Lesson 16: Day 1: g /g/ sound: Science of Reading: UFLI Foundations Aligned

Introduction

Welcome to the Reader Garden! I’m Mrs. Gardner, and today we’re kicking off Lesson 16, Day 1. In this session, we’ll be focusing on an exciting new sound—the G sound. You may hear this sound at the beginning of words like “goat,” “gum,” and “get.” Can you guess what sound we are learning today? That's right! It's the G sound!

Understanding the G Sound

To make the G sound, place the back of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and let the air pop out—a strong voiced sound that comes from deep in your throat, almost like a soft growl. Let’s dive in and explore the glorious G sound together!

Before we proceed, don't forget to like and subscribe to the Reader Garden so you won't miss any lessons with me, Mrs. Gardner!

Lesson Plan

Here's our plan for today:

Phonemic Awareness
Visual Drill
Auditory Drill
Blending Drill
New Concept on the G sound

Phonemic Awareness

We will start by playing with sounds—segmentation and blending.

Blending Activity

Sounds: m Whole Word: mug
Sounds: f, a Whole Word: fog
Sounds: g, a Whole Word: got
Sounds: d, g Whole Word: dog

Good job blending those sounds! Now let’s transition to segmenting with our friend Sigy.

Segmentation Activity

Word: dog Sounds: d, o, g
Word: pig Sounds: p, i, g
Word: gap Sounds: g, a, p
Word: gut Sounds: g, u, t

Great job, Sigy! Let’s check off our phonemic awareness!

Visual and Auditory Drills

Next, we’ll do our Speedy Visual Drill. I’ll show you a grapheme, and you will say the sound it makes. Let’s deliver it speedily!

u = /u/
c = /c/
d = /d/
o = /o/
a = /a/
m = /m/
n = /n/
i = /i/
f = /f/
p = /p/
t = /t/
s = /s/

Now moving onto our Auditory Drill where I’ll say the sound of each letter, and you’ll provide the letter.

uh = u
c = c
d = d
a = a
i = i
m = m
n = n
e = e
f = f
p = p
t = t
s = s

Well done on completing both drills!

Blending Together

Now let’s blend different sounds to form new words, starting with “up”:

Change "up" to "cup".
Change "cup" to "pup".
Change "pup" to "pun".
Change "pun" to "pin".
Change "pin" to "pan".
Continue swapping sounds to build a variety of words like: can, con, dog, and mod.

Let’s check off our blending drill—great job, everyone!

New Concept: The Letter G

Now let's focus on the letter G. G is a consonant and spells the G sound, as in “guinea pig.” Here are my guinea pigs—Ruth and Eda! G appears at the beginning of words like “goat” and “ghost,” and can also end words like “dog” and “tag.”

Remember how to make the G sound: put the back of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. It’s a strong voiced stop sound, which means it can't be stretched out.

Let’s practice writing uppercase and lowercase G:

Uppercase G: Start at the top and curve around almost all the way, stopping in the middle and drawing a straight line into the curve.
Lowercase g: Start at the middle line, curve all the way around, then go down and curve up like a candy cane.

Download my practice sheet if you want to practice on your own!

Reading Practice

Now, let’s read some words with the G sound:

tug → t ug
gap → g a p
fog → f o g
mug → m u g
dog → d o g
tag → t a g

Let’s finish by writing words that include the G sound:

That wraps up our writing practice for today. Thank you so much for joining me in the Reader Garden! I'm really proud of today's work. Always recognize the pride you have in becoming a reader. Remember to like and subscribe to catch our next lesson. See you tomorrow!

Keywords

G sound
Phonemic Awareness
Blending
Visual Drill
Auditory Drill
Uppercase G
Lowercase g
Reading Practice
Writing Practice

FAQ

Q: What sound are we learning today?
A: We are learning the G sound, as in "goat" and "gum."

Q: How do I make the G sound?
A: Place the back of your tongue against the roof of your mouth and let the air pop out, creating a voiced stop sound.

Q: What activities are included in Lesson 16, Day 1?
A: The lesson includes phonemic awareness activities, visual and auditory drills, blending drills, and a focus on the G sound.

Q: How do I write uppercase and lowercase G?
A: For uppercase G, start at the top and curve around almost all the way, stopping in the middle and drawing a straight line into the curve. For lowercase g, start at the middle line, curve around, then go down and curve up.

Q: Where can I practice writing G?
A: You can download the practice sheet linked in the article for additional practice on writing the letter G.