State and Model the Objective

Tell the children they will be washing socks and pants, and will read a text that uses short vowel sounds.

Literacy Activities

Read I Got Mud On My Socks! target text together 

• (Note: The word “wash” does not follow the short-a pattern. Make sure to point out this word as an exception. Consider reading it yourself when it appears in the text.)
• Engage children in shared reading of I Got Mud On My Socks! (see below).
• Have the children act out portions of the text (e.g., walk in place, act like their clothes got dirty, wipe off “mud,” pretend to take off socks and wash them).
• Have the children read the text again, fading support as appropriate.

Get socks muddy

• Put old socks over the children’s hands; tell them to pretend their hands are feet.
• Let the children pretend to step in mud.
• Place “mud” on socks and pants using brown paper "spots,” marker, or a little real mud.
• Wash socks and pants
  • Introduce a bowl that will be the bin of a washing machine.
  • Let the children pretend to spin the socks and pants in the bin.

Change words with short vowel sounds

• Use letter cards (see below) to help children spell words from the lesson (e.g., mud, got, sock, bin, spin).
• Allow children to change the vowel sounds in each word.
• Ask the children if the word they made is a real word or a silly word.