Overview
The children will take a cab to find a crab and then read and write words that end with -ab, such as cab, crab, and grab.

Literacy Activities
Take a cab to grab a crab

• Click here to view a video demonstration similar to this lesson. 
• Fill a tray with dried beans to represent sand on a beach.
  • Cut out the crab graphics and bury them in the sand (dried beans).
• Set up chairs to represent seats in a cab.
• Read the Take a Cab to Find a Crab target text to the class.
• Invite a child to pretend to call for a cab (using their hand to make a pretend telephone).
• Have the children get in the cab (the chairs) to take a ride to a beach.
• Tell the children to get out of the cab to dig for and grab crabs in the sand.
  • Let the children take turns using clothespins or tongs to grab like a crab and search through the beans to find the crab graphics. 
  • While the children wait their turn to grab, have them pretend to be crabs that stab and jab with their claws.
• After the children have taken a turn, tell them to leave the crabs in the sand and get in the cab.

More Practice
Identify, blend and manipulate sounds

• Let the children use the word-building cards to make words by changing either the consonant(s) or the vowel.
  • Change the beginning consonant(s): cab → jab; grab → crab; stab → grab
  • Change the vowel: cab → cub; crab → crib; stab → stub
  • Change the ending consonant: crab → cram; cab → can; stab → star
• For each of the words the children make, have them produce the sounds for each letter and then blend those sounds back into a word.

Read target words in a text

• Read the Take a Cab to Find a Crab target text with the children and have them underline the words that end in -ab.
• Engage the children in reading the text with you.
• Read the text again, fading support.
  • As the children read, have them open and close their hands like crab claws every time they hear or read a word ending in -ab. 

Write about the activity using target words and phrases

• Display target words on a word wall (e.g., cab, crab, jab, stab, grab).
• Refer the children to the word wall and have them write a sentence or two expressing ideas from a lesson activity or target text (i.e., The crab can jab and stab).