Tom and the Egg
Text Type: Fiction • Word Count: 577

READ-ALOUD LESSON
Tom and the Egg
Letter Oo vowel sound (review)

• Introduce and expose students to the various vowel sounds represented by the letter o, including short /o/, diphthong /ou/, variant vowels /o/ and /oo/, r-controlled /o/, and long /o/ vowel pattern sounds.
• Build oral comprehension skills.
• Model fluent reading.

Story Summary
Tom finds a large egg and imagines that there must be a dinosaur inside. He hides the egg in his father's office and keeps it warm with socks. His concern about the task of caring for a dinosaur grows until the egg hatches to reveal an adorable baby ostrich. 

Build Background
Ask students if they have ever seen an egg hatch. Invite them to share the experience. Discuss the types of animals that lay eggs and why it is important to keep them warm until they hatch.

Preview the Book
Read the title and ask students to identify the vowel sound at the middle of the word Tom (short /o/). Explain to students that you will read a story aloud that has many words with the various vowel sounds represented by letter o. 

Write Tom on the board. Read the word aloud to students. Have a volunteer come to the board and circle the letter o in the word, saying the vowel sound that it represents. 

Make a transparency of the copyright page of the book. Point out the box O Words that shows the words that include a vowel sound represented by the letter o. Read each word aloud with students, emphasizing the various vowel sounds of the letter o. 

Open the book and show students the illustrations on each page. Invite students to predict what the story might be about.

During Reading
Read the story aloud with expression, emphasizing one of the vowel sounds represented by the letter o in the words, such as the short /o/ vowel sound. Ask students to clap their hands each time they hear the short /o/ vowel sound. Point out that they might hear the short /o/ vowel sound at the beginning or in the middle of the word. 

Allow students to ask questions during reading. Pause occasionally to ask students to predict what might happen next. 

Reread the story aloud, emphasizing a different vowel sound represented by the letter o.

After Reading
Reader Response
Have students explain whether the book is fiction or nonfiction. Invite them to summarize the story and/or describe their favorite part.

Comprehension
Ask specific questions that allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the book.

• Why do you think Tom thought the egg was from a dinosaur?
• How did Bobby care for the egg until it hatched?
• Why did Bobby begin to worry about having the egg?