State the Objective 
Tell the children that they will make a shop to sell bugs and that they will read and write short-vowel words, such as let, can, jug, bugs, sell, shop, and kids. 
 

Literacy Activities 
Introduce target words

• Show the children the short-vowel target words.
• Read the words with the children.

Set up a bug shop

• Read the Let’s Sell Bugs and Can We Sell Bugs to Kids? target texts (see below) with the children.
• Put pictures of bugs (see below) around the room and have the children “catch” them (i.e., gather the pictures).
• Have the children make bug shop signs (e.g., Bug Shop, I sell bugs, Get bugs with lots of legs) and put the bug pictures in the shop.
• Let the children read the bug shop signs and pretend to sell and buy bugs.
• Have the children write short-vowel words from dictation (e.g., let, can, jug, bugs, sell, kids, shop).

Identify, blend, and manipulate sounds

• With word-building cards (see below), have the children make new words by changing a consonant or the vowel.
  • Change the beginning consonant: bug→ jug, sell→ tell, let→ bet
  • Change the vowel: hit→ hot, cup→ pup, shop→ ship
  • Change the ending consonant: kid→ kit, but→ bun, cab→ cat

Identify vowel sounds

• Say short-vowel target words (e.g., let, can, jug, bugs, sell, shop, kids) and ask the children what vowel they hear.
• Stretch out your arms and lengthen the vowel as you segment target words (e.g., Bug. b-uuuu-g. Bug.).
• Have the children identify the sounds in the words and write the words.