Unlocking 'U': A Phonics Adventure with Long and Short U Sounds!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 6:09 Video
Print Lesson Plan Watch Video

Lesson Description

Join Mrs. Smarty and the letter U as we explore the long and short sounds of the vowel 'U' through a fun puppet show and interactive activities!

Video Resource

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

PhonicsStories

Duration: 6:09
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Vowels
  • Long 'U' sound
  • Short 'U' sound

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the letter 'U' as a vowel.
  • Students will be able to differentiate between the long and short sounds of the letter 'U'.
  • Students will be able to pronounce words containing the long and short 'U' sounds.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students what they know about vowels. Introduce the letter 'U' as the vowel of the day. Tell them they're going to watch a fun video about the letter U and its sounds.
  • Video Viewing (8 mins)
    Play the "Vowel 'u' - Long and Short Sounds" video by Phonics Stories™.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After watching the video, engage students in a discussion about the letter 'U', its two sounds, and the words presented in the video.
  • Interactive Activity: 'U' Sound Sort (10 mins)
    Prepare flashcards with pictures representing words with long and short 'U' sounds (e.g., cube, cut, tub, cute). Have students sort the flashcards into two groups: long 'U' sound and short 'U' sound. Guide them as needed, pronouncing the words clearly.
  • Craft Activity: Umbrella Creation (12 mins)
    Provide each student with construction paper, crayons, and scissors. Have them create their own umbrella. Encourage them to draw items that begin with either a long or short U sound on their umbrellas (e.g., 'utensils' for short 'U' or 'unicorn' for long 'U').

Interactive Exercises

  • 'U' Sound Sort
    Students sort picture cards of words with long and short 'U' sounds.
  • Umbrella Craft
    Students create an umbrella and draw pictures related to the 'U' sound on it.

Discussion Questions

  • What are the vowels?
  • What are the two sounds that letter U makes?
  • Can you think of other words with the long 'U' sound?
  • Can you think of other words with the short 'U' sound?

Skills Developed

  • Phonemic awareness
  • Letter recognition
  • Listening comprehension
  • Fine motor skills

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What is the letter we learned about today?

Correct Answer: U

Question 2:

What is the letter we learned about called?

Correct Answer: Vowel

Question 3:

What is the sound of 'U' in the word 'cut'?

Correct Answer: Short U

Question 4:

What is the sound of 'U' in the word 'cube'?

Correct Answer: Long U

Question 5:

What did the letter U have with her?

Correct Answer: An Umbrella

Question 6:

What word was spelled with the long U sound?

Correct Answer: Cube

Question 7:

What word was spelled with the short U sound?

Correct Answer: Cut

Question 8:

What does the letter U say?

Correct Answer: Ah

Question 9:

What is the sound of U in umbrella?

Correct Answer: Short U

Question 10:

How many sounds does the letter U make?

Correct Answer: Three

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A, E, I, O, and ___ are vowels.

Correct Answer: U

Question 2:

The letter U likes to say ____.

Correct Answer: uh

Question 3:

The long U sounds like you say the letter's ____.

Correct Answer: name

Question 4:

An example of a long U word is ____.

Correct Answer: cute

Question 5:

An example of a short U word is ____.

Correct Answer: cut

Question 6:

The letter U likes to use her ____ when it rains.

Correct Answer: umbrella

Question 7:

In the video Mrs. Smarty and Letter U are ____.

Correct Answer: friends

Question 8:

Letter U is ready for ____ weather.

Correct Answer: bad

Question 9:

Cube starts with the letter ____.

Correct Answer: U

Question 10:

The vowels are ____.

Correct Answer: a,e,i,o,u

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. PK.1.L.1:Students will actively listen using agreed-upon rules with prompting.

Teaching Materials

Download ready-to-use materials for this lesson:

Student Worksheet Classroom Slides Assessment Quiz
Add to Google Classroom

User Actions

Sign in to save this lesson plan to your favorites.

Sign In

Share This Lesson

Related Lesson Plans