Overview
The children will spin spools in water and spill water out of spouts, and then practice writing the letters sp and saying the /sp/ sound as in spatula, sponge, and spoon.

Literacy Activities
Spin, spill, and splash

• Spread the plastic drop cloth or cut plastic sack on the floor.
• Read the action cards with the children, then have them underline the letters sp in the word on each card.
• Point out that the letters sp make the /sp/ sounds.
• Set out water (e.g., container of water, spray bottle, water bottles) and objects that begin with sp (e.g., spots, spouts, sponge, spoon, spatula) on a large sheet of plastic.
• Have the children choose action cards and help them read the words on the cards.
• Have the children take turns acting out the sp actions using the water and sp objects.
• Throughout the activity, emphasize the sp sound by making comments such as, “You’re spilling spools on spots,” or “You can spin a spout.”

Sprinkle and spray words that start with sp

• Set out the word cards on a large sheet of plastic.
• Read the words with the children, emphasizing the /sp/ sound at the beginning of the words.
• Have the children use a spray bottle to spray the word cards with water.
• Have the children to use the container of water to splish, splash, splosh, and sprinkle water on and around the word cards.
• Pretend to spill water from the spout on the bottle and have the children use a sponge to sponge up the spilled water.

More Practice
Read words with the target letters in a text

• Engage the children in reading Spin, Spill, and Splash target text as a group.
• Have the children underline the letters sp in words in the text.
• Read the text again and have the children spin a spool each time they hear a word that begins with the /sp/ sound.

Write the target letters

Help the children write the letters sp on a piece of paper.

• Instruct the children to say the /sp/ sound each time they write the letters.
• Have the children sprinkle and spray water on the sp letters.
• Allow the children to spray a bit of water on the drop cloth, then have them trace the letters sp in the water using a spoon.