Dancing with Diane the Dinosaur

1.   Say: "Today, we are learning about the special sound /d/. This sound shows up a lot in the words we read and speak every day. I’ve just used it several times myself! Several of your names contain it! So, it’s important to know when and how to use it.”

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2.   “This sound is made by following these steps: place your tongue right behind the place where your top and bottom teeth meet, then use your tongue and throat to push air out of your mouth, and finally, let the air escape by opening your mouth and separating your top and bottom teeth (otherwise, it will sound like /t/)."

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3.   "Let's practice some more! Everyone think of your favorite song. Listen for the beat the drums or other instruments make and try to replicate it yourself by saying, '/d/, /d/, /d/...' " [Provide example, then allow students time to think of their beat and practice.]

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4.   "We don't often make the /d/ sound on its own; usually, /d/ is mixed in with other sounds. It can be difficult to identify just where (or if) we hear the /d/ sound, so I will show you how by using the word ‘radio.’ Let me say that slower: rrrrrr-aaaaaa-d-iiii-ooo. This time, each time my mouth moves to make a new sound, I will mentally compare it with /d/, to see if it matches.” [While teacher sounds out the word, he/she shakes their head no for each sound that does not match /d/, and nods their head yes when he makes the /d/ sound. Teacher does not stop at /d/; also checks /E/ and /O/.] “/r/ and /A/ don’t sound like /d/, but I do hear /d/ right in the middle. Rrr-aaa-d!-iii-oooo. I know I found /d/ in the middle of the word because it sounds the same and also because it was the only time my tongue went to the back of my teeth and I had to force air out of my mouth.” Pause for students to ask questions.

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5.   “Now I’ll tell you a quick story: Diane the dinosaur loved listening to music. She always had a pair of headphones handy and a great new playlist. One day, Diane thought she was alone, so she began to dance to the beat /d/, /d/, /d/ like there was no tomorrow! When her friends and family saw her, they laughed at first, but then joined in, forgetting about all they had to do. Deciding to dance with Diane the dinosaur was definitely a distraction that day.” [Have students repeat the last sentence.]

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6.   “Let’s practice finding /d/ in other words. Everyone may stand up. When I say a word, everyone bust out your favorite dance move if you hear the /d/ sound.” [Use words like: dinosaur, alone, head, dance, listen, tomorrow, joined, Diane, etc. When finished, call on students to answer the following questions:

• Do you hear /d/ in dino or chair?

• Do you hear /d/ in ball or doll?

• Do you hear /d/ in dance or pants?

• Do you hear /d/ in red or rep?

• Do you hear /d/ in sandy or sunny?]

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7.   “When we read aloud, we know to make the /d/ sound when we see the letter D/d. You can remember what a capital D looks like by imagining a circle that has been cut in half.” [On the board, model how to draw the letter D.] Say: “I place my marker at the rooftop and drag it all the way down to the sidewalk. This gives me a straight line. Now, I swing out to the right in a curve. Once I make it to the fence, my curve continues to go up, but to the left, ultimately landing at the same place I started.” [Pause for students to ask questions. Now, have students practice on their own primary paper. Walk around the room and check in on students needing help.]

 

8.   “You can remember what a lowercase d looks like by imagining a small disco ball hanging from the ceiling.” [On the board, model how to draw the letter d.] Say: “I place my marker at the rooftop and drag it all the way down to the sidewalk. This gives me a straight line. Then, I will draw a circle on the left side of the line between the sidewalk and the fence.” [Pause for students to ask questions. Now, have students practice on their own primary paper. Walk around the room and check in on students needing help.]

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9.   Say: “Have you ever played with dominoes and arranged them in a line to make them topple over? You may remember how hard it is to get them completely set up without ruining the whole thing. In this story, a boy makes a bet that he can line up one hundred dominoes without knocking them over. But a sneaky, rolly-poly dime might make him lose his bet! Let’s read to find out what happens.”

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Assessment: Provide each student a blank piece of copy or construction paper. Have them draw a large representation of both capital and lowercase Dd. Inside each circle or semicircle made by the letters, students can draw whatever they think will help them remember it. For example, the capital letter D can be half a disco ball, and/or the lowercase d can be the sun appearing from behind a wall. Any illustration is okay, as long as the actual letters are bolded in black.