A Christmas Adventure

Lesson Objective

Students will practice reading a decodable passage that focuses on words with the "ar" and "or" sounds, enhancing both their phonemic awareness and comprehension skills.

Curriculum Area

Subject: English Language Arts
Grade Level: 1st Grade (Aligned with Common Core State Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.B - Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.)

Materials

• Printed copies of the decodable passage: "A Christmas Adventure"
• Whiteboard or chart paper
• Marker
• Sticky notes with "ar" and "or" words hidden around the classroom (optional extension)

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Lesson Timing: 10 Minutes

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1. Introduction (1 Minute)

Teacher script:
“Today, we’re going to take a trip into a Christmas story that contains some very special words. Our goal is to find out how many words we can discover that have 'ar' and 'or' sounds – just like in the words ‘star’ and ‘corn.’ Let’s see if we can be word detectives!”

• Quickly write “ar” and “or” on the board and give 2 examples of each:
  • ar words: star, car
  • or words: corn, fork

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2. Reading Activity (5 Minutes)

Passage (Teacher Reads Aloud, Then Students Echo in Small Groups):
Underlined words highlight the "ar" and "or" words for teacher support only.

"It was a cold Christmas night. Mark's family had just put a big pie in their oven. Mark and his big sister thought they heard a strange sound. They grabbed a lamp and went to their front porch. To their surprise, they saw a tiny star shining on the floor. It was next to a gift bag with a big orange horse. Mark smiled and said, 'What a fun surprise! Merry Christmas!'”*

Echo Reading Instructions:

• Divide the passage into sentences. First, model fluently reading one sentence. Then, have students repeat the same sentence aloud in small groups.

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3. Comprehension Questions (3 Minutes)

Ask students these questions orally. Encourage hands raised for answers:

1. "Where did Mark and his sister find the shining star?"
   (Answer: On the floor of their front porch.)
2. "What did the gift bag have inside?"
   (Answer: A big orange horse.)
3. "What words in the story rhyme with 'far'?"
   (Answer: Star, car.)

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4. Word Work (1 Minute)

Write these “ar” and “or” words from the story on the board:

• ar words: Mark, star
• or words: porch, horse

Activity: Lightning Round! Point to each word, and students must quickly shout “ar” or “or” as they decode aloud.

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Optional Extension (If Time Allows)

Hide sticky notes around the classroom with additional “ar” and “or” words written on them (e.g., jar, park, fork, store). Challenge students to find the words and sort them into "ar" and "or" groups on the board.

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Strategies to Support All Learners

• Struggling readers: Pair with a stronger reader for echo reading practice.
• Advanced learners: Ask them to make their own sentence using an “ar” or “or” word during the comprehension review.
• Multisensory learners: Use hand signals—pointing to the stars in the sky while saying “ar” and forming an “O” shape with fingers for “or."

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Wrap-Up (30 Seconds)

Teacher script:
“Wow! You’re amazing readers and detectives! You found all the ‘ar’ and ‘or’ words in our Christmas adventure. Don’t forget to listen for those sounds today when you’re reading other books or playing. Let’s give ourselves a big clap for working so hard!”

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Assessment

• Formative: Observe student participation during echo reading and lightning round decoding. Check for correct responses during comprehension.
• Summative: Collect sticky notes (if the extension was completed) to evaluate sorting accuracy.

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Notes for the Teacher

• Consider displaying or sharing a word bank of other “ar” and “or” words for independent practice later in the day (e.g., bar, art, porch, corn).
• Reinforce the focus sounds throughout the week during morning meeting or center activities.