As I think about teaching the short u sound, I don't think it is very hard. /u/ sounds like /u/. But, mud, puddle, umbrella. It is not that confusing to me or to teach.
Just like all vowels, u makes two sounds. It's short sound and it's long sound. It's also the vowel that is used the least. There are not very many short u words and not very many long u word either. So why is it so tricky?
You. Have you even seen a student stick the word 'you' in a word instead of the short or long u word patterns? Like youp for up, or cyoute for cute. Some times they get creative and leave out the o, knowing it doesn't look right. Since the word 'you' is not like a or I with it's only letter, sometimes when we teach 'you' and the short or long u, our students get confused.
'You' is a MOST for your student's high frequency word bank, don't get me wrong. But we have to teach kids how to use the letter not the word within words.
When teaching the short u sound /u/ I use the picture of an umbrella. That isn't as easy as some of the other short vowel exemplar words, but it's great. Students usually can draw a picture of an umbrella because it can't be confused as something else. I also find teaching the sound needs to be applicable. Up. /u/-/p/. This is two sounds. Up has a hard time sounding like it needs you and it doesn't sound like short o. So drill up. Then when we read a short u word I have then think of umbrella or up so they can hear the correct pronunciation. but
then they are already thinking /u/. This works in reverse, but the same for writing.
As our students look for parts of words don't confuse them by teaching a sound, sight words, and families. Teach each letter with an exemplar sound and image. Don't forget to use and exemplar or high frequency sight word for the reading and writing exemplar word.
Steal mine: umbrella and up!
Happy Teaching.
Comments