Objective - Students will read a poem, analyze its phonological structure, use this information as a basis to write a collaborative poem.

Summary - This lesson was directed to a first-grade reading group needing practice with forming words and using them in a meaningful way.  We read Nate, a poem which was part of a reading program.  The lesson focus was on using the CVCe rule in reading words and forming more words from basic phonograms.  When we read the poem and identified the -ate phonogram illustrating the long sound of /a/, we then listed all the rhyming words with that same phonogram.  I then taught them what a couplet was.  We collaborated on writing a few of them. 

We then grouped to work on making words lists from other phonograms I printed on 3x5 cards and distributed to them.  Each child was to take two of the words in the pattern for his/her group and contribute a couplet.  The students dictated the couplets to me, and I typed them.  When they were finished, we cut the typed couplets, pasted them on a pear shape, and hung them on our Poe-Tree. 

Implementation - The lesson went well and the students enjoyed working in the small groups to build words from their phonogram.  They really enjoyed me typing the couplets for them (it only took a few minutes!) and pasting them on their pear shapes.  The practice in both building words and the creative thinking involved in taking two words and making a meaningful couplet was also fun for them.  They visited the "tree" often to see their work displayed, and enjoyed reading their work to others, and reading others' work to themselves.  I knew the lesson worked when journals began appearing on my desk before recess with other attempts for me to read. 

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