State and Model the Objective
Tell the children that they will make a crumbly cracker crust and read and write words with the /cr/ blend, such as cracker, crumb, crust, cream, crush, crunch.

Literacy Activities
Make crumbly cracker crust

• Write the word crust on the board, underline the /cr/ blend, and explain that the letters c and r together make the /cr/ sound.
• Bring out crackers in crinkly, crackly wrappers and comment on the crackly sound.
• Let the children crack, crumble, crush, and crunch crackers into paper cups.
• Explain that the crumbs from the crushed crackers make a crust.
• Line up the crackers, crumbs (in a cup), crust (in a cup), and cream.
• Read the food labels with the children then invite them to place each label by the corresponding food item.
• Scoop cream into the cups and call it a crazy cracker crumb creation.
• Allow the children to eat their creation (optional).

Make a crisscross path of crumbs

• Read the word cards with the children.
• Let the children crumple each word card into a ball.
• Have the children pretend that the crumpled paper balls are crumbs and help them make a crisscross path around the room using the crumbs.
• Tell the children to gather the crumbs and have them take turns opening up the paper ball crumbs and reading their word.
• Have the children write words that begin with /cr/ (e.g., cram, crack, crush, crunch, crust, crumb, cream) on small pieces of paper or sticky notes.
• Repeat the activity using the children’s word cards (optional).

More Practice
Read target words in texts

• Engage the children in reading the text Crazy Cracker Crumb Creation together with the group.
• Have the children make a list of the /cr/ words from the text.
• Read the text again, fading support.

Write about the activity using target words/patterns

• Make a word wall with words from the activity that begin with the /cr/ blend, such as cram, crack, crush, crunch, crackle, crust, crumb, cream, crazy, creation.
• Invite the children to write about what they did with the cracker crumbs using words from the word wall (i.e., I crush and cram cracker crumbs.)