State the Objective: 

Tell the children that they will help a brown cow go out and will read and write words with the ow/ou vowel, such as now, down, round, and shout.
 

Literacy Activities:
The Cow Goes Out

• Read the book The Cows are in the Corn (optional) with the children.
• Put the picture of the cow* (see below) in a small box. 
• Tell the children that the cow is in her shed and wants to go out.
• Read the Brown Cow Goes Out target text (see below) together. 
• Explain that the word down can mean sad.

• Have the children act out the text. 

   

  • Make a loud, sad ‘moo’ sound when the cow wants to get out.  
  • Frown and pout with the cow.
  • Take the cow out of her shed.
  • Make a loud, happy “mooo” sound when the cow is out.

  • Take a bow.

     

Practice Reading and Writing

• Help the children identify the ow/ou vowel sound by stretching out your arms as you produce the vowel (e.g., “Loud. L + ouuu + d. Loud”)
• Stretch out the vowel in bow, cow, now, and help the children identify the vowel sound.
• Write sentences that describe the “Brown Cow Goes Out” and have the children fill in the missing words:
  -“The brown cow makes a ____ (loud sound).”
  -“The cow wants to go ___ (out).”   
  -“She  ____ (frowns) and pouts.”
  -“The cow walks around the ____ (ground).”
  -“She makes a happy _____ (sound).”
• Have the children write ow/ou words they learned from the activity independently.