Overview

The children will pull plums out of a pie with their thumbs and add sounds to the -um ending to make words such as hum, gum, yum, and drum.

Literacy Activities

Play the Plum Pie game

• Make the game board by gluing the pie graphic onto a file folder, laminating it, and carefully slitting the top of the pie.
• Place the plum pie word cards into the pie through the slit on the top of the pie.
• On the other side of the file folder, glue an I Can Spell chart.
• Read or say the nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner" for the children.
• Have the children take turns putting their thumb into the pie and pulling out a "plum" (word card).
• Read the word card and have the children follow the instructions on each card as it is pulled.
• Place each word card in the I Can Spell chart and have the children analyze each word using the chart. 

More Practice

Write about the activity using target words

• Give each child a paper and pencil and have them write words from the activity: hum, gum, sum, plum, drum.
• Have the children write short sentences using the words from the activity (e.g., "I like to hum and chew gum." "Plums, yum!").
• After the children write the sentences, have them circle the -um sending in each -um word.