State and Model the Objective
Tell the children that they will pretend to be waiters and that they will read and write long-a words spelled with a_e, ay, and ai, such as away, stay, take, place, wait, and train.

Literacy Activities
Pretend to be a waiter

• Tell the children that they will pretend to be waiters.
• Point out that the ai in waiter makes the long-a sound.
• Help the children read instructions for waiters.
  • Wait to get a tray.
  • Place a plate on the tray.
  • Take the plates away on the tray.
  • The plates will not be safe if the tray sways.
  • Don't let the tray sway!
• Have one or more of the children follow the instructions above using paper plates and a tray.
• Have the children write long-a words from dictation (e.g., place, plate, tray, wait, take, safe, sway).

Read Will Things Stay on a Tray?

• Read the Will Things Stay on a Tray? target text (see below) with the children.
• Have the children find long-a words (e.g., tray, take, place, away).
• Help the children sort words according to the long-a vowel spelling (e.g., ay, a_e, ai).
  • Words with ay: tray, away, way, stay, may, sway, lay
  • Words with a_e: take, place, plates, table, make, shake, pace
  • Words with ai: wait, mail
• Read the text again, fading support. 

Sort and write long-a words

• Label the long-a pictures (see below) tray, cake, and train.
• Using word cards (see below), have the children sort long-a words according to the spelling (e.g., ay, a_e, ai).
  • Place words with ay on the picture of a tray (see below).
  • Place words with a_e on the picture of a cake (see below).
  • Place words with ai on the picture of a train (see below).
• Have the children write long-a words from dictation.