State and model the objective
Tell the children that they will shoot –oot items into a boot and hear and say words that rhyme with boot (such as shoot, fruit, flute, suit, and root). 

Practice the skill within an activity

Shoot into a boot 

• Tape the boot graphic (see below) onto the trashcan and make a masking tape line on the floor a fair distance away from the can.
• Give each child a picture card (see below) and help them identify what it is.
• Have the children crumple their picture cards tightly into a ball. 
• Tell the children to line up behind the masking tape on the floor.
• Let the children take turns shooting their balls (like a basketball) into the trashcan while standing on the line. 
• Tell the children to shout "Shoot (the -oot item) into the boot!"
• Have the children say words that rhyme with boot.

Apply the skill 

Read a predictable, repetitive target text to the children to support print awareness (see text below) 

• Display the target text Shoot Into the Boot large enough for the children to easily see. 
• Read the text 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 left to right sequence. 
• Allow the children to shadow read by repeating predictable phrases while you read the text again. 
• Ask the children which words in the text rhyme with boot. 

Practice rhyming 

• Recognize words that do and do not rhyme using rhyme identification pictures (see below). 
• Lay out two pictures of words that end in –oot (e.g., boot, root) and one picture that does not end in –oot (e.g., dog). 
• State all possible word pairs and let the children help you identify the picture that does not rhyme. Remove the picture that does not rhyme with –oot. 
• Repeat with other sets of pictures: 
  • Flute, root, rock 
  • Boot, fruit, cheese 
  • Suit, root, girl 
  • Fruit, flute, bird 

Practice blending and segmenting sounds in words 

• March and say the sounds in words.
• Tell the children that they will practice saying words that rhyme with boot in fun ways. 
• Have the children march and say the beginning and ending sounds of the word boot. 
  • Segment sounds: say /b/ (march right), say /oot/ (march left) 
  • Blend sounds: jump with both feet and say boot to blend the sounds into a word
  • Repeat with other words that rhyme with boot (e.g., root, suit, flute, fruit, etc.)