Emergent Literacy Design:

Let’s Catch some Zzzz’s with the Letter Z!

​

​

 

 

Rationale: This lesson will help children find /z/, the phoneme represented by Z.  Students will learn to recognize /z/ in spoken words by learning a sound analogy (When you are sleeping, it can be represented by catching Zzzz’s!) and the letter symbol Z. Along with this, they will practice identifying /z/ and Z in texts and practice words. They will work on applying /z/ in their phonetic cue reading.

​

Materials: Primary paper and pencils, word cards with words ZEBRA, ZOO, ZIP, ZONE, ZERO. A chart that has the sentence “Zoe is sleepy and really needs a nap to catch some Zzzz’s!” A worksheet with pictures that allows the student to identify pictures with /z/.

​

Procedures:

1. Say: Our written language can be tricky at times. This is because of all the different letters and the sounds these letters create. The tricky parts about these letters is when we learn how to make our mouth move when saying these letters and learning what they stand for. We are going to work on spotting the mouth move /z/. We spell /z/ with the letter Z. The letter Z looks a little like a zigzag. The letter the sound we make when we drift off to sleep: Zzzzz.

​

2. Say: Let's pretend that we are sleeping and catching some Zzzzs. This is to help us remember the /z/ sound. Ready?.. /z/ /z/ /z/. [show a picture of someone sleeping with a text box with Zzzzz above them]. Did you feel your teeth touch when you made the sound /z/? Why don’t we try it again and check to see our teeth touch when we say the /z/ sound. /z/ /z/ /z/.

​

3. Say: Let me show you how to find /z/ in the word buzz.  I'm going to stretch buzz out in super slow motion and listen for the zigzag sound.  Bbb-uuu-zzzz Slower: Bbbb- uuuuuu- zzzzzzz. There it was! I felt my teeth touch at the end of the word. The z must be at the end! Now it is your turn. Do you hear the sound /z/ in the word zero?

​

4. Say: “Let's try a tongue tickler [on chart]. Zane and Zuri are going to go ziplining at the zoo. Zane needed to zip his jacket up before going down the zipline. Zuri helped zane zip his jacket before he went down the zipline. I want everybody to say it together now. Lets try to say it three times! I want us to stretch out the /z/ sound at the beginning of each word that you hear it in. Zzzzzzane and Zzzzuri are going zzzzzziplining at the zzzzzzoo. Zzzzzzane needed to zzzzip his jacket up before going down the zzzzzipline. Zzzzzuri helped Zzzzane zzzzzzzip his jacket before he went down the zzzzipline.” For the next time we say it, we are going to break the sound /z/ off the word. /z/ane and /z/uri are going to go /z/iplining at the /z/oo. /z/ane needed to /z/ip his jacket up before going down the /z/ipline. /z/uri helped /z/ane /z/ip his jacket before he went down the /z/ipline.”

​

5. [Have students take out primary paper and pencil]. Say: “We use letter Z to spell /z/. Capital Z looks like a zigzag. Lowercase Z looks like a smaller zigzag. It looks exactly like Uppercase Z, just smaller. Let's write the lowercase letter z! To start, you need to go under our fence, and walk on the sidewalk. Now, everyone try and make a lowercase z. I am going to walk by and see everyone’s z’s, and if I draw star by yours, try to make 10 more on your paper to practice!”

​

6. Call on students to answer and tell how they knew: Say: “Now I will ask you which word has the /z/ sound. Raise your hand and I will call on you: Do you hear /z/ in soon or zoom?  Fuzz or face? say or zoo? frizz or space? Let's see if you can feel when your mouth moves for /z/ in a word. If one of the words I say next has the /z/ sound, stand up! Silly, crazy, race, lazy, pizza, grass.

​

7. Say: "Let’s look at a book called “Fuzz and the Buzz.” After we finish reading, I want you all to raise your hand and tell me any words you remember that had the /z/ sound in it. I will write the words on the board, and we will count how many words we have found!”

​

8. Show ZAP and show how to tell the difference between ZAP and SAD: say: “the Z tells me that you can sometimes feel a ZAP of energy. The word is Zzzzap. Now we are going to try another one. ZOO: boo or zoo? ZAG: zag or tag? ZERO: hero or zero? ZOOM: soon or zoom? Is this a picture of Zac or Mac? ZAC (Picture to distinguish who is who).

​

9. For assessment, distribute the worksheet. Students should color the pictures that begin with Z. We are going to add this into our letter journal so we can review the letter Z. Call students individually to read the phonetic cue words from step #8.

 

 

Reference: Emily Tate, "Zip Up Your Jacket With Z" https://emt0020.wixsite.com/literacylessons/emergent-literacy

 

 

 

Assessment worksheet: https://www.kidzone.ws/kindergarten/learning-letters/ib-book-z.htm

​