State and Model the Objective
Tell the children that they will pretend to weigh eight reindeer and that they will read and write words spelled with –ei such as weigh, freight, sleigh, eight, and reindeer.

Literacy Activities
Weigh eight reindeer

• Write the target words on the board and emphasize that the -ei letter combination makes the long a sound in weigh, sleigh, eight, freight, and reindeer.
• Give each child their own reindeer or sleigh graphic
• Have the children label the reindeer and sleigh graphics by writing reindeer or sleigh.
• Give each child a different amount of freight for their reindeer or sleigh to pull.
• Read the target text Eight Pull the Sleigh with the children, then let the children act out the text using reindeer, horse, and sleigh graphics and a scale (or picture of a scale).
  • As the target text asks additional questions, have the children pair up and answer the questions based on the weight they wrote on their individual graphics.

  • For example, when the target text asks how much freight a reindeer and a sleigh could pull, a child who had a reindeer graphic and a freight graphic of 5 would pair up with a child with a sleigh graphic and a freight graphic of 3 to find that the reindeer and sleigh could pull 8 things of freight.

Weigh objects

• Attach word cards to various objects.
• Let the children weigh the various objects or pretend to weigh the objects using the scale graphic.
• Help the children read the word attached to each object.

Play as eight reindeer

• Let the children pretend to be a reindeer pulling a sleigh.
• Have eight children pretend to be reindeer pulling a sleigh.

More Practice
Read target words in texts

• Engage the children in reading the target text Eight Pull the Sleigh.
• Have the children make a list of the words spelled with –ei (i.e., weigh, sleigh, eight, neigh, reindeer).
• Read the text again, fading support.

Write about the activity using target words/patterns

• Help the children create a word wall (or use one previously created) of –ei words (i.e., weigh, sleigh, eight, freight, reindeer)
• Have the children write sentences about the activity using words from the word wall (e.g., Eight reindeer can pull a sleigh).