State and Model the Objective
Tell the children that they will sort twigs and sticks and will read a text with short vowel words such as pick, stick, twig, pig, but, big, not, can, and thick.

Literacy Activities
Pick up twigs and sticks

• Tell the children that small sticks are called twigs.
• Let the children put twigs and sticks in two different piles.
• Comment as the children sort the sticks and twigs: 
  • You picked a big stick.
  • That is a thick stick, not a twig.
  • A twig is a stick that is not big.  
  • You picked a twig. 
  • A twig is not big.
  • Is this a big twig or a stick?
• Engage the children in shared reading of the text A Twig and a Stick (See below).

Feed twigs to a pig

• Show the children a picture of a pig.
• Tell them the pig can eat a twig, but it cannot eat a stick.
• Let the children choose twigs out of a pile of twigs and sticks.
• Have the children pretend to feed twigs to the pig.
• Comment on what the pig can eat:
  • Pigs really do eat twigs.
  • That’s a twig. 
  • The pig can eat that twig.
  • Is that a twig or a stick?
  • That is big and thick. It’s a stick.
  • The pig will get sick if he eats the stick.
• Engage the children in shared reading of the text A Pig Can Eat a Twig (See below).