State and Model the Objective
Tell the children they will pretend to mow grass and blow leaves and then read and write long o words spelled with -ow, such as mow, low, blow, and slow.
 
Literacy Activities
Mow the lawn

• Give the children the grass template (found below) and have them write -ow words on it, such as mow, low, blow, slow, row, and grow.
• Make the grass stand up by following the directions on the template.
• Tape the bottom of the grass to a table or floor.
• Tell the children to grow grass by unfolding the top layer of the grass.
• Let the children pretend to mow the grass by cutting the paper grass (see below) with scissors.

Blow leaves

• Have the children make and write -ow words on paper leaves such as blow, row, mow, grow, slow, throw, and low or use the leaf word cards (found below).
• Read the story Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel (optional).
• Have the children read the words on the leaves. 
• Scatter the leaves on the ground.
• Have the children try to blow the leaves into a pile with or without using a blow-dryer.
• Tell the children to “Blow slowly!”

More Practice
Read target words in texts

• Engage the children in reading the text Things that Grow (found below).
• Read the text again, fading support.

Write about the activity using target words and patterns

• Help the children make a list of the words with -ow (e.g.,  grow, low, mow, slow, blow, row, throw).
• Have the children read the words on the leaves and then throw the leaves.
• Let the children write about mowing grass and throwing or blowing leaves (e.g., “I can mow the grass. I can help blow the leaves”).