State and Model the Objective
Tell the children that they will use a flat mat to make words and say the /a/ sound in words with the short a sound such as van, cat, flat, and mat. 

Literacy Activities
Make words on a flat mat

• Show the children the flat mat graphic.
• Let the children choose a picture card to put at the top of the flat mat. 
• Help the children to say the sounds in the word, then have them choose letters from the word blending cards that match the sounds (e.g., b + a + t = bat).
• Have the children order the letter cards below the picture to make the word.
• Repeat the activity using the other picture cards.
• Point out that each word has the letter A which makes the /a/ sound.

Put word cards in flat hat

• Fill a mat (sheet of paper) with word cards.
• Take the words off the flat mat one at a time and point out the letter A, emphasizing that it makes the /a/ sound.
• Place each word in a hat or in a folded paper hat then smash the folded paper hat pattern to make it flat.
• Take the words out of the flat hat and put them back on the flat mat.
• Emphasize the /a/ sound throughout the activity.

More Practice
Identify the target letter and associated sound in a text 

• Read the target text A Flat Mat and A Flat Hat together with the children.
• Read the text again fading support.
• Have the children underline the letter A in the words and as they make the /a/ sound.

Identify, blend and manipulate sounds

• Have children identify the beginning, middle, and ending sounds of words by tapping their head (beginning), their shoulders (middle) and toes (end). For example: cat = c (tap head) + a (tap shoulders + t (tap toes).
  • sat = s + a + t
  • can= c + a + n
  • rag = r + a + g
  • tab = t + a + b
• With word blending letter cards, have the children make new words by changing the vowel or either of the consonants:
  • Change the beginning sound: pet → net; red → bed
  • Change the ending sound: vat → van; hat → ham; tag → tap
  • Change the middle sound: cat → cut; tag → tug; mat → met; vat → vet; ham → hum

Write the target letter

• Have the children write words from dictation, changing one letter at a time to make a new word:
  • man → tan → tin → pin → pig → big → bag → bat → bit → sat → fat → fan → ran → rat.