Unlocking the Letter U: A Pre-K Phonics Adventure

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 5:03 Video
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Lesson Description

Embark on a phonics journey to discover the letter U with Jack Hartmann! This lesson helps Pre-K students identify the letter U, learn its sounds (short and long), and practice writing it.

Video Resource

Learn The Letter U | Let's Learn About The Alphabet | Phonics Song for Kids | Jack Hartmann

Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel

Duration: 5:03
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Letter Recognition (Uppercase and Lowercase U)
  • Phoneme Recognition (Short and Long U sounds)
  • Letter Formation (Writing U)

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the uppercase and lowercase letter U.
  • Students will be able to produce the short and long vowel sounds of the letter U.
  • Students will be able to mimic the formation of the uppercase and lowercase letter U in the air.
  • Students will be able to recognize words that begin or contain the letter U and its sounds.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by greeting the students and introducing the letter of the day: U. Ask if anyone knows any words that start with U. Show a picture of an uppercase and lowercase U and ask children to identify if they've seen it before.
  • Video Time! (5 mins)
    Play the Jack Hartmann 'Learn the Letter U' video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF59Xs60uRM). Encourage students to sing along, do the actions (writing in the air), and repeat the letter sounds.
  • Letter U Sound Practice (5 mins)
    After the video, review the short and long sounds of U. Use flashcards or pictures of words from the video (uncle, up, unicorn, uniform) to practice saying the sounds and identifying the letter U in the words.
  • Writing U in the Air (5 mins)
    Guide students in writing the uppercase and lowercase U in the air, following Jack Hartmann's examples from the video. Emphasize the correct formation of each letter.
  • U Sound Word Hunt (5 mins)
    Have students brainstorm other words that start with or contain the letter U (e.g., under, umbrella, cut, cube). Write these words on the board and emphasize the U sound in each word.
  • Game: 'U' or Not 'U'? (5 mins)
    Show students pictures of various objects. If the object's name contains the 'U' sound, they jump up and down. If it doesn't, they stay still. This reinforces auditory discrimination of the 'U' sound.

Interactive Exercises

  • U Coloring Page
    Provide students with a coloring page featuring the uppercase and lowercase U, along with pictures of objects that start with the letter U (e.g., umbrella, unicorn). Encourage them to color the pictures and practice saying the words.
  • Sensory U Writing
    Fill a tray with sand or shaving cream. Have students practice writing the uppercase and lowercase U in the tray, using their fingers. This provides a tactile learning experience.

Discussion Questions

  • What are some words that start with the letter U?
  • Can you make the short sound of 'U'?
  • Can you make the long sound of 'U'?
  • How do you write a big 'U' in the air?
  • How do you write a small 'u' in the air?

Skills Developed

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

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which letter is this: U?

Correct Answer: Yes

Question 2:

Which picture starts with the short 'u' sound, like 'up'?

Correct Answer: Uncle

Question 3:

Which picture starts with the long 'u' sound, like 'unicorn'?

Correct Answer: Unicorn

Question 4:

Is 'umbrella' a U word?

Correct Answer: Yes

Question 5:

What does a unicorn wear in the video?

Correct Answer: Uniform

Question 6:

Is U a vowel?

Correct Answer: Yes

Question 7:

Which animal plays the bugle in the video?

Correct Answer: Bunny

Question 8:

What do the bug and slug play in?

Correct Answer: Mud

Question 9:

In the song, what does the unicorn ride?

Correct Answer: Unicycle

Question 10:

What did you learn about today?

Correct Answer: Letter U

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A _______ is always glad to see us. (uncle, up, uniform)

Correct Answer: uncle

Question 2:

The unicorn wears a _______. (unicorn, up, uniform)

Correct Answer: uniform

Question 3:

Write the letter that was learned about today: _____. (U, I, A)

Correct Answer: U

Question 4:

The bug and slug jump, ____, ____ (up, jump, down)

Correct Answer: jump

Question 5:

An uncle is an ______. (Umpire, Bugle, Unicorn)

Correct Answer: umpire

Question 6:

The bunny that was ______ played a bugle (Cute, Long, Small)

Correct Answer: Cute

Question 7:

They pick me _____. (Up, Under, Upon)

Correct Answer: Up

Question 8:

Listen for the short sound _____ (U, I, O)

Correct Answer: U

Question 9:

The bunny played a ____ (Mule, Bugle, Music)

Correct Answer: Bugle

Question 10:

She rode a _____ (Bike, Skateboard, Unicycle)

Correct Answer: Unicycle

Educational Standards

PK.2.PWS.2:Students will name a majority of uppercase and lowercase letters. PK.2.PWS.3:Students will produce some sounds represented by letters. PK.2.PC.6:Students will begin to write some uppercase and lowercase letters including the majority of the letters in their first name with prompting. PK.2.PA.4:Students will isolate the common initial sound when given a set of alliterative spoken words (e.g., the puppy pounces).

Teaching Materials

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