Making /oi/ and /oy/

Objective

By the end of this 10-minute Tier 2 small group lesson, 2nd graders will be able to:

• Identify and produce the /oi/ and /oy/ sounds in isolation and in words
• Decode and encode words containing /oi/ and /oy/
• Read short sentences using /oi/ and /oy/ words with emerging fluency
• Demonstrate understanding through guided practice and a short fluency story

Aligned Common Core Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.C: Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.D: Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.A: Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names (will reinforce sentence punctuation and capitalization in short sentence activity)
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.4.A: Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding

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Materials

• Whiteboard and marker or dry erase board
• Flashcards with /oi/ and /oy/ words (e.g., coin, join, noise, toy, boy, joy)
• Letter tiles or magnetic letters for spelling
• Printed short sentences containing /oi/ and /oy/ words
• Short fluency story (see below) printed or projected
• Paper and pencils

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up and Sound Intro (2 minutes)

• Begin by telling students: "Today, we are going to practice two special sounds that sometimes sound alike but show up differently in words."
• Demonstrate the /oi/ sound by saying: “/oi/ as in coin,” and then the /oy/ sound by saying: “/oy/ as in toy.”
• Ask students: “Can you say /oi/… and now /oy/?”
• Show flashcards of both types of words. Emphasize the sound and the spelling patterns:
  • /oi/ usually appears in the middle of words (coin, join)
  • /oy/ usually appears at the end of words (toy, boy)

2. Phonics Practice: Letter Sounds & Words (3 minutes)

• Display flashcards one by one. For each word:
  • Have students say the word aloud
  • Segment the sounds and identify the /oi/ or /oy/ sound
  • Use magnetic letters or letter tiles to build the words together, highlighting the “oi” or “oy” letter combination
• Practice encoding: say a word aloud and have students spell it using letter tiles or pencil/paper (demand three to four words here, e.g., oil, join, toy, joy)

3. Decoding & Short Sentences (2 minutes)

• Show students short sentences containing /oi/ or /oy/ words, such as:
  • “The boy has a toy.”
  • “I see a coin in the soil.”
• Read the sentences aloud first, modeling fluency and expression.
• Students take turns reading sentences aloud, decoding words as they go.
• Ask simple comprehension questions to check for understanding (e.g., “What is the boy holding?”).

4. Fluency Story & Wrap-Up (3 minutes)

• Share a brief story with multiple /oi/ and /oy/ words to promote fluency. Example:

The Joyful Noise
The boy heard a noise from the toy box. He found a coin and a shiny coin joint. "Oh, joy!" he said. "This is my favorite toy!"

• Read the story aloud once, then have students echo read sentence-by-sentence.
• Encourage smooth pacing and expressive reading.
• End by asking students to identify /oi/ and /oy/ words they heard in the story.
• Give positive feedback and celebrate their progress.

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Assessment & Checking for Understanding

• During encoding and decoding, observe if students can correctly identify and manipulate the /oi/ and /oy/ sounds and letter combinations.
• Listen during sentence and story reading to ensure decoding skills and fluent reading progress.
• Use simple questions about the story to check comprehension and that students can connect meaning with phonics skills.

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Extension Ideas to Wow

• Create a quick sound hunt: Give students a small set of pictures or words and have them pick only the ones with /oi/ or /oy/ sounds to reinforce categorization skills.
• Integrate movement: when students hear /oi/ they jump once, and when they hear /oy/ they clap—as a kinesthetic way to reinforce phonemic awareness.

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This lesson plan is designed to maximize engagement and mastery in a short 10-minute window for small Tier 2 groups, focusing on the essential phonics skill of distinguishing and using /oi/ and /oy/ sounds and spellings, fitting perfectly with the rigor and specificity of Common Core standards for 2nd grade ELA.