State the Objective

Tell the children that they will find bugs and give them hugs as they hear and say words that rhyme with bug, such as hug, rug, snug, and lug. 

Literacy Activities

Hug a bug

• Read Hug a Bug by Eileen Spinelli (optional).
• Scatter toy bugs or bug images (see below) around the room.
• Have the children search around the room to find the bugs.
• Chant, "Bug, bug, bug. Where are you, bug?" together as the children look for bugs.
• Have the children say, "I found a bug! Bug hug!" as they find the lost bugs and then give the bugs a big hug.
• Let the children lug the bugs to the rug (see below) and get snug.
• Ask the children which words they heard in the activity that rhyme with bug.

Read target words/patterns to the children

• Read the Meet My Bug target text (see below) to the children, pointing to each word in left to right sequence.
• Read the text again and have the children point to each word in sequence.

Practice rhyming

• Remind the children of the words they played with (hug, bug, rug, lug).
• Ask each child to think of a word that rhymes with bug.
• If a child doesn't respond in a few seconds, offer an option:  
  • "How about rug?" “Does hug rhyme with rug?” (Nod your head yes).
  • "Do lug and bug rhyme?" (Nod your head yes).

Practice blending and segmenting sounds in words

Have the children march and say the beginning and ending sound of the word bug: 

• Segment sounds: say /b/ (march right), say /u/ (march left), say /g/ (march right)
• Blend sounds: jump with both feet and say bug to blend the sounds into a word
• Repeat with other words that rhyme with bug (e.g.  rug, lug, hug).