are zipping by,

Zipping by, zipping by.

Zany zebras are zipping by,

Zip! Zap! Zoom!

Worksheets:

http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/learning-letters/z.htm