The 'wh' Team: W Stands Strong!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 3:46 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn about the digraph 'wh' and how the letter 'w' keeps its sound even when 'h' is nearby through a fun story with letter puppets!

Video Resource

Digraph "wh" | by Phonics Stories™

PhonicsStories

Duration: 3:46
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Digraphs
  • Phoneme Recognition
  • Letter Sounds

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the 'wh' digraph.
  • Students will be able to produce the sound of the 'wh' digraph.
  • Students will be able to recognize words that begin with the 'wh' digraph.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Greet the students and introduce the topic: learning about the 'wh' digraph. Ask if they know what a digraph is (two letters that make one sound). Briefly explain that today, they'll learn about a special team of letters.
  • Video Viewing (5 mins)
    Play the 'Digraph "wh" | by Phonics Stories™' video. Encourage students to pay attention to how the letters 'w' and 'h' work together and the sound they make.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After the video, facilitate a discussion about what they saw. Ask questions about the characters (W and H) and the sounds they make.
  • Word Practice (10 mins)
    Introduce a list of words starting with 'wh' (whale, when, what, where, white). Say each word clearly and have the students repeat. Use flashcards or pictures to help them visualize the words.
  • Activity: 'wh' Sound Hunt (10 mins)
    Hide pictures of objects that start with 'wh' around the room (e.g., whale, wheel). Have students search for the pictures and say the word when they find it. This reinforces the 'wh' sound and word recognition.
  • Wrap-up and Review (5 mins)
    Quickly review the key concepts. Ask students to name words that begin with 'wh'. Praise their efforts and participation.

Interactive Exercises

  • 'wh' Word Building
    Provide letter tiles or blocks and have students try to build words that begin with 'wh'.
  • 'wh' Sound Matching
    Prepare a worksheet with pictures, some starting with 'wh' and some that don't. Have students circle the pictures that begin with the 'wh' sound.

Discussion Questions

  • What sound does the 'wh' digraph make?
  • Can you think of any other words that start with 'wh'?
  • Why did W not want to change it's sound?

Skills Developed

  • Phoneme recognition
  • Auditory discrimination
  • Vocabulary building
  • Active Listening

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What sound does 'wh' make in the word 'whale'?

Correct Answer: /wh/

Question 2:

Which picture shows something that starts with the 'wh' sound?

Correct Answer: A picture of a whale

Question 3:

What two letters make the 'wh' sound?

Correct Answer: w and h

Question 4:

Which of these words starts with the 'wh' sound like 'whale'?

Correct Answer: When

Question 5:

In the video, what letter does H want W to change his sound to?

Correct Answer: W never changes his sound

Question 6:

What is it called when two letters make a sound together?

Correct Answer: Digraph

Question 7:

Which word from the video starts with wh?

Correct Answer: When

Question 8:

If a word starts with wh, what sound will you hear at the beginning?

Correct Answer: The /wh/ sound

Question 9:

Which of these is NOT a word that starts with 'wh'?

Correct Answer: Sun

Question 10:

Who is trying to convince W to change its sound?

Correct Answer: H

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

The letters ____ and h make the /wh/ sound.

Correct Answer: w

Question 2:

A big animal that starts with 'wh' is a ____.

Correct Answer: whale

Question 3:

What, when, and where all start with _____.

Correct Answer: wh

Question 4:

The /wh/ sound is a ______ because it uses two letters.

Correct Answer: digraph

Question 5:

In the video, letter W loves to make its own sound, ____.

Correct Answer: w

Question 6:

When you want to know something, you might ask ____?

Correct Answer: what

Question 7:

If you are wondering when something will happen, you are asking ____?

Correct Answer: when

Question 8:

W makes his own sound even when he is standing next to _____.

Correct Answer: H

Question 9:

The video practices some words, like when, we, and _____.

Correct Answer: whale

Question 10:

The letter W loves his sound just the way it _____.

Correct Answer: is

Educational Standards

PK.2.PWS.3:Students will produce some sounds represented by letters. PK.2.PA.4:Students will isolate the common initial sound when given a set of alliterative spoken words (e.g., the puppy pounces). PK.1.L.1:Students will actively listen using agreed-upon rules with prompting. PK.3.R.2:Students will answer basic questions (e.g., who, what, where, and when) about texts, photographs, or illustrations during shared reading or other text experiences with prompting. PK.4.R.3:Students will begin to acquire new vocabulary and relate new words to prior knowledge.

Teaching Materials

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