Explicit Instruction for Phonics Intervention

Skill: CVC – short u

Instructional Day: One

Section Instructional Routine Time

Review Activity: Phoneme Substitution: Change that Sound
Say several words and have th students delete the beginning sounds and add new sounds to make
new words.
Warm-up
2 min.
Activities Word List: Pup – take away the /p/ sound = up Hut – change the /h/ to /g/ = gut
Bug – change the /b/ to /r/ = rug Sun – change the /s/ to /b/ = bun
Bum – change the /b/ to /s/ = sum

Phonological Activate Phonemic Awareness: Thumbs up for words with /u/.

Awareness and Articulation: The central part of the tongue is mid-height in the mouth. The lips are
3 min.
Articulation of unrounded and the facial muscles are lax. Look at the teacher’s mouth. Watch the way the mouth is
shaped while making the /uuu/ sound
Skill
Letter sound Correspondence: Introduce the short u sound; then show a letter u. Have
the students say the letter and make the sound. Give each child a letter u card. The teacher says
Letter-Sound words and when the word contains the /u/ sound, each student holds up their letter u card.
2 min.
Correspondence Word List: Words with short u: bug, fun, pup, run, up, mud
Words with other vowels: cat, fox, pen, hit
Word Reading List: mug, cut, rub, cut, sun, mum, buzz, Mutt, bud, hug
Word Reading I Do: Pass out word lists to each student. Read the first word on the list aloud; sound out word
Blending Routines and say rub. Go to the next word on the list. What is it?
5 min.
(sound-by-sound or We Do: Let’s do the next one together. Ask student to silently sound out the new word and say it
aloud on cue (mug). Next word?(cut)
continuous)
You Do: Ask students to take turns reading the words from the list.
Word Chains with Magnetic Letters
Word Building Words: Chain 1 – mum, bum, sum Chain 2 – cut, hut, rut
I Do: Using magnetic letters, show students with a “think aloud” how to spell one word at a time
Word Work in the following word chain: bug, mug, rug
5 min.
We Do: Let’s do one together. The first word is fun - /f/ /u/ /n/. What happens if we change
the /f/ to /s/? Tell students that they are now going to use their magnetic letters to make the word
run.
You Do: Dictate the word chains for each child to make using their letters.

up, bug, rug, pup, mud

Dictation 3 min.

1. Have students identify the words in story one that contain the targeted skill.
2. Read the identified words.
3. Read Story One.
10
Text Application min.
 Explicit Instruction for Phonics Intervention
Skill: CVC – short u
Instructional Day: Two

Section Instructional Routine Time

Review Activity: Phoneme Substitution: Change That Sound. Say several words and have
students delete the ending sound and add a new sound to make a new word.
Warm-up
Word List: mug – change the /g/ to /d/ = mud gum – change the /m/ to /t/ = gut 2 min.
Activities Bud – change the /d/ to /g/ = bug run – change the /n/ to /g/ = rug
Sum – change the /m/ to /n/ = sun

Phonological Activate Phonemic Awareness: Raise pointer in the air if word has /u/ sound

Awareness and Articulation: Look in mirrors to see the shape of your mouth when you make the /uuuuuu/
3 min.
Articulation of sound.

Skill
Letter sound Correspondence: Review short u. Show the letter card u. Ask the students
the name of the letter. Then, repeat the letter name and give the /u/ sound. Have students repeat
Letter-Sound the sound aloud. Say several words and have students give thumbs up for words that have the /u/
sound. 2 min.
Correspondence
Word List: Words with short u: hug, bud, jut, bus, fun
Words with other vowels: hat, fix, got, pet
Word Cards
Word Reading Reading List: sun, rug, fun, mum, cut, Mutt, bug, pup
I Do: Hold up a word card and do a “think aloud” sound out the word /s/ /u/ /n/ and say it (sun).
Blending Routines Here is the next card. What’s the word? rug 5 min.
(sound-by-sound or We Do: Let’s read one together. Ask students to silently sound out the new word and say it on
continuous) cue.(Gus)
You Do: Ask students to take turns reading new word cards from the list above.
Word Building Words: Chain 1: rut, rug, run Chain 2: hub, hut, hug
I Do: Using your letter cards, show students with a “think aloud” how to spell one word at a time
in the following word chain: mum, mud, mug.
Word Work We Do: Let’s do one together. The first word is bug - /b/ /u/ /g/. What happens if we change the
5 min.
/g/ to /d/? Tell students that they are now going to write the letters to show bud.
You Do: Dictate the word chains below for each child to write on their boards.

Dictation hug, bud, mum, cut, mud 3 min.

1. Read story one with identified target words.

2. Read clean copy of story one.
10
Text Application min.
 Explicit Instruction for Phonics Intervention
Skill: CVC – short u
Instructional Day: Three

Section Instructional Routine Time

Review Activity: review short a – have students stand up if the word you say has the short /a/
sound in it
Warm-up
Word List: Words with short a – hat, ran, bag, cap, Sam, man 2 min.
Activities Words with other vowels – sit, mug, pot, ten

Activate Phonemic Awareness: If additional practice is needed, see

Phonological previous lessons.
Awareness and
Articulation: 3 min.
Articulation of
Skill
If skill is secure, then spend this time in text application.
Letter sound Correspondence If additional practice is needed, see
previous lessons.
Letter-Sound
Word List: 2 min.
Correspondence
If skill is secure, then spend this time in text application.
Read new words on word list
Word Reading Word Reading List: pup, bus, lug, bun, fun, run, bud, bug, sun, up
I Do: Pass out word lists to students. Tell students to look at the first word. “Think Aloud” how to
Blending Routines sound out the word and read it: pup. Tell students to look at the next word on the list. 5 min.
(sound-by-sound or We Do: Read the word gum together. Tell students that they are going to read the other words
continuous) on the list to the student beside them.
You Do: Students read the word list to one another while checking each other.
Word Chains with pocket charts and letter cards
Word Building Words: Chain 1: fun, sun, run Chain 2: mum, sum, bum
I Do: Watch me use my letter cards. The letter u is the vowel. Place it in the middle. Place the
Word Work letter c at the beginning and then place the t at the end. That spells /c/ /u/ /t/ = cut. 5 min.
We Do: Let’s try one together. Change the beginning letter to h. That makes the word hut. Now
you try some on your own.
You Do: Have students take turns at the chart making the word chains above.

Dictation mum, bug, cut, fun, hug 3 min.

1. Identify target words in story 2.

2. Read story 2.
10
Text Application min.
 Explicit Instruction for Phonics Intervention
Skill: CVC – short u
Instructional Day: Four

Section Instructional Routine Time

Review Activity: Read sight words

Warm-up Word List: all, our, out, pretty, white, who, under, this, soon, saw, the, into, like, must, new, at, 2 min.
Activities black, came, cat or other grade level appropriate Dolch list words.

Activate Phonemic Awareness: If additional practice is needed, see

Phonological previous lessons.
Awareness and
Articulation: 3 min.
Articulation of
Skill
If skill is secure, then spend this time in text application.
Letter sound Correspondence: If additional practice is needed, see
previous lessons.
Letter-Sound
Word List: 2 min.
Correspondence
If skill is secure, then spend this time in text application.
Word Reading List: bug, rug, sun, bud, bus, gum, bun, run, and, here, help, come, down, you,
Word Reading yellow, where, red, play, my, not, one
I Do: Model and “think aloud” how to do word sort and place card in the appropriate column:
Blending Routines Short u or sight word. 5 min.
(sound-by-sound or We Do: Students sound out a word/identify word and identify which column it belongs.
continuous) You Do: Take turns reading cards from the table and placing them under the correct columns by
spelling.
Write words with pencil and paper
Word Building Words: bug, rug, sun, bus, gum, bun, run
I Do: I am going to say some words. Look at the picture card of the pup and watch me say the
Word Work sounds in the word pup. I am going to sue these boxes (phoneme grapheme boxes) and I will push a 5 min.
cube for each sound in the word. Then I am going to write the letters that represent the word.
We Do: Let’s do one together.
You Do: Ask students to do the same with the word in the word list above.
The sun is hot.
Mud is fun.
Dictation Hug the big bug. 3 min.

1. Read story two.

10
Text Application min.
 Explicit Instruction for Phonics Intervention
Skill: CVC – short u
Instructional Day: Five

Section Instructional Routine Time

Review Activity: Read sight word cards

Warm-up Word List: and, away, blue, down, funny, three, see, run, red, play, where, yellow, you, one, my, 2 min.
Activities me, not, here, help or other grade appropriate Dolch sight words.

Activate Phonemic Awareness: If additional practice is needed, see

Phonological previous lessons.
Awareness and
Articulation: 3 min.
Articulation of
Skill
If skill is secure, then spend this time in text application.
Letter sound Correspondence: If additional practice is needed, see
previous lessons.
Letter-Sound
Word List: 2 min.
Correspondence
If skill is secure, then spend this time in text application.
Closed Word Sort using short u and sight words
Word Reading Word Reading List: bug, rug, sun, bud, bus, gum, bun, run, and, here, help, come, down, you,
yellow, where, red, play, my, not, one
Blending Routines I Do: Model and “think aloud” how to do word sort and place card in appropriate column 5 min.
(sound-by-sound or We Do: Students sound out a word and identify which column it belongs.
continuous) You Do: Take turns reading cards from the table and placing them under the correct column by
spelling
Write words with paper and pencil
Word Building Words: cut, tub, mum, fun, jug, sun
I Do: I am going to say some words. Look at the picture card of the pup and watch me say the
Word Work sounds in the word pup. I am going to use these boxes (phoneme grapheme boxes) and I will push a 5 min.
cube for each sound in the word. Then I am going to write the letters that represent the sound.
We Do: Let’s do one together.
You Do: Ask students to do the same with the words above.

Dictation The pup is fun. 3 min.

Run and hug the mutt.

1. Read story three.

2. Formative Assessment: Student should read targeted skill words with the goal being 95%
accuracy.
10
Text Application min.
 Explicit Instruction for Phonics Intervention
Target Words For CVC – short u Stories

Story 1 Story 2 Story 3

Skill Specific Skill Specific Skill Specific Skill Specific
New words New Words Words From New words
(10-14) (5-7) Story 1 (5-7) (10-14 words)
Russ cup Russ Gus
cub nut cub bug
tub tug tub fun
muf but muf sun
hum fuss hum mug
cup tub gum
nut yum
tug buzz
fuss
 Explicit Instruction for Phonics Intervention

Instructional Focus: CVC – short u

Story Number: 1

Mutt and the Bug

Mutt is the pup. He will run. Mutt will run to the rug. A bug
is on the rug. The bug and Mutt hug. Mutt and the bug go for a
run in the sun.
A bud was in the sun by the mud. The bud was a mum. Mutt
cut the mum. Mutt and the bug had fun.
 Explicit Instruction for Phonics Intervention

Instructional Focus: CVC – short u

Story Number: 2

Russ and Muf

Russ is a cub. He was in the tub with Muff. Russ and Muff
like to hum in the tub. Muff and Russ got out of the tub.
Muff got a cup. The cup had a nut in it. Russ and Muff want
the nut. They tug the cup. But, mom got the cup and the nut.
Mom said, “Do not fuss!”
 Explicit Instruction for Phonics Intervention

Instructional Focus: CVC – short u

Story Number: 3

Gus the Bug

Gus is a bug. He wants to have fun in the sun. He saw a

mug in the sun. The mug had gum in it. Gus ran to the mug to
get the gum. Then, Gus said, “Yum, Yum!”
Gus ran to a mum. The mum was in the mud. Gus got the
mum. Gus said, “Buzz, Buzz!” Gus had fun in the mud.