Overviewnd
The children will make red roses as they practice writing the letter R and saying the /r/ sound in words such as robot, roll, and robin.

Literacy Activities
Make red roses

• Write the uppercase R, lowercase r, and the word rose on the whiteboard and explain that the letter R makes the /r/ sound as in rose.
• Help the children make a red rose.
  • Give each child a green pipe cleaner and a strip of red tissue paper cut one to two inches wide.
  • Roll the red tissue paper around the pipe cleaner.
  • Let the tissue paper loosen slightly and slide it to the tip of the pipe cleaner.
  • Pinch the bottom of the tissue while spreading the top into a rose shape.
  • Tape the pinched section to the pipe cleaner.
• Give each child two leaf graphics and have them write the uppercase letter R on one and the lowercase letter r on the other.
• Have the children attach their leaves to the rose while saying, "The letter R makes the /r/ sound."
• Tie a red ribbon around the stem (optional).

Sing the Ring Around the Roses song

• Display the Ring Around the Roses song (adapted from the song "Ring Around the Rosies") and have the children circle the words that begin with the upper or lowercase letter R.
• Read the song to the children and have them hold up their roses every time they hear a word that starts with the /r/ sound.
• Have the children stand in a ring and put their roses in the middle.
• Have the children join hands and skip in a circle around the roses while singing the Ring Around the Roses song.

More Practice
Read words with the target letter

• Read the Red Roses and Red Ribbon target text to the children, then reread it with the children.
• Have the children underline the uppercase letter R and lowercase letter r throughout the text as they say the /r/ sound.
• Have the children write the letter R on a piece of paper.
• Read the text again and have the children hold up the letter R each time they hear a word that begins with the /r/ sound.