Clair Goes to the Fair

Read and write words with the r-controlled vowel spelling -air (e.g., air, fair).

• Clair
• air
• fair
• chair
• hair
• flair
• stairs

• Clair graphic (see below) or real doll
• Hair graphic for Clair (see below) or yarn to use as hair
• Fair graphics (see below)
• Chair graphics (see below) or real chairs
• Stair graphic (see below) or blocks to use as stairs
• Clair Goes to the Fair! target text (see below)

State and model the objective 
Tell the children that they will take Clair to the fair, and they will read and write words spelled with -air: fair, hair, chair, air.

Practice the skill within an activity

• Sit in a chair at the fair
  • Ask the children if they've ever been to a fair. Show pictures of a fair taped to the farthest wall.
  • Let the children pretend to walk to the fair, sit in chairs to eat food at the fair, and sit in chairs on rides at the fair.
  • Let the children move around the room to feel the air in their hair.
• Help Clair at the fair
  • Read the target text Clair Goes to the Fair (see below) with the children and let them act out the text using the paper doll (see below) or a real doll:
    • Tape hair (yarn or paper hair) to a doll (real or paper doll) so that the hair can move in the air.
    • Wave the doll and let her hair move in the air with flair (explain that to do something with flair means to do it in a cool way with style). 
    • Set the doll on a chair graphic (see below) or a real chair and pretend to eat food at the fair.
    • Make the doll climb stairs using a picture (see below) or blocks.
    • Set the doll on a chair on a ride at the fair using a picture (see below) or a real chair made to look like a seat on a fair ride.
    • Wave the doll in the air and let her hair blow in the air while sitting in the chair on the ride.

Apply the skill

• Read target words in texts
  • Engage the children in reading Clair went to the Fair (see target text below) together with the group. 
  • Have the children make a list of the words spelled with -air.
  • Read the text again, fading support.
• Write about the activity using target words/patterns
  • Give each child a paper and pencil and let them write words from dictation: air, hair, fair, chair.
  • Have the children write about what they did with Clair (e.g., I fixed Clair's hair.  I went to the fair. I felt the air in my hair.  I sat in a chair at the fair.)

1. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.B: Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.

2. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.C: Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.