Module 2- Short a- Language Arts 1 - Course Guide

Module Overview:

In this module, learners will focus on the short /a/ sound, learning to hear it in words and connect it to the letter a. They will practice reading and building simple words like cat and map, blending sounds, and recognizing rhymes. Learners will also build vocabulary using context clues and begin identifying nouns in sentences. As they read stories, they’ll describe the characters, setting, and key story events to strengthen comprehension and writing skills.

Module Materials:

Lesson #	Lesson Title	Material(s)
1	2.1 Short a	Spelling Notebook Handwriting Notebook Journal Notebook Words of the Week Notebook Sound Notebook scissors glue
2	2.2 Short a	Spelling Notebook Handwriting Notebook Journal Notebook scissors glue crayons or colored pencils (assorted colors)
3	2.3 Short a	Spelling Notebook Handwriting Notebook Journal Notebook scissors sand, glitter, or gel resealable plastic bag glue sensory writing bag (see Learning Coach Notes)
4	2.4 Short a	Spelling Notebook Handwriting Notebook Journal Notebook
5	2.5 Short a	Spelling Notebook Handwriting Notebook Journal Notebook

Module Objectives:

Lesson #	Lesson Title	Objective(s)
1	2.1 Short a	Distinguish the initial phoneme in words with the /a/ sound. Recognize the grapheme a as representing the /a/ phoneme. Use context clues to define tier II vocabulary words. Identify characters and their traits in a text.
2	2.2 Short a	Construct a word by blending two syllables together. Distinguish the medial /a/ phoneme in CVC words. Identify nouns. Describe the setting of a story.
3	2.3 Short a	Distinguish the beginning, middle, and end phoneme in CVC words with the medial /a/ sound. Demonstrate decoding skills with CVC words with short a medial sound. Recall the characters, setting, problem, events of a story.
4	2.4 Short a	Arrange words by segmenting them into syllables they hear. Modify words by adding a syllable to make a new word. Formulate short /a/ CVC words by decoding. Modify beginning and ending sounds on short /a/ words.
5	2.5 Short a	Distinguish the number of syllables in words. Generate words by blending syllables. Identify short a rhyming words. Construct CVC words by decoding and blending phonemes.

Module Key Words:

Key Words	Words of the Week	Spelling Words	Vocabulary Words
phoneme: /a/ grapheme: a beginning sound isolation heart words flash words context clues characters CVC words vowel consonant nouns retell syllables modify noun rhyming blending phoneme /a/	after has over better it	bat sat flat that ham jam slam can ran than	cabin directions forest narrow explore

Module Assignments:

Lesson #	Lesson Title	Page #	Assignment Title
2	2.2 Short a	6	Phonics
3	2.3 Short a	9	Vocabulary
4	2.4 Short a	4	Phonics

Learning Coach Notes:

Lesson #	Lesson Title	Notes
1	2.1 Short a	In this lesson, your learner will be introduced to the short /a/ sound, spelling, and vocabulary. Throughout the day, point out words that have the short /a/ sound and encourage your learner to find more words with that sound. When learners connect with words, they understand them better. Give your child a chance to talk about their own experiences with each of the vocabulary words. Encourage your learner to name major and minor characters in a story or a video that they are watching.  Ask them what the characters are doing, thinking, and saying. Have your learner describe the characters’ traits.
2	2.2 Short a	If your learner struggles to recall which letters are vowels and which are consonants, you can provide practice and repetition with songs or by repeating the vowels. Learners may need assistance with understanding the difference between a phoneme, or individual sound part in a word, and a syllable. You can help them by encouraging them to finger stretch to count phonemes and by holding their hand under their chin to count syllables, as in the blending activity. Throughout the day, point out nouns all around your learner and encourage them to do the same, identifying whether a noun is a person, place, or thing. When reading stories, ask your learner to identify the setting, telling when and where the story is taking place.
3	2.3 Short a	Encouraging your learner to write words in different materials helps to activate multiple areas of the brain. It is also fun for learners and can motivate reluctant writers. Filling a resealable bag partway with sand can cut down on messes and be reused for these writing activities. Alternatively, during sensory writing activities, a resealable bag can be filled with gel or glitter. You can spray shaving cream on a hard surface and invite your learner to write words with their finger in the shaving cream. Today's lesson has a few activities concentrating on phonemic awareness, which means listening to sounds without looking at letters. You can reinforce with your learner that the correspondence of letters to phonemes is not always one-to-one, like in the word that, which has only three phonemes.
4	2.4 Short a	This lesson will continue the study of short /a/ CVC words. Your learner will practice blending syllables. Word chains can be a fun way to practice phonics. Word chains help to build skills in spelling, reading, and rhyming words.
5	2.5 Short a	This lesson will review the concepts in Module 2. Because so many of this module’s skills were based on phonemic awareness, you can reinforce these skills with your learner anywhere. Verbally, you can give your learner two syllables and ask them to blend them. Reading books with rhymes and poetry is great practice for finding rhyming words. Take care that your learner is not confusing syllables with phonemes. If they are, it may be necessary to review finger-stretching or clapping to help them learn the difference. <br/><br/> For phonics practice, letter tiles are not necessary. When reading or during daily exposure to written language, call your learner’s attention to any CVC words that you see and help the student to decode them.

Guiding Questions
Suggested Books

Module Guiding Questions:

When a student starts a lesson ask them questions to check for prior knowledge and understanding and to review concepts being taught. At the end of the lesson ask the questions again to see if their answer changes.

Lesson Title	Question
2.1 Short a	What words start with /a/?
2.2 Short a	What are nouns?
2.3 Short a	What are the events in a story?
2.4 Short a	How do you decode short a (CVC) words?
2.5 Short a	How do you create a new word by changing a syllable?

Module Video Questions:

When a student watches a video take time to ask them questions about what they watched. Suggested questions for the videos in this module are listed here. Suggestion: Have the student watch the entire video first all the way through. Then have them watch the video a second time, as they watch it pause the video and ask the questions.

Lesson Title	Video	Question

Module Suggested Read Aloud Books:

Take time to read to your student or have them read aloud to you. Read a different book each day. While reading the book point out concepts being taught. You may purchase these books or find them at your local library. Suggested things to discuss while reading the book:

What is the main idea?
What are three things new you learned?
How does this book relate to what you are learning about?

#	Book	Author	Lexile Level
1	Bat and Rat	Patrick Jennings
2	The Cat in the Hat	Dr. Seuss	430L
3	Clam-I-Am!: All About the Beach	Tish Rabe	560L
4	Fancy Nancy	Jane O'Connor	510L

Module Outing:

Take some time to apply what your student is learning to the real world. Suggested outings are below.

#	Outing
1	The short a sound is in "apple" this would be a good week to visit an apple orchard and learn about apples and what is made from apples.