State and Model the Objective
Tell the children they will practice reading and writing words that begin with /sp/: spill, splash, spin, spout, spoon, spot, spool, spray, splat, space.

Literacy Activities
Play with different meanings of words

• Demonstrate that some words can be nouns (stand for things) and some can be verbs (stand for actions).
• Squeeze a water bottle to make the water spout out (action) and then show a spout cut out from a water bottle (thing).
• Spoon water out of a container (action) then point to and label a spoon (thing).
• Sponge (action) up spilled water then point to and label a sponge (thing).
• Scatter paper spots (thing) around the room then look around to spot (action) the spots.

Act out commands using actions and things that start with /sp/

• Set out objects that begin with /sp/ (e.g., spots, spouts, sponge, spoon, spatula, spools, spray bottle).
• Have the children choose sentence strips and help them read the commands on the strips.
• Let the children act out the commands on the sentence strips using the objects (e.g., Spin a spool. Spin a spout. Sprinkle some spools. Sprinkle some spots. Spoon spots onto a space. Splat a sponge with a spatula. Sprinkle some spots on spools).

Split words that start with /sp/

• Help the children read word cards showing words from the activity that start with /sp/.
• Let the children split the words by cutting or tearing off the /sp/ at the beginning of each word.

More Practice
Read target words in a text

• Engage the children in reading Things to Do with Spouts and Spots as a group.
• Ask the children to listen for words that begin with /sp/ as you read the text together.
• Have the children make a list of the words that begin with /sp/.
• Read the text again, fading support.
• Repeat with the text Spin Spouts and Sprinkle Spots.

Write about the activity using target words/patterns

• Give each child a paper and pencil and let them write about what they did with the /sp/ objects and actions using water. Have them include some of these words: spin, split, spot, spool, space, spatula, sponge, spout, spoon, sprinkle.