Overview
The children will play with Mr. Fox and a box as they read and write words that end with -ocks and -ox such as box, fox, socks, clocks, rocks, and blocks.  

Literacy Activities
Play a game with Mr. Fox

• Show the children the picture of Mr. Fox.
• Ask the children questions about Mr. Fox that can be answered with words that end with -ox or -ocks and let the children pick the pictures and words that fit their answers.
  • What can Mr. Fox use to store his socks, blocks, rocks and clocks? (A box); what can Mr. Fox use to bring his lunch to school? (A lunchbox); what can Mr. Fox wear on his feet? (socks); what can Mr. Fox use to tell time? (clocks); what can Mr. Fox find on the ground? (rocks); what can Mr. Fox use to build a tower? (blocks); what can Mr. Fox put on his doors so he can only open them with a key? (locks). 
• Explain to the children that the letter x and the letters cks make the same two sounds, /ks/, and that /ks/ is made up of two sounds /k/ and /s/. 
• Display the x and the cks and have the children count how many letters each uses to make the /ks/ sounds.

Mr. Fox and the box

• Optional: Read the book Not a Box by Antoinette Portis (or watch video). 
• Show the children the cardboard box and tell them that Mr. Fox likes to put things that end in -ox or -ocks in the box.
• Have the children tell you things that end with -ox and -ocks that Mr Fox could have in his box (e.g., a block, a clock, a lunch box, socks, locks, a fox) and create a word list on the board.
• Give each child a ¼ sheet of paper to draw and label something that Mr. Fox could put in his box that ends with -ox or -ocks.
• Use a medium-sized box or draw a large box on the board so the children can take turns showing their pictures and telling what Mr. Fox could put in the box as they tape their drawing onto the box.

More Practice
Identify, blend and manipulate sounds

• Let the children make different words (e.g. box) from letter cards by changing either of the consonants or the vowel. 
  • Change the beginning sound(s): fox → box; rocks → socks; clocks → blocks
  • Change the vowel sound: fox → fix; socks → sacks; clocks → clucks
  • Change the ending sound(s): fox → fog; docks → dots 

Read target words in texts    

• Have the children underline the words that end in -ox and circle the words that end in -ocks in the It is Not Just a Box target text. 
• Read the text to the children. 
• Engage the children in reading the text simultaneously with you. 
• Read the text again, fading support. 

Write about the activity using target words and phrases

• Display target words on a word wall (i.e., box, fox, lunchbox, socks, clocks, rocks, blocks).
• Refer the children to the word wall and have them write a sentence or two expressing ideas from the lesson activity or target text (e.g., Mr. Fox wears socks.).