Parent guide · Grade 1 Phonics & Reading: Long Vowels and Many Words · Unit 5
Lesson 5.1 oa, ow and oe
Written for the parent. Read the Say this lines aloud as they are, or in your own words. Answers for you are marked Listen for.
At a glance
- Time
- 5 sessions of 15–20 minutes
- Goal
- I can say /ō/ when I see oa (as in boat ), and write it. I can say /ō/ and /ow/ when I see ow (as in snow, cow ), and write it. I can say /ō/ when I see oe (as in toe ), and write it. I can tap and blend words such as boat , goat , road . I can read the heart words four , door , floor and say which part is learned by heart. I can read “The Crow and the Fox” and tell it back.
- You need
- Sound cards (printables pack)
- Heart-word cards (printables pack)
- Primary-ruled paper and a pencil
- A King James Bible
- the lesson page (it also has a short video (4:22) and an explainer to read aloud (about 12 minutes))
Steps
Do this: /ō/ as in boat: oa in the middle (boat), ow and oe at the end (snow, toe). ow can also say /ow/ (cow); we try /ō/ first, then /ow/.
Do this: New sound: oa. Show the card and say: “This says /ō/, as in boat.” Your child says it three times, then writes it in the air, on the table with a finger, and on paper. Then play a quick ears game: you say words and your child gives a thumbs up whenever /ō/ is in the word.
Do this: New sound: ow. Show the card and say: “This says /ō/ and /ow/, as in snow, cow.” Your child says it three times, then writes it in the air, on the table with a finger, and on paper. Then play a quick ears game: you say words and your child gives a thumbs up whenever /ō/ and /ow/ is in the word.
Do this: New sound: oe. Show the card and say: “This says /ō/, as in toe.” Your child says it three times, then writes it in the air, on the table with a finger, and on paper. Then play a quick ears game: you say words and your child gives a thumbs up whenever /ō/ is in the word.
Do this: Tap and blend. For each word your child touches each letter (or letter team) and says its sound, then sweeps a finger under the whole word and says it smoothly. Never guess from the first letter or a picture. If a word is misread, point to the part that was missed and blend again from the start.
Do this: Spell it. Say a word. Your child says it back, taps the sounds on his or her fingers, then writes one letter (or letter team) for each sound. Check together, sound by sound.
Do this: Heart words. A heart word is mostly regular. We tap it like any other word, and draw a heart over the one part that does not follow the rules we know yet. Practise the heart words on cards every day this week (see the table below).
Do this: The week at a glance. Day 1: warm-up, new sound, handwriting. Day 2: card review, word lists, spelling. Day 3: second new sound or more words, heart words. Day 4: read the story, talk about it. Day 5: reread the story for fluency, play the game, quick check (10 words, 1 sentence, 5 spelling words). Read the read-aloud at another time of day.
New cards:
- oa says /ō/, as in boat. Make a sound card: write oa on the front and draw a boat on the back.
- ow says /ō/ and /ow/, as in snow, cow. Make a sound card: write ow on the front and draw a snow on the back.
- oe says /ō/, as in toe. Make a sound card: write oe on the front and draw a toe on the back.
Show: Blend boat.
Say this: “Touch and say: /b/ /oa/ /t/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: boat . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: boat
Show: Blend goat.
Say this: “Touch and say: /g/ /oa/ /t/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: goat . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: goat
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: boat · goat · road · soap
Listen for: boat = b | oa | t; goat = g | oa | t; road = r | oa | d; soap = s | oa | p
Ask: Read: coat · snow · grow · show
Listen for: coat = c | oa | t; snow = s | n | ow; grow = g | r | ow; show = sh | ow
Ask: Read: slow · crow · toe · hoe
Listen for: slow = s | l | ow; crow = c | r | ow; toe = t | oe; hoe = h | oe
4 more practice items on the lesson page.
- Reading each letter of a vowel team separately. The two letters work together for one sound.
- Guessing from the first letter or the picture. Cover the picture and ask the child to tap every sound.
- Copy: Do not trust the fox.
- Use the ball-and-stick lines: tall letters touch the top line, short letters touch the middle line, tails go below the base line.
Copywork: Write each word once, saying the sounds as you write: boat, goat, road, soap, coat, snow.
Word Sounds Heart part four /f/ /or/ ♥ our says /or/ door /d/ /or/ ♥ oor says /or/ floor /f/ /l/ /or/ ♥ oor says /or/ The Crow and the Fox
A black crow had a bit of cheese in the beak. She sat on a branch of an oak.
A fox came by. "Crow, you are so fine! Your coat is so black and so sleek. I bet you can sing a fine song as well."
The crow was so pleased! She gave a big ... croak! The cheese fell from the beak.
The fox got the cheese and ran. "A fine coat, but no wits!" Do not trust one who brags on you to get his way.
Retold from Aesop. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: cheese.
Every word in this story uses only the sounds and heart words taught so far (checked by the School Launch decodability checker). Read a page a day on Days 3 and 4, and the whole story on Day 5.
- What did the crow have?
Answer
A piece of cheese.
- What did the fox say to her?
Answer
That she was beautiful and could surely sing.
- What happened when she sang?
Answer
The cheese fell and the fox took it.
- What is the lesson?
Answer
Do not trust flatterers.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
- What did the crow have?
Aesop: The Fox and the Crow. Read the original.
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Make a road of oa, ow and oe cards across the floor. Drive a toy car along it, reading each card.
Say this: “Tell me the new sounds you learned this week, and read me one word.”
Listen for: I can say /ō/ when I see oa (as in boat ), and write it.; I can say /ō/ and /ow/ when I see ow (as in snow, cow ), and write it.; I can say /ō/ when I see oe (as in toe ), and write it.; I can tap and blend words such as boat , goat , road .; I can read the heart words four , door , floor and say which part is learned by heart.; I can read “The Crow and the Fox” and tell it back.
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
This week: Steady pace. Do not race. Take a breath at the end of each line, then go on.
- Day 1: The teacher says it twice; the child echoes it one line at a time.
- Days 2–4: Say it together each morning; drop one line of help each day.
- Day 5: Say the reference, then the verse, then the reference again. Stand up and say it alone for the family.
A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.
Flattery is a trap.
Spread over the week
5 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.
- Session 1. Warm-up, then teach the new idea (steps 1 and 2).
- Session 2. Warm-up again, then show how with the examples.
- Session 3. Practice together, then play the game.
- Session 4. More practice, handwriting and reading, and the daily habit.
- Session 5. Quick check: narration and a few practice items. Move on when it is mostly right.
For you
For families. Keep each session short and cheerful: 15 to 20 minutes, then stop. If your child is tired or frustrated, stop and finish tomorrow. A lesson can take more than a week; move on when the quick check on Day 5 is mostly “Got it.”