This one-time class uses the Orton Gillingham approach to study short 'U'.  It is for the beginning reader that has prior experience with all letters of the alphabet, or for a struggling reader that needs reinforcement to build a strong phonetic base, or for the reader that wants a review of short 'U'. 

There are five one time classes available to study the short vowels A, E, I, O, and U.  Each short vowel class follows the same structured 8 steps outlined below. Students will be listening, reading, spelling and writing in each lesson.  Students will use their fingers to practice sounding out and spelling letters and words.  Students will use their index finger to practice writing in the air, or on their palms.  They will feel the movement of each letter as they form it.  

Steps in every short vowel lesson:

1.   The lesson will begin with a listening skill to practice how sounds can be changed in words.  Words will be changed by one sound to make a new word. 

2.  Students will be shown a deck of flashcards with every letter of the alphabet. Students will practice saying the sounds of all the letters.  Those sounds that are unknown or said incorrectly will be reviewed.  

3.   Students will practice blending the letters to make 'nonsense words' with the short 'U'.  Reading the 'nonsense words' will show their understanding of how letters are blended together to make a word.

4.  The short 'U' will be presented on a page, and students will practice reading the page along with the class.  The short 'U' will be taught in three letter words. The words will be a Consonant-Vowel-Consonant word. (CVC word).  Students will read the words and then read them in phrases and sentences.  Students will use their fingers to practice counting out the sounds in the words, saying the sounds outloud, spelling the letters outloud, and repeat spelling the words outloud as they write the words on paper.  Students will reread the written words.

5. Students will practice writing the sounds of letters in the alphabet.  

6.  Students will practice writing other spelling words and sentences with short 'U'.

7.  A reading activity focusing on short 'U' words will be presented on a page.  Students will take turns reading the page.

8.  Lesson closure -  I will ask the students to review what they learned today, (which specific short vowel they practiced and the sound it makes, and some words that say short 'U'.)