State the Objective
Tell the children that they will load goats and oats while they read and write words with the oa vowel combination, such as soak, float, goat, and boat.

Literacy Activities
Load a boat with goats and oats

• Read Goats Afloat with the children (optional).
• Put a toy boat, small bowl, or handmade paper boat (see below) in the clear container of water.
• Ask the children if the boat floats.
• Allow the children to place a goat (see below) in the boat.
• Let the children load the boat with a few oats (or the pictures of oats found below).

Load a boat with oa words

• Let the children write “Goats like oats,” or “Goats and oats.”
• Have the children write oa words from dictation (e.g., oat, goat, boat, soak, coat, soap, float, cloak, boast).
• Have the children read each oa word and then load the words into a boat.

• See if the boat will float.

   

Read target words in texts 

• Read the Goats Float in a Boat target text (see below) with the children.
• Let the children reread the text, supporting them as necessary.
• Have the children raise their hands each time they see oa words in the text.

• Let the children write a list of oa words from the activity.