Exploring the Letter O with ABCmouse: A Shanty Adventure!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 2:55 Video
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Lesson Description

Join Otto the otter and Ollie the owl as we discover words that start with the letter 'O' through a fun, sing-along shanty!

Video Resource

"The Letter O Song" by ABCmouse.com

ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy

Duration: 2:55
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Letter Recognition (Uppercase and Lowercase 'O')
  • Phonological Awareness (Sound of 'O' at the beginning of words)
  • Vocabulary Building ('O' words like otter, owl, olives)
  • Rhyming

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the letter 'O' (uppercase and lowercase).
  • Students will be able to pronounce the sound of 'O' at the beginning of simple words.
  • Students will be able to recognize and name at least three words that start with the letter 'O'.
  • Students will be able to recognize rhyming words within the lyrics of the song.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Greet students and introduce the letter 'O'. Show a large uppercase 'O' and lowercase 'o'. Ask if anyone knows what letter it is. Briefly discuss things that are round like the letter 'O'.
  • Watch the Video (3 mins)
    Play 'The Letter O Song' video from ABCmouse. Encourage students to sing along and dance.
  • Discussion and 'O' Word Exploration (7 mins)
    After the video, ask students about the animals and objects they saw in the song that started with 'O'. List the words on a whiteboard or large paper (Otter, Otto, Ocean, Oak, Ollie, Oliver, Ohio, Olives, Owen, Overalls, Overcoat, Oom-pah-pah, Oink, Ouch, Okra, Orchestra, Octopus, Oh No, Olivia, Ooze). Encourage them to say the words aloud. Talk about what each thing is.
  • Rhyme Time (5 mins)
    Ask the students what rhymes they remember from the song. Circle the words that rhyme on the white board, such as 'Olly' and 'golly', and explain why they rhyme.
  • Activity: 'O' is for...
    Give each student a piece of paper and crayons. Have them draw a picture of something that starts with the letter 'O'. Help them label their drawing with the letter 'O' and the name of the object.
  • Shanty Dance (5 mins)
    Play the song again and have the students do a 'shanty dance'. Explain that shanties are sea songs that sailors sing. Encourage them to sway back and forth like they're on a boat, and clap.
  • Wrap Up (2 mins)
    Quickly review the letter 'O' and some of the words learned. Praise the children for their participation.

Interactive Exercises

  • 'O' Object Hunt
    Hide objects around the room that start with 'O' (e.g., orange, ornament). Have students find them and say the name of each object, emphasizing the 'O' sound.
  • 'O' Tracing
    Provide worksheets with dotted lines forming the letter 'O' (uppercase and lowercase). Have students trace the letters.

Discussion Questions

  • What was your favorite part of the song?
  • What animals did you see that start with the letter 'O'?
  • Can you think of anything else that starts with 'O'?
  • What is a rhyme?

Skills Developed

  • Letter Recognition
  • Phonological Awareness
  • Vocabulary Development
  • Fine Motor Skills

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What letter did we learn about today?

Correct Answer: O

Question 2:

An _____ swims in the ocean.

Correct Answer: Otter

Question 3:

What sound does the letter 'O' make in 'Otter'?

Correct Answer: /O/

Question 4:

Are we ready to learn the letter 'P'?

Correct Answer: no

Question 5:

What does the letter O look like?

Correct Answer: a circle

Question 6:

Does the letter O have a sound?

Correct Answer: yes

Question 7:

What is an Olive?

Correct Answer: a type of fruit

Question 8:

Does Olly the Owl live in a house?

Correct Answer: no

Question 9:

Did Owen wear shoes?

Correct Answer: no

Question 10:

Did Olivia like her eggs over easy?

Correct Answer: no

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

_____ is the letter we learned today.

Correct Answer: O

Question 2:

An _____ has a round face.

Correct Answer: owl

Question 3:

_____, odelay, odelay—oh!

Correct Answer: Odelay

Question 4:

Olly the owl lived in an _____ tree.

Correct Answer: oak

Question 5:

The tuba goes _____!

Correct Answer: oom-pah-pah

Question 6:

Ohio is a _____.

Correct Answer: state

Question 7:

______ said oink!

Correct Answer: Piggy

Question 8:

When you get a boo-boo, you say ____!

Correct Answer: ouch

Question 9:

Oliver liked eating ____!

Correct Answer: olives

Question 10:

Olivia ate _____!

Correct Answer: eggs

Educational Standards

PK.2.PWS.2:Students will name a majority of uppercase and lowercase letters. PK.2.PA.2:Students will recognize spoken words that rhyme (e.g., wall & fall). PK.2.F.2:Students will chorally recite familiar texts (e.g., rhymes, songs, poetry, etc.). PK.4.R.3:Students will begin to acquire new vocabulary and relate new words to prior knowledge. PK.1.L.1:Students will actively listen using agreed-upon rules with prompting.

Teaching Materials

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