Letter-Sound

Discovering the Letter D

Objective:
By the completion of the lesson:
Students will be able to understand the organization and basic features of the letter /d/
Students will be able to identify a letter-sound correspondent by producing the primary or most
frequent sound for the letter /d/

Grade Level:
Kindergarten
Allotted Time:
Two 25-35 minute sessions
NJCCCS Addressed:
K.RF.1. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
K.RF.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Demonstrate basic knowledge of letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or most
frequent sound for each consonant.

Required Materials:
Day 1:
Anchor chart that has the letter /d/ in upper- and lowercase form
Five pictures of items that begin with the letter /d/
Curious George Learns the Alphabet by Margret and H.A. Rey
Twenty four pictures on colorful index cards
Twelve pictures of items beginning with the letter /d/
Twelve pictures of items that do not begin with the letter /d/
CD player (for students with special needs)
CD of Curious George Learns the Alphabet by Margret and H.A. Rey (for students with special needs)
Headphones (For students with special needs)
Large flash cards (For students with special needs)
Picture connection hand-out (For advanced students)




Day 2:
Anchor chart that has the letter /d/ in upper- and lowercase form.
Five pictures of items that begin with the letter /d/ * (Must differ from Day 1)
CD player
CD with the song Five Little Ducks
Three aluminum baking pans 3
Sand box sand
Dinosaur party favor toys
Dog party favor toys
Duck party favor toys
Large flash cards (For students with special needs)
CD player (For students with special needs)
Headphones (For students with special needs)
Connect the letter hand-out (For advanced students)
Step-By-Step Procedure:
Day 1:
The instructor will invite the students to sit in a half circle in the front of the room.
The alphabet song will be sung introducing the lesson, inviting students to sing along.
The instructor will introduce and read Curious George Learns the Alphabet.
The instructor will announce and introduce the letter /d/ using a chart showing both upper and lowercase
/d/.
Boys and girls, today we will be learning about our friend, the letter /d/
The instructor will make the /d/ sound.
Boys and girls, our friend /d/ sings a very special song
The instructor will demonstrate the /d/ sound.
Children will demonstrate their comprehension of the consonant by sitting in a circle and collectively
reciting the /d/ sound.
The instructor will focus the childrens attention to the word wall.
Children will name the pictures beginning with the letter /d/.
Boys and girls, we hear the song of the letter /d/ everywhere we go. Lets look at the pictures to
see where we hear this very special song.
The instructor and students will collectively say the words together.
Following this exercise, students will take part in a group activity.
Children will work in groups of 3-4.
The children will be given 3-4 pictures, differing from those on the word wall.
Half of the pictures begin with the letter /d/, half do not.
Children will need to distinguish between the pictures.
Once each group has made the distinction, each group will be broken up into /d/ sound and non /d/
sound groups.
Both groups will announce which pictures began with the /d/ sound, and which did not.
Day 2:
Set Up Instructions:
Prior to the lesson, the instructor will gather three baking pans, dinosaur, duck and dog party favor
figurines, and sand box sand.
Place sand box sand into each baking pan equally.
Once the sand is equally distributed, place the party favors into the baking pans, placing similar
figurines into each pan separately.
o Pan one- dinosaurs
o Pan two- dogs
o Pan three- ducks
The figurines should be covered by the sand.
Step-By-Step Procedure:
The instructor will invite the students to sit in a half circle in the front of the room.
The students will be invited to sing and listen to Five Little Ducks.
Students will be encouraged to count along with the song.
The instructor will reinforce the letter /d/, asking students to repeat the sound.
Boys and girls, what kind of song does our friend the letter /d/ sing?
After the children have recited the /d/ sound, they will recite the pictures beginning with the /d/ sound on
the word wall.
Children will then be separated into three groups.
Children will be asked to take part in a Letter /d/ Dig.
Children will discover and discuss what is hidden in the sand.
Once each child has discovered the materials in each pan, they will all gather in a half circle in the front
of the room.
Each group will share what they have found and explain how these items belong to the /d/ family.
Assessment Based On Objective:
Day 1:
Informal teacher-based observation will be used to assess if the students were able to complete the
following:
Were the students able to collectively pronounce the /d/ sound?
Were the students able to make distinctions between items that begin with /d/ and items that do
not?
Were students able to identify items around them that begin with the /d/ sound?
Day2:
Informal teacher-based observation will be used to asses if students were able to complete the following:
Were the students able to reproduce the /d/ sound?
Were the students able to recognize the rhyme and rhythm demonstrated in Five Little Ducks?
Were students able to hear the similar /d/ sound found at the beginning of Duck, Dog, and
Dinosaur?
Adaptations (For Students with Special Needs):
Day 1:
Children with special needs will be able to listen to the Curious George Learns the Alphabet CD so that
they are able to follow along at their own pace.
During the group activity, the instructor will work with these students to produce the /d/ sound.
The instructor will work with special needs students using flash cards to help guide them in making
distinctions between words beginning with the /d/ sound and those words that do not.
Day 2:
Children with special needs will be able to listen to the Five Little Ducks CD so that they are able to
follow along at their own pace.
During the group activity, the instructor will work with these students to reinforce the /d/ sound using
flashcards.
The instructor will work with special needs students using the party favor materials, asking students to
name the different favors.
Extension (For Gifted Students):
Day 1:
Gifted students will be able to apply what they have learned to complete a Picture Connection Hand-Out
in which they complete a maze by connecting pictures that begin with the letter /d/
Day 2:
Gifted students will be able to apply what they have learned to complete a Letter Dot to Dot: D hand-out
in which they connect the letter /d/ to reveal a picture.