State and Model the Objective
The children will scout out a pouch under a couch and will read and write words with the -ou vowel combination. 

Literacy Activities
Make a pouch and watch out for the pouch

• Cut out a cloth circle and cut a length of thread.
• Show the children a pouch—a little bag that is tied at the top.
• Show the children how to make a pouch by tying the string around the top of the gathered cloth. 

                   OR

• Make holes in the top of the cloth circle and thread the string through the holes.
• Pull the string tight, cinching up the pouch. 

Let a pouch grab something  

• Gather a paper bag at the top to look like a pouch, use a real pouch, or use the cloth pouch.
• Let the children put a finger in the “mouth” (the opening) of the pouch. 
• Close the pouch by pulling the strings to bunch up the opening.
• Pretend not to be happy and say, “Ouch! You Pouch!”
  • Pretend to pout and be a grouch as you say “Ouch!”
  • Have the children warn others to watch out for the pouch and keep away from the mouth of the pouch.

Scout for a lost pouch

• Read the Scout for a Pouch target text (found below) to the children.
• Read the text again as a class and help the children act out the following story:
  • Label a chair in the room with a Couch sign (found below). 
  • Slouch down on the couch with the pouch and let the pouch fall off the couch.
  • Pretend to pout and be a grouch because you lost your pouch.
  • Scout (look) for the pouch.
  • Find the pouch and shout, “I don’t have to pout! I’m not a grouch! I found my pouch by the couch!”

Pull something out of a pouch

• Put pennies or other small objects in the pouch. 
• Tell the children that people often keep special things in pouches.
• Let the children open the pouch.
• Let the children pull the objects out of the pouch and then count them.

Read words pulled out of a pouch
Put word cards with the -ou vowel combination (found below) in the pouch and then let the children take the words out of the pouch and read them out loud.

More Practice  
Word-building
With word-building cards (found below), have the children make new words by changing the vowel(s) or the beginning or ending consonant(s):

• Change the beginning consonant(s): crouch→ grouch; couch→ pouch; scout→ pout; loud→ proud
• Change the vowel(s): couch→ coach; scout→ scoot
• Change the ending consonant(s): pouch→ pout; couch→ count
   

Read target words in texts 

• Engage the children in reading the Watch Out for a Pouch! target text (found below) as a group.
• Have the children raise their hands when they hear the ou vowel combination or circle the words spelled with -ou in the text.
• Read the target text again, fading support.
• Have the children make a list of the -ou words from the text.
• Repeat with the Scout for a Pouch target text.

Write about the activity using target words and patterns

• Have the children write words from dictation (e.g., pouch, couch, ouch, slouch, grouch, crouch, out, pout, doubt, scout, about, loud, proud.).
• Engage the children in interactive writing about their experience and provide verbal or written prompts as needed:
  • I made a ____ (pouch).
  • I sat on a ____ (couch) with my ____ (pouch).
  • I lost my ____ (pouch) and was a ____ (grouch).
  • I found my ____ (pouch) under the ____ (couch).