I’ve been exploring different ways to incorporate music into an ELA class. Here is another option for a 1st or 2nd grade class.

Contact me at Elisabeth *at* erzsie.com to learn more if you would like to work with me on developing similar lesson plans!

Lesson Focus
* Rhythm and repetition in developing literacy skills, particularly decoding skills

Standards
ELA:
* Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.
* Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional familiar vowel teams.
MUSIC:
* Music Listening and Discrimination
* Rhythm and Timing
* Pitch Recognition
* Musical Expression

Objectives:
* Students will identify and discriminate between different sounds in words.
* Students will practice phonemic awareness skills by engaging in musical activities.
* Students will apply their understanding of sounds to improve their reading and spelling abilities.

Resources and Materials:
* Various musical instruments (e.g., drums, xylophone, tambourine, bells)
* Picture cards with words containing different phonetic sounds (e.g., cat, dog, frog, hat)
* Song lyrics related to phonemic awareness (e.g., “Party in the Jungle“)

Vocabulary:
Phonemic Awareness, Melody, Rhythm, Phonetic Awareness, Pitch, Auditory Discrimination, Multisensory, Collaborative Learning 

Assessment Plan:
* Observe students’ participation and engagement during the activities, noting their ability to identify and discriminate between sounds, their understanding of phonemic awareness concepts, and their collaboration with peers.
* Administer informal assessments, such as asking students to verbally identify the beginning, middle, or ending sounds of words or matching sounds to corresponding picture cards.
* Have students demonstrate their understanding by performing tasks, such as correctly sorting picture cards based on their beginning, middle, or ending sounds or accurately matching musical melodies to corresponding phonetic sounds.

Lesson Introduction (5 min):
* Begin by discussing the importance of sounds in language and reading. We will explore sounds through music today to help us become better readers. (3 minutes)
* Review the concept of phonemic awareness, emphasizing that it involves identifying and manipulating individual sounds in words. (2 minutes)

Lesson Core:
Sound Sort (15 minutes):
* Divide students into small groups and provide each group with picture cards containing words with different phonetic sounds.
* Instruct students to sort the cards based on the beginning, middle, or ending sounds they hear in each word.
* As students work, play background music softly to create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

Musical Sound Match (15 minutes):
* Introduce various musical instruments to the class and demonstrate how each instrument produces a different sound.
* Play a simple melody on one instrument and ask students to identify which picture card matches the beginning sound they hear in the melody.
* Repeat the activity with different instruments and melodies, allowing students to take turns identifying the corresponding picture cards.

Singing Phonemic Awareness Songs (10 minutes):
* Teach students a phonemic awareness song (e.g., “Party in the Jungle“) highlighting different phonetic sounds.
* Sing the song together as a class, emphasizing the pronunciation of each sound.
* Encourage students to clap, stomp, or use hand gestures to represent each sound as they sing along.

Lesson Conclusion (10 min):
* Reflect on the importance of phonemic awareness in reading and spelling.
* Ask students to share one thing they learned or enjoyed about using music to explore sounds today.
* Ask students to share one thing they learned or enjoyed about using music to explore sounds today.
* Ask students if any sound makes them happy, calm, excited, or any other emotion? 
* Ask students what challenges they faced.
* Discuss how listening to sounds and melodies can be helpful in other areas of learning and life.
* Ask students which instruments were their favorites.

Reflection:
This lesson provided dyslexic students an engaging and multisensory approach to developing phonemic awareness skills. Through music priming, students actively listened, identified, and discriminated between different sounds in words, enhancing their ability to decode and spell words accurately. Additionally, the collaborative and interactive nature of the activities fostered supportive learning where students felt empowered to participate and take ownership of their education.