Read and write words with the r-controlled vowel spellings -ir and -ur.
- dirt
- hurt
- shirt
- skirt
- spurt
- squirt
- Squirt bottle
- Dirt
- Container
- Shirt and skirt graphic
- Word cards
- Spurt Water on a Dirty Skirt target text
- A Shirt and Skirt with Dirt target text
Overview
The children will squirt a shirt to get rid of dirt and then read and write words with the /er/ sound such as squirt, spurt, dirt, shirt, and skirt.
Literacy Activities
Squirt dirt off -ir and -ur words
- Place the word cards in a plastic sheet-protector and lay them flat in a container.
- Sprinkle the word cards with a little dirt.
- Allow the children to use a spray bottle to squirt the dirt off the words
- Have the children read the words
Clean dirt from a shirt and skirt
- Place the shirt and skirt graphics in a plastic sheet-protector and lay them flat in a container.
- Cover the graphics with dirt.
- Let the children squirt and spurt water on the shirt and skirt to get rid of the dirt.
- Have the children draw outlines of a shirt and skirt and write dirt, shirt, skirt, squirt, spurt, and hurt in their outlines.
- Ask the children to write the sentence “Dirt won't hurt the shirt or skirt.”
More Practice
Read the target text and words
- Read the Spurt Water on a Dirty Skirt target text to the children.
- Engage the children in reading the target text with you.
- Have the children highlight words spelled with -ir or -ur.
- Read the text again, fading support.
- Repeat with the A Shirt and Skirt with Dirt target text.
Write about the activity using target words/patterns
Let the children write about what they did (e.g., “There was a shirt and skirt. There was dirt on the shirt. I got to squirt the dirt off the shirt and skirt.”).
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.