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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Itsy, Bitsy Spider

The learner will use the words of the fingerplay Itsy, Bitsy Spider to create a book.

A lesson plan for grade K English Language Arts

By JanetD White

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Learning outcomes

The learner will:

  • develop concepts of print: Print moves from left to right and makes a return sweep to the next line.
  • use knowledge of letters and sounds to build a familiar sentence.
  • develop recognition of some common words by sight.
  • match words by pointing to each word as he or she reads it.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

5 days

Materials/resources

  • sentence strips
  • drawing paper 9″ by 12″
  • crayons
  • typed text for title and each line of fingerplay
  • glue sticks
  • several sponges cut into large circles
  • black paint
  • moveable eyes
  • black fine point markers

    • Technology resources

    None

    Pre-activities

    Children will need to have prior knowledge of most letters and sounds.

    Teach the fingerplay The Itsy, Bitsy Spider.

    Activities

    1. Write the first line of the fingerplay on sentence strips and then cut the words apart.
    2. Randomly give out the words to the appropriate number of children.
    3. Have the children with the words come to the front of the group and see if they can build the sentence by arranging themselves in the right order.
    4. Select a child to point to each word as the class reads the sentence.
    5. Give each child an envelope which contains the sentence already cut into words.
    6. The children will glue the words in the correct order on drawing paper and illustrate the sentence.
    7. This will be page one of the children’s book.
    8. Follow the same procedure for pages two through four each day until the book is complete.
    9. Make the cover on day five. Cover idea: Have children glue on the words of the title. Make a spider by sponge painting a black circle. When dry, glue on movable eyes and draw spider legs with fine point markers.
    10. Children read their completed books and enjoy!

    Assessment

    Children will use print concepts and phonemic awareness to “read” their completed books.

    Supplemental information

    I follow up this lesson plan by reading to the children The Itsy, Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani. They love to compare their illustrations with the ones in this book, and they enjoy learning other verses to the song.

    Related websites

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    Comments

    Inspiration for this lesson plan came from
    Month-By-Month Reading and Writing for Kindergarten by Dorothy P. Hall and Patricia M. Cunningham, Carson-Dellosa Publishers.

    North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

    English Language Arts (2004)

    Kindergarten

    • Goal 1: The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies to read and write.
      • Objective 1.01: Develop book and print awareness:
        • identify the parts of books and function of each part.
        • demonstrate an understanding of directionality and voice-print match by following print word for word when listening to familiar text read aloud.
        • demonstrate an understanding of letters, words, and story.
        • identify the title, name of the author and the name of the illustrator.
      • Objective 1.02: Develop phonemic awareness and knowledge of alphabetic principle:
        • demonstrate understanding that spoken language is a sequence of identifiable speech sounds.
        • demonstrate understanding that the sequence of letters in the written word represents the sequence of sounds in the spoken word.
        • demonstrate understanding of the sounds of letters and understanding that words begin and end alike (onsets and rimes).
      • Objective 1.03: Demonstrate decoding and word recognition strategies and skills:
        • recognize and name upper and lower case letters of the alphabet.
        • recognize some words by sight including a few common words, own name, and environmental print such as signs, labels, and trademarks.
        • recognize most beginning consonant letter-sound associations in one-syllable words.