Lesson 13: Oo /ɑ/

Help Your Child Learn to Say, Write, and Read with the Letter Oo!

What Will We Learn Today?

Today’s lesson is all about the letter Oo, which spells the short vowel sound /ɑ/—as in octopus. Your child will learn how to say the /ɑ/ sound, write uppercase and lowercase Oo, and blend and read simple words and sentences that use this important vowel sound.

How to Make the /ɑ/ Sound

The short vowel /ɑ/ is made with the mouth slightly open and the tongue resting low and flat inside the mouth.

Here’s how to teach your child to say /ɑ/:

• Open your mouth just a little.

• Keep your tongue low and flat.

• Turn your voice on—/ɑ/ is a voiced sound.

• Say: /ɑɑɑ/. This is a continuous sound, so you can stretch it.

Articulate
Practice the sound together: “Let’s say /ɑɑɑ/ like we’re calling an octopus!” Emphasize the stretch and the vibration of the voice.

How to Write the Letter Oo

Time to grab your whiteboard and marker!

Uppercase O

• Start at the top and draw a big, round circle.

• That’s your uppercase O.

Lowercase o

• Start near the middle and draw a smaller round circle.

• That’s your lowercase o.

You can practice by tracing in sand, with a crayon, or in the air with your finger.

Let’s Practice Reading Words

Sound out and blend these short CVC words with the /ɑ/ sound in the middle:

• on

• not

• sop

• mop

• pop

• pot

• top

• tot

• mom

Say each sound slowly:
“/m/ – /ɑ/ – /p/” → mop
Then say the whole word quickly.

Let your child try blending the words after you model.

Let’s Practice Reading Phrases

Blend familiar decodable words into simple two- or three-word phrases:

• Tom and I

• not the top

• not the mop

• a mop

• Tom and Mom

• the top pot

Ask:

“Can you find the word with the /ɑ/ sound? Where is the short o in this phrase?”

Let’s Practice Reading Connected Sentences

Help your child grow their fluency with these connected and repetitive sentences:

• Mom and Pop sat on the mat.

• Pop, tap the pot.

• Mom, tap the pot.

• Mom and Pop tap the pot.

These sentences build comfort with high-frequency words and short vowel decoding.

Let’s Practice Reading Sentences

Invite your child to read these short sentences using known phonics patterns and the short /ɑ/ sound:

• I mop the top.

• Sam and I sat at the tip.

• Mom and Nat tap the mop.

• Mom and I sit on the mat.

Encourage pointing to each word and blending the sounds.

Color, Trace, and Write

Use printable worksheets where your child can:

• Color pictures with the short /ɑ/ sound

• Trace uppercase and lowercase Oo

• Practice writing the letter Oo

[Download the Oo Worksheet Here]

Flashcards – Middle Sound Focus

Since Oo is a vowel, we focus on middle sounds in CVC words for flashcard work.

Examples:

• mop

• pot

• top

• pop

Ask:

“What sound do you hear in the middle?”
“Which letter makes that sound?”

[Download Oo Flashcards – Middle Sound CVC Set Here]

Conclusion

The short vowel sound /ɑ/ gives children access to many early reading words. With lots of practice—saying the sound, writing the letter, blending words, and reading short sentences—your child will continue building confidence and fluency.

Make learning joyful and routine. What new /ɑ/ word did your child read today? Share it in the comments!