A is for Awesome: Learning Long and Short A Sounds!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 6:25 Video
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Lesson Description

Let's explore the letter A and its two special sounds! Join Mrs. Smarty and the letter A to learn when 'A' says its name and when it makes a different sound.

Video Resource

Vowel "a" - Long and Short Sounds | by Phonics Stories™

PhonicsStories

Duration: 6:25
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • The letter 'A' has two main sounds: long and short.
  • The long 'A' sound sounds like the letter's name.
  • The short 'A' sound is different from the letter's name.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the long and short sounds of the letter 'A'.
  • Students will be able to differentiate between words with the long 'A' sound and words with the short 'A' sound.
  • Students will be able to participate in sound practice activities.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Greet the students and introduce the topic: learning about the letter 'A' and its sounds. Ask if anyone knows the letter 'A' and what sounds it makes.
  • Video Viewing (7 mins)
    Play the 'Vowel “a” - Long and Short Sounds | by Phonics Stories™' video. Encourage students to watch carefully and listen to Mrs. Smarty and the letter 'A'.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After the video, ask students what they learned about the letter 'A'. Remind them that 'A' has a long sound (says its name) and a short sound. Ask them to name the characters in the video.
  • Sound Practice (8 mins)
    Lead the students in practicing saying the long and short 'A' sounds. Use simple words from the video or create new ones (e.g., 'ape,' 'ant,' 'cake,' 'apple'). Encourage them to repeat the sounds and words after you.
  • Activity: A Sound Sort (10 mins)
    Prepare picture cards of objects with long 'A' sounds (e.g., cake, grape, train) and short 'A' sounds (e.g., apple, ant, cat). Have the students sort the pictures into two groups: Long A and Short A. (Provide support and guidance.)

Interactive Exercises

  • Sound Imitation
    Have the children imitate the long and short 'a' sounds with different silly voices (e.g., a squeaky mouse 'A!', a grumpy bear 'a').
  • Word Clap
    Say a word (e.g., 'cat', 'cake'). If it has the short 'a' sound, children clap once. If it has the long 'a' sound, children clap twice.

Discussion Questions

  • What are the names of the characters in the video?
  • What does the letter 'A' sound like when it says its name?
  • Can you name a word that has the short 'A' sound?

Skills Developed

  • Phonological awareness
  • Auditory discrimination
  • Vocabulary development

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What is the long sound of letter A?

Correct Answer: Says its name

Question 2:

What is a word with a short A sound?

Correct Answer: apple

Question 3:

What is a word with a long A sound?

Correct Answer: ape

Question 4:

Who is the teacher in the video?

Correct Answer: Mrs. Smarty

Question 5:

In the video, the short 'a' sound likes to do what?

Correct Answer: Sneeze

Question 6:

Is the 'a' in 'cat' long or short?

Correct Answer: Short

Question 7:

Is the 'a' in 'cake' long or short?

Correct Answer: Long

Question 8:

What are A, E, I, O, U called?

Correct Answer: Vowels

Question 9:

In the video, 'A' said it was a what?

Correct Answer: Troublemaker

Question 10:

Does the letter A like to change its sounds?

Correct Answer: Yes

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

The long 'A' sound says its ______.

Correct Answer: name

Question 2:

The short 'A' sound is in the word ______.

Correct Answer: ant

Question 3:

The long 'A' sound is in the word ______.

Correct Answer: ape

Question 4:

In the video, Mrs. ______ taught about letter A.

Correct Answer: Smarty

Question 5:

The letter A is a _________.

Correct Answer: vowel

Question 6:

We use our _______ to make letter sounds.

Correct Answer: mouth

Question 7:

A is the first _______ of the alphabet.

Correct Answer: letter

Question 8:

In the video, 'A' said they liked to ______ the kids.

Correct Answer: trick

Question 9:

The short 'a' sound loves to _______.

Correct Answer: sneeze

Question 10:

In 'cane', the A sounds _______.

Correct Answer: long

Educational Standards

PK.2.PWS.3:Students will produce some sounds represented by letters. PK.2.PA.2:Students will recognize spoken words that rhyme (e.g., wall & fall). PK.3.R.3:Students will identify characters in a story with prompting.

Teaching Materials

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