Lesson Published in SCOPES
Description -M2-Field Activity
Standard: CCSS.ELA RF.K.3a: - . Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sounds or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
The activity aligned well with the standard as students practiced identifying and pronouncing beginning sounds and connecting those sounds to letters through interactive and creative tasks. Students identified the /b/ sound, matched it to images, and applied their understanding by creating a digital story.
While I am not currently teaching kindergarten students, I would guide preservice teachers to consider students’ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) when designing lessons. I would emphasize the importance of beginning with strong modeling and gradually releasing responsibility. Preservice teachers would be encouraged to start with simple identification tasks and limited choices, then increase complexity as students build confidence, especially when introducing new tools like Scratch and ScratchJr.
In the lesson design, I included supports such as visual images, teacher modeling, think-alouds, sentence frames, and opportunities for collaboration. Although I am not currently implementing the lesson with students, I would model for preservice teachers how these supports can make instruction accessible for diverse learners. I would also emphasize the importance of differentiation, such as reducing options for students who need more support and extending tasks for advanced learners. These supports are intended to ensure all students can engage meaningfully with both the literacy and technology components of the lesson.
To evaluate the lesson, I implemented it as a simulation with a couple of preservice teachers. The preservice teachers assumed the role of kindergarten students while completing the Scratch activity and then reflected on the lesson from the perspective of future elementary teachers. This simulation allowed me to observe both the learner experience and the instructional design before using the lesson with young children.
Several aspects of the lesson worked particularly well. The participants quickly understood how the interactive Scratch activity reinforced the target beginning sound, and they appreciated the program's immediate feedback. They also found that transitioning from identifying beginning sounds to creating a simple story in ScratchJr helped extend learning beyond recognition and into application. During the discussion, the preservice teachers commented that integrating literacy with digital storytelling created opportunities for creativity while maintaining a clear focus on the literacy standard. They indicated they would feel confident adapting this lesson for different beginning sounds or other early literacy skills in their future classrooms.
The simulation also revealed several areas for improvement. Although the technology itself was easy for adult learners to navigate, the preservice teachers noted that kindergarten students would likely require additional modeling before beginning the ScratchJr activity independently. They suggested adding step-by-step visual directions, strategically pairing students, and providing a completed example before asking students to create their own digital stories.