State the Objective

Tell the children that they will tug objects across a rug while they read and write words that end in ug, such as jug, mug, and slug. 

Literacy Activities

Introduce target words

Read the target words with the children: tug, bug, jug, mug, rug.

Tug across the rug

• Read the Tug! Tug! target text (see below) with the children.
• Attach a string to each of the picture cards (see below).
• Have the children label the picture cards and write -ug words on the rug.
• Let the children pretend to be bugs tugging the different picture cards across a rug (see below).
• Have the children participate in a chant using -ug words.

Identify, blend and manipulate sounds, and write target words

• With word-building cards (see below), have the children make new words by changing a consonant or the vowel.
  • Change the beginning consonant: tug → bug, bug → rug, rug → dug, dug→ slug
  • Change the vowel:  bug → big, bug → bag , rug → rag, dug → dog
  • Change the ending consonant: bug→ bud; tug → tub; mug→ mud
• Let the children write words from dictation, changing one or two letters each time to make a new word
  • mug→  bug→ bud→ bid → big→  dig → dug → dog → fog 

Write sentences using target words and phrases

Tell the children to write short sentences about what they tugged across the rug.

• A bug can ___ (tug) a mug.
• The ___ (slug) is on the rug.
• I love to tug jugs across the ___ (rug).
• We can tug a ___ (pug) on the rug.