‘OO’ As in Moon, or ‘OO’ As in Book?

One of the most complicated aspects of the English language is that one grapheme (a letter or group of letters that represent a sound) can represent multiple phonemes (sounds). Such is the case with the ‘oo’ digraph!

Think about the words ‘moon’ and ‘book’. In the word ‘moon’, the ‘oo’ makes a long sound. In the word ‘book’, the ‘oo’ makes a short sound. Confusing, huh?   

This activity has been designed to help students review the long and short ‘oo’ sounds while strengthening their fine motor skills. It includes a set of teacher instructions and a glasses template for students.

How to Create a Pair of ‘OO’ Glasses

1. Give each student their own glasses template. Printing on cardboard is recommended for added durability. 
2. Ask students to write five words with the ‘long oo’ sound in the frame of the lens with the moon, then write five words with the ‘short oo’ sound in the frame of the lens with the book. 
3. When finished writing the words, students may decorate, cut, glue and wear their new glasses!

Once the students complete their glasses, give them time to wear them. You may need to explain that these glasses have ‘sOOperpowers’ and will help them find words containing the ‘oo’ grapheme! Allow students to explore the classroom with their glasses, then have them share words they spotted with the class.

Download and Print

Use the dropdown menu next to the Download button to select between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource.

Because this resource includes an instructions page, we recommend you print one copy of the entire file. Then, make photocopies of the blank glasses template for students to complete.

This resource was created by Alessandra Pastor, a Teach Starter collaborator.