make a cap

Overview
The children will wrap caps and read and write words ending with -ap, such as cap, snap, flap, scrap, and tap.

Literacy Activities
Make caps

• Show the children the cap pattern and demonstrate how to make a cap using a scrap of paper (or fabric):
  • OPTION 1: Cut out the parts of the cap pattern.
    • Overlap and staple the two sides of the slit together to form the cap, repeating the word “snap” each time you use the stapler.
    • Attach the straps and snaps to the cap with the stapler.
  • OPTION 2: Cut out circles from scraps of paper or cloth and cut a slit to the center.
    • Snap (staple) the two sides of the slit to form the cap.
    • Make straps and flaps out of scraps of paper or cloth to snap onto the caps.
• Have the children write -ap words (e.g., flap, strap, snap, cap) on small pieces of paper and attach the words to the cap.

Wrap a cap and wrap -ap words

• Let the children wrap the caps in scraps of paper or cloth.
• Cut out the word cards and place them in a real cap or one of the paper/cloth caps.
• Have the children choose the word cards one at a time and help them read the word on the card.
• Let the children wrap each word in a scrap of paper or cloth.

More Practice
Read target words in a text

• Read the Make a Cap target text together with the children.
• Have the children underline the words that end in -ap.
• Repeat with the Let’s Wrap a Cap! target text.

Write about the activity using target words/patterns

• Give the children a paper and pencil and have them write -ap words from dictation: cap, snap, tap, gap, nap, rap, lap.
• Engage the children in writing about their experience using sentence completion prompts and target words from the activity (support as needed).
  • Examples of sentence completion prompts:
    • I have a _____ (cap) with _____ (snaps), _____ (straps), and _____ (flaps).
    • I can wrap my _____ (cap) in a _____ (scrap) of cloth.

Overview 
The children will wrap caps as they add sounds to the -ap ending to make words such as cap, snap, flap, scrap, and wrap.

Literacy Activities

Make caps

• Read Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (optional).
• Give the children the cap pattern and have them label the parts of the cap by writing cap, snap, or flap on the corresponding parts.
• Demonstrate how to make a cap using the instructions provided.
  • As you attach the strap and snaps with the stapler, repeat the word “snap” each time.

Wrap a cap and pass a cap

• Let the children wrap the caps in scraps of paper or cloth.
• Play a "pass the cap" game with children.
• Have the children sit in a circle and take turns passing a paper cap.
• As children get the cap, have them say a new word that ends in -ap by changing the beginning sound.
• Have the children write each new word on the paper cap.

More Practice
Identify, blend, and manipulate sounds

• With word blending cards, have the children make new words by changing the vowel or either of the consonants:
  • Change the beginning sound(s): cap → tap; lap → nap; snap → flap
  • Change the vowel: flap → flip; snap → snip; cap → cop
  • Change the ending sound: cap → cat; rap → rag; tap → tan

Read target words in a text

• Read the Where Is My Cap? target text together with the group. 
• Have the children underline the words that end in -ap.
• Repeat with the Let's Wrap a Cap! target text

Write about the activity using target words

• Give each child a whiteboard and have them write words from dictation, changing one or two letters each time to make a new word: sap → nap → snap → snip → lip → lap → cap → cat → rat → rap → tap.

Instructions: How to Make a Cap

1. Using the cap graphic as a pattern, cut out each piece. 

2. Cut a slit to the center of the circle and wrap the paper to make a shallow cone.

3. Cut out the flaps and attach them to both sides of the cap.

4. Cut out the straps and snaps and attach them to the cap.