Overview
The children will cut up a nut as they practice saying words with the short /u/ sound, such as up, cut, nut, hut, and gum.

Literacy Activities
Cut up the nut

• Assemble the hut graphic.
• Place the nut word cards inside the hut.
• Have the children take each nut out of the hut to read the word on the card.
• Point out that each word is spelled with the letter U, which makes the /u/ sound.
• Have the children cut up each nut picture card in order to cut out the letter U in the word.

Put a bug on a rug

• Show the children the rug graphic and lay out the picture cards.
• Have the children find the bug picture card and put it on the rug.
• Have the children say the sounds in the word on the picture card and then choose letter cards that match the sounds (e.g., /b/ + /u/ + /g/ = bug).
  • After they choose the correct letter cards, have them place the letter cards on the rug under the bug. 
• Have the children put the letter cards in order on the lines of the practice sheet to make the word.
• Repeat the activity using the other picture cards.
• Point out that each word has the letter U, which makes the /u/ sound.

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

• Read the Fun with a Bug, Nut, and Cub target text together as a class.
• Read the text again, allowing the children to read independently when possible.
• Have the children underline the letter U in words with the /u/ sound.

Write the target letter

• Give each child a whiteboard, and have the children write words as you say them, changing one or two letters each time to make a new word: up → cup → cut → nut → hut → hug → rug → run → bun → sun.