SEEL Library | BYU McKay School of Education

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Literacy Activities

Introduce the short-o sound

Write the letter O and tell the children that O makes the short-o (/ŏ/) sound.
State that you hear the short-o sound in the words on and off.
Have the children say /ŏ/ when you show the O on a card (optional).
Have the children repeat the words on and off while extending the short /ŏ/ sound.

Comment on short-o animal names

Tell the children that many animals have names that begin with the short-o sound.
State an animal’s name, make a comment about the animal, and give a gesture to represent the animal (see the chart below).
Have the children copy the gestures while repeating the animal’s name, emphasizing the /ŏ/ sound (e.g., o-o-ostrich, o-o-otter).

Animal	Comment	Gesture
Ox	An ox is big and strong and has horns.	Make pretend horns with your index fingers.
Octopus	An octopus lives in the ocean and has eight arms.	Move both arms in figure-eight motions as if you had many arms.
Otter	An otter is a small animal that swims in water.	Move your hand and arm up and down as if you were swimming.
Osprey	An osprey is a big bird with big wings.	Put your thumbs together and wave your fingers like wings.
Ostrich	An ostrich is a large bird with long legs and a long neck. It can’t fly, but it can run fast.	Hold your forearm upright and open and close your hand like a beak.
Ocelot	An ocelot is a wild cat with spots.	Make whiskers by placing your index finger and thumb together and pulling them away from your face.

On and Off an O

Make a large O by drawing on the ground or a big piece of paper or using string.
Sing the On and Off an O chant with the children, having them repeat each line.
Use a different animal and movement for each verse:
- Ox (stomped)
- Osprey (flew)
- Ostrich (ran)
- Otter (swam)
- Ocelot (climbed)
Before repeating the chant, introduce the new animal to the children.
Have the children write sentences about their experience:
- We made an O.
- The ox got on. The ox got off.
- The ostrich ran on the O.