Download Phonics MiniLesson

R-controlled vowels: The Bossy R
1. Introduction:
“Today we are learning about “r-controlled vowels.” (I will write 5 Rs on the
board in a vertical line.) Sometimes ‘r’ is a ‘bossy r’ and when ‘r’ comes after a vowel,
‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’, ‘u’, the vowel is not long or short. It sounds like /r/. (I will write the 5
vowels before each of the previous written Rs on the board.)”
2. Teacher Modeling:
(I will have the poem “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” written on the board for
students to see. I will have ‘ar’, ‘er’, ‘or’ words underlined.)
“I am going to read this poem that have words with the ‘bossy r’ in them.” I will read the
poem to the class emphasizing the r-controlled sounds.
“We heard some ‘bossy r’ words: star, wonder, are, world.”
“Other words that have the ‘bossy r’ sound are: arm, sister, brother, bird, dirt, fork, horn,
burp, and turn.”
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
how I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
how I wonder what you are!
(well-known nursery rhyme)
3. Guided Practice:
I will give each student a card with the letter ‘r’ printed on it. I will have the
following silly poem on the board or over head and give each student a copy to look at.
Louder than a bird chirping,
louder than dirt dissolving,
louder than a jar breaking,
or an arm cheering,
louder than a fork dropping,
or a horn tooting,
louder than a tire turning,
louder than a burp erping,
louder than brother yelling
or sister singing,
that’s how loud father SNORES!
(original poem by Aja Hahn, adapted from poem by Jack Prelutsky)
“Class, this is a poem that we are going to read together. After we read it once together, I
am going to read it and when I say a word with a ‘bossy r’ sound in it, I want you to raise
your card.”
As we read the poem together, I would circle the vowel and ‘r’ combination in each word
read. I would listen as the poem is read for pronunciation troubles. Then I would watch
as I read the poem aloud for students who do not raise their card or are slow in joining. If
the students have trouble with recognizing the words that contain the vowel followed by
‘r’, I would go back to the poem and read it again, by myself, pointing out the circled rcontrolled vowels.
4. Summarizing:
“What do we call the letter ‘r’ when it comes after a vowel?” (bossy r)
“And who can tell me what that ‘bossy r’ does to the vowel sound?” (it’s not long
or short, it sounds like /r/)
“Right, the vowel and ‘r’ sound like /r/.”
If students did not respond correctly, I would remind them that ‘r’ is a bossy letter
and when a vowel comes before it, the vowel is not long or short, the sound is /r/. I
would ask the students to point out any r-controlled words in the created poem that could
be added to the board list: louder, bird, chirping, dirt, arm, fork, horn, turning, burp,
erping, brother, sister, father, snores.
I would have the students read the list of words with me (star, wonder, are, world, louder,
bird, chirping, dirt, jar, or, arm, fork, horn, turning, burp, erping, brother, sister, father,
snores)
5. Independent Practice:
The students will do a file folder activity, creating r-controlled words. After they
complete the activity in the file folder, they will write the words on a piece of paper and
circle the vowel and following ‘r.’
(This is created by Aja Hahn)
Louder than a bird chirping,
louder than dirt dissolving,
louder than a jar breaking,
or an arm cheering,
louder than a fork dropping,
or a horn tooting,
louder than a tire turning,
louder than a burp erping,
louder than brother yelling
or sister singing,
that’s how loud father SNORES!
The following is the direction list for the independent practice activity. This activity
emphasizes manipulative learning as students practice and reinforce their
understanding of the “R-controlled vowel” rule.
Remember:
The letter ‘r’ can be a ‘bossy r’. When you see a vowel with an ‘r’ after, it sounds like /r/.
The vowel is not long or short, it makes a new sound. An example of a ‘bossy r’ word is
star.
Directions:
1. Take the cards, with letters on them, out of the envelope.
2. Open the folder.
3. Place the correct beginning or ending letters with the ‘bossy r’ word to match the
picture. The cards stick to the folder by using the Velcro piece on the back of the card.
4. After you have placed all the white letter pieces on the folder, find the paper that is at
the center. It should be labeled, ‘bossy r’ words.
5. Look at the words you have spelled and write down the ‘bossy r’ words. Practice
saying the words as you write them.
6. After you have written down the words, circle the vowel and ‘r’ in each word. Look
at the Word List on the back of the folder to make sure that you made the correct words.
7. When you are done, take the white letters off the Velcro and put them in the envelope
on the back of the folder. Put the folder away so another student may use it.