Shared Reading Plan

Theme: Food/ Food Around the World

Book Information:
Book: Green Eggs and Ham
Author: Dr. Seuss
Illustrated by: Dr. Seuss
Level: Kindergarten/1st Grade

Introduction: Green Eggs and Ham is a food themed book that written and illustrated by Dr.
Seuss. It integrates the fundamentals of language and print as well as the rhyming, and
patterns. It is about Sam-I-Am who mounts a campaign to have another Seuss character (cat)
eat a plate of green eggs and ham. Throughout the story, Sam-I-Am gives the cat different
scenarios, locations, and circumstances to eat food. The cat refuses with poetic rhyming until
the end where the cat finally tries the green eggs and ham.

This is a great book for emergent readers because it incorporates many important aspects of
the reading process such as concepts of print, rhyming, alliteration, repeated texts, and topics
relevant to young readers. The first page begins with repetitive sounds and rhyming that are
consistent throughout the book, (i.e. Sam-I-am, I am Sam). The first page also illustrates the
idea of word families, adding and subtracting letters to make new words (Sam Am). This book
has lots of visuals that support the content to keep students engaged and focused. Students are
familiar with events in this story, because almost all people have had instances where they did
not want to try a new food. However, once they tried it, they actually learned to like it.

Focus 1- Concept of Print

Standard/Indicator:
CCSS.ELA- RF.K.1. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.

Activity to Teach Concept of Print- “Let’s Sing a Song”

Students will learn vocabulary of a book: pages, front cover, back cover, author, and illustrator.

In order for students to understand words are read from left to right, students will need to
differentiate their left from right by learning the LEFT hand makes the letter “L” with the
pointer and thumb. The students will follow the model of the teacher.

Students will learn a song to illustrate the parts of a book, how to read, as the teacher
demonstrates with finger and/or pointer.
I see words on the cover with the author and illustrator.
I read my words from top bottom.
I read my words from left to right.
I read my words page by page.

The story will be read for the first time, pointing out these elements. Read the first sentence,
“That Sam-I-am!” using this as a visual to illustrate that sentences are read from left to right
and pages are read from top to bottom. The sentence will be written on a card with the ability
to add or remove each word as necessary.

Students will play a game similar to pin the tail on the donkey. The cover and back cover of
Green Eggs and Ham will be taped to the wall. Each student will take turns picking a part of a
book from a basket. The teacher will read the word or concept out loud and the student will
“pin” it on the wall to the corresponding spot on book. For example, student chooses the word
“author”. The student will say who the author is and its significance to this story. Then he/she
will pin (Velcro) it to the spot on the book that shows the author.

Focus 2 - Alphabet Knowledge

Standard/Indicator:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.1.D

Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

Activity to Teach Alphabet Knowledge: (Student will learn the name of letters, not the
sounds.)

Students will sing the Alphabet song with corresponding letters being pointed to as the
students go through each letter.

Green Eggs and Ham will be read again to the whole class. This time names of letters as well as
upper case and lower-case letters will be emphasized. Recognize letters in the story as well as
the basics of concept of print.

Through different centers students will participate in a different activity to help learn the
names of the letters.

Rainbow Letters- Upper and lowercase letters of different colors will be in a bin. A paper
rainbow will be placed on the wall, with each color having both capital and uppercase letters
written. However, the letters for the color green of the rainbow will be green eggs and ham.
Students will choose letters from a hat, say the letter, and will place the in the correct color and
letter location on the rainbow. For example, a student chooses a red, uppercase “e.” The
student will say the letter, walk over to the rainbow wall and place the uppercase “e” in the red
stripe in the uppercase “e” letter. This will help students learn the name of letter, but also
sequencing, and reinforce the colors.

Alphabet Fishing- Upper case and lowercase letters will be written on paper fish. Students will
work together to “go fishing” from a bin, name the letter, and release it on an alphabet “pond”
on the floor. Once they have correctly filled up the pond, the letters will go back into the bin.

Go “Ham”- All capital letters will be written on “green eggs” and all lowercase letters will be
written on “ham.” Students will play a modified version of “go fish” to match the corresponding
upper case (green eggs) and lowercase (eggs) to complete the set. Students will take turns
asking for the complementary card. If the opponent does not have it, they will go “go ham”
instead of “go fish.” Once a set is complete, students will place it face up on the floor. Whoever
loses their “cards” first and/or has the most pairs wins the round.

These activities will help students learn and recognize the name of letters, not necessarily the
sounds.

Focus 3: Phonological or Phonemic Awareness

Standard/Indicator:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2

Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.E

Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new
words.

Activity to Teach Phonemic Awareness (letter-sound correspondence):

Students will gather around the reading circle. Teacher will use words form the story to
illustrate the sounds of letters. Also, substituting sounds to make new words will also be
demonstrated, Am Sam. This will also be a rhyming lesson to help students make the
connection between sounds and letters.

Students will use magnetic letters on magnetic boards to help them recognize the letter-sound
correspondence. They will be given words from the story that demonstrate the sounds and
syllables of words like “ham.” They will listen to the sound of each letter and use the magnetic
board to put the sounds together.

Activity to Teach Phonological Awareness (sounds of letters):

Students will play “Green Eggs and Ham Bingo.” Each student will receive a bingo card with
different sounds heard in the story such as “th, ch, t, etc.” and they will mark the corresponding
block with the beginning sound of a word. For example, the teacher will draw the word “that,”
students who have the beginning sound of “th” on their card will mark it off. This will continue
until a student has completed a Bingo row either across, down, or diagonally.

This is a game that will help students understand the sounds of words because it will force
them to break down the words by their sounds. This game can be modified to practice other
skills, like middle or ending sounds, syllables, etc.

Focus 4: Sight Words

Standard/Indicator:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.C

Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does).

Activity to Teach Sight Words: “Sight Word Sandwich”

The teacher will read the sentence, “I do not like them Sam-I-Am, I do not like green eggs and
ham” pointing out the sight word “do.” The teacher will say the word while pointing to the
book and have the students repeat the word. He/she will then explain that this word does not
follow the letter sound correspondence. The word will be written on the board, so the students
are able to make the visual and verbal connection.

Students will practice sight word recognition by building “sight word sandwiches”. Each
element of the sandwich (bread, lettuce, tomato, onion) will have a different sight word on it.
For example, students will start with the bread with “the” then move to the lettuce with “my,”
this pattern will continue adding new ingredients like ham which will have a new sight word on
that can be added to the sandwich.

While still incorporating the story into this activity, students will recognize sight words and also
help them to notice when reading different texts. Also, students will learn sequencing.

Day 5: Analogizing Words

Standard/Indicator:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.D- Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the

sounds of the letters that differ.

Indicator: Recognize and produce rhyming words; blend and segment syllables in spoken
words; Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single syllable spoken words.

Activity to Teach Analogizing Words: “Are You a Match?”

Students will play a matching game that uses Story Vocabulary cards from rhyming words in
Green Eggs and Ham. Some of the words will include: Sam, am, Ham, house, mouse, fox, box,
see, tree, me, be, train, rain, goat, boat. Cards will be placed on the floor. Students will pick a
card and then find its match(es) indicating the sounds of the different letters. For example, a
student will find “am” and “sam” and then locate the card with the word “ham.” They will be
able to recognize that these words rhyme as well as produce another word from the story that
rhymes with sam and am.

Focus 6: Phonics

Standard/Indicator: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word

analysis skills in decoding words.

Indicator: Identify/Know the sound-spelling correspondence for common consonant digraphs.

Activity to Teach Phonics:

To learn digraphs (two letters that make one sound) students will focus on the letters “oo” and
“ee”. Because the word “green” is in the title and it contains a digraph, student be able to
recognize the long sound of the double “e.”

The letters “oo” make different sounds in different words. For instance, in food, the “oo” makes
a long “o” (eww) sound, like mood and roof. But in the word “book” the double “o” makes a
short “o” sound, like hook and cook. The “ee” sound makes a long e sound, like green, seen,
preen.

The students will go on a “Classroom Scavenger Hunt” in groups to find as many words as
possible that have the “oo” and “ee” sounds. Words will be in different locations around the
classroom and students will find them based on clues. This will help students recognize the
sound and spelling of common consonant digraphs.

Conclusion:
These activities will help students learn the basic concepts of literacy from the concepts of print
to recognizing and decoding words. Usually developing in Kindergarten/1st grade students will
have the foundational skills to become better and stronger readers moving forward.
Incorporating the theme of food and using the classic children’s story Green Eggs and Ham,
playing games, singing songs, designing activities, and using texts that are rich in language are
great ways to help students learn the concepts.