- Hi, readers.

Welcome to Read, Write, ROAR.

Today, we're gonna be learning all about the letter V, and we're gonna be learning about what lives under the snow.

We'll learn some new vocabulary words, and we'll practice building words.

You're gonna need something to write on, like a piece of paper or a notebook, and something to write with, like a pencil or a marker.

So go gather your tools, and then we'll start learning.

- [Narrator] This program is made possible in part by the Michigan Department of Education, the state of Michigan, and the W.K.

Kellogg Foundation.

Additional support by, and by viewers like you, thank you.

(upbeat music) (soft music) - It's time to be letter heroes.

Let's get started.

Today's letter is the letter V. Can you say V?

This is an uppercase V. Uppercase V. This is a lowercase V. Can you say lowercase V?

Great.

Uppercase V, lowercase V. Notice they look pretty similar, but uppercase V is larger and taller.

And lowercase V is shorter.

Let's practice saying the names.

Ready?

I'm gonna mix them up.

Uppercase V, lowercase V, one more time.

Lowercase V, uppercase V. To make the sound for V, we put our teeth on our lip like this.

Then we make a vibrating sound.

V says V. Watch my mouth, and make the sound with me.

V, V says V. Let's look at some things that begin with the letter V. This is a vase.

Can you say vase?

That's right.

Vase begins with the V sound.

Vase, it begins with a V. Next, how about a vest?

Can you say vest?

Vest, it begins with V. The V sound is from letter V. And the last thing is a musical instrument.

This is a violin.

Can you say violin?

Perfect.

Violin begins with V, V. Great job helping me with objects that begin with the V sound.

Now it's time to practice searching for the letter V in our sentence today.

Let's start by reading the sentence.

I want you to help me listen for the V sound.

We might find some uppercase V's, and we might find some lowercase V's.

Let's read it first, and then we'll do some searching.

Vera wore a violet vest in the very cold weather.

Did you hear the sound V in any of those words?

Me too.

When we search, you're gonna tell me to stop when you see the letter V, or when you hear that sound.

Let's read.

Vera.

You said stop already?

That's right.

There's an uppercase V beginning the name Vera.

Let's highlight it.

(highlighter scribbling) Vera begins with V. Let's keep researching.

Wore, no, no V there.

A, I don't see a V. Violet.

Was that stop?

That's right, you said stop.

Violet begins with V, V. Let's highlight that lowercase V. (highlighter scribbling) Great job, letter heroes, let's keep searching.

Vest.

That's right.

Another lowercase V, great work.

Vest begins with V. Let's keep reading.

In, no, no V there.

The, nope.

Very.

You said stop, that's right.

Very begins with the lowercase V. Let's highlight it.

(highlighter scribbling) Very.

Cold.

No V there.

Last word, weather.

No V in weather.

Let's count the V's we found in our sentence.

One, two, three, four.

We found four V's in our sentence today.

Now, friends, it's time for you to get ready to write with me.

Do you have something to write on, and something to write with?

Great, let's get started.

We're gonna practice making uppercase and lowercase V's.

Watch me trace it with my finger.

You can trace it along with me.

Start at the top.

Big diagonal line down to the bottom, and then diagonal line back up to the top.

Notice I didn't pick up my finger.

Watch, we'll do it again.

Diagonal line down to the bottom, and big diagonal line up to the top.

Let's practice skywriting it.

Ready?

Get your finger ready.

Start at the top.

Big line down, and big diagonal line up.

Great job.

Now we'll practice writing it.

I'm gonna use my blue today.

Start at the top, big diagonal line down, and big diagonal line up, just like that.

Uppercase V, let's do another one.

Start at the top.

Big diagonal line down.

Big diagonal line up.

One more.

Start at the top.

Big diagonal line down, and big diagonal line up.

Just like that.

Remember, we always start our letters at the top.

Great job.

Now it's time for lowercase V. We'll trace it with our finger.

This time we start in the middle dotted line.

Little diagonal line down, and little diagonal line up, just to the dotted line.

Great job.

Let's skywrite it, ready?

Little diagonal line down, and little diagonal line up.

Let's get ready to do some writing.

Get ready.

Put your tool on the dotted line.

Little diagonal line down, and little diagonal line up.

There's one.

Let's do another one.

Start on that dotted line.

Little diagonal line down, and little diagonal line up.

One more.

Start on the dotted line.

Little diagonal line down, and little diagonal line up.

Great work.

We practiced writing uppercase V and lowercase V, and we learned the sound for V is V, great job.

V is one of our consonant letters.

V, great job, readers and writers.

(soft music) Hi, friends.

We have been learning so many new letters and sounds.

Now it's time to use those letters and sounds to build some words.

Are you ready to be a word builder?

Great, let's get started.

When I tap on the letter like this, you'll say the letter's sound.

And when I move my hammer like this, you'll blend the sounds to read the words.

Let's get started.

Here's our first word.

Say the sounds with me.

V, A, N. Now blend.

Van.

Say it in a snap, van.

I drove my van to the store.

Van.

Now we'll change the beginning sound, and make a new word.

Ready?

Let's say the sounds.

C, A, N. Now blend.

Can.

Say it in a snap, can.

Can you help me clean the room?

Can.

Let's get ready to change some sounds.

This time, we'll change the beginning sound, and we'll change the middle sound.

Get ready to say the sounds.

F, I, N. Now blend, fin.

Say it in a snap, fin.

The dolphin has a fin on its back, fin.

Okay, let's change some sounds.

Let's change the beginning sound, and let's change the ending sound.

Are you ready to build the word?

Let's go.

W, I, T. Blend with me, wit.

Now say it in a snap, wit.

If you have a lot of wit, that means you're smart.

Okay, time for a new word.

Let's change the beginning sound, and let's see what our new word is.

Ready?

F, I, T. Blend with me, fit.

Now say it in a snap, fit.

Do those boots still fit?

Fit.

Great job.

This time, we'll change the middle sound, and we'll change the ending sound, or beginning sound.

Here we go, let's say the sounds.

P, O, T. Blend with me, pot.

Now say it in a snap, pot.

I filled the pot with water, pot.

Here's our last word.

We'll change just the beginning sound.

Ready?

Let's say the sounds.

D, O, T. Blend with me, dot.

Now say it in a snap, dot.

I got a dot of milk on my shirt, dot.

Great job, readers and writers.

You were word builders today.

And we built a lot of new words.

(soft music) Hi, friends, I'm Mrs. Pung.

Do you like to play in the snow?

Me too.

Have you ever thought about what might be living under the snow?

That is our big question we're trying to answer today.

What lives under the snow?

We're going to be reading a non-fiction book to find out.

Remember, nonfiction tells us information that's true.

The title of our book today is Over and Under the Snow.

The author is Kate Messner, and the illustrator is Christopher Silas Neal.

This book is read with permission from the publisher.

Let's get started.

Over and Under the Snow.

"Over the snow, I glide into woods frosted, fresh, and white.

Over the snow, a flash of fur, a red squirrel disappears down a crack.

Where did he go?

Under the snow, dad says."

There's his tail.

"Under the snow is a whole secret kingdom, where the small forest animals stay safe and warm.

You're skiing over them now."

A kingdom is like a secret place.

Sometimes kingdoms are ruled by kings or queens.

"Over the snow, I glide past beech trees, rattling leftover leaves and strong silent pines that stretch to the sky.

On a high branch, a great horned owl keeps watch.

Under the snow, a tiny shrew dodges columns of ice.

It follows a cool tunnel along the moss out of sight."

There he goes.

"Look, dad says, tracks.

Tracks always tell a story.

Over the snow, a deer has crossed our path.

Deep hoof prints punch through the crust.

Up the hill, under a tree, an oval of melted snow tells the story of a good night's sleep.

Under the snow, deer mice doze.

They huddle up, cuddle up against the cold in a nest of feathers and fur."

Do you see them hiding on the bottom of the page?

"Over the snow, I climb, digging my edges so I don't slide back down.

Under the snow, voles scratch through slippery tunnels, searching for morsels from summer feasts."

Morsels are like small crumbs of food.

"Over the snow, I swoosh down, down, faster, faster, down, faster, faster.

Whoops.

Under the snow, a snowshoe hare watches from a shelter of spruce.

Almost invisible, she smooths her fur, a coat of winter white."

Can you see her hiding?

There she is.

"Over the snow, I glide, past reeds where tadpoles play tag in springtime.

Under the snow, fat bullfrogs snooze.

They dream of sun-warmed days back when they had tails."

Let's count the bullfrogs, one, two, three.

"Over the snow, I stand and stare.

Little mountains in the marsh.

Under the snow, beavers gnaw on aspen bark, settled in for supper.

Can they hear my tummy rumbling too?

The word gnaw means to chew.

Over the snow, stop, a sound.

We stand like statues carved in ice to a bushy-tailed fox steps from a thicket, tips his ear to the ground.

Listen, listens, listens still, and leaps out onto the snow after an invisible dinner.

His paws scratch away to find the mouse he heard.

Scritch, scritch, scratching along underneath, under the snow.

Over the snow, I glide, a full moon lights my path to supper.

Under the snow, a chipmunk wakes for a meal.

Bedroom, kitchen, hallway, his house under my feet.

Over the snow, I climb one last hill.

Bonfire smoke rises, warm hands, hot cocoa, hot dogs sizzling on pointed sticks.

Under the snow, a black bear snores.

Hmm.

Still full of October blueberries and trout.

Over the snow, the fire crackles, and sparks shoot up to the stars.

I lick sticky marshmallows from my lips, and lean back with heavy eyes.

Shadows dance in the flames.

Under the snow, a queen bumblebee drowses away December all alone.

She'll rule a new colony in the spring.

Over the snow, I glide home on tired legs.

Clouds whisper down feathery soft flakes.

Under the covers, I snuggle deep, and drift into dreams, of cuddling deer mice and slumbering frogs, hungry beavers, and tunneling voles, drowsy bears, and busy squirrels, and the secret kingdom under the snow."

Readers, we learned about so many interesting animals that live under the snow.

(soft music) Friends, we learned many new words in our book today.

Now it's time to learn more about three of those words, let's get started.

Our first word is the word kingdom.

Can you say kingdom?

Great.

A kingdom is a country, usually ruled by a king or a queen.

Sometimes a kingdom is thought of as a secret or magical place, kingdom.

Let's clap the syllables in the word kingdom.

Ready?

Kingdom.

How many syllables did you hear?

Two, there are two syllables in the word kingdom.

Our movement for the word kingdom today will be crown and place.

Can you do that with me?

Crown and place, a kingdom.

Let's see what our book said about the word kingdom.

In our book, it says, "Under the snow is a whole secret kingdom where the smallest forest animals stay safe and warm."

Kingdom.

Let's use kingdom in a sentence of our own.

The prince rode his white horse into the kingdom, kingdom.

Our next word is the word morsel.

Can you say morsel?

Great job.

A morsel is a small amount of food, or crumbs, morsel.

Let's clap the syllables in the word morsel.

Ready?

Morsel.

How many syllables did you hear?

Two.

There are two syllables in the word morsel.

Our movement for morsel today will be crumbs.

Can you do that with me?

Crumbs, small amounts of food, morsel.

Let's see what our book said about the word morsel.

In our book, it says, "Under the snow, voles scratch through slippery tunnels, searching for morsels from summer feasts."

Morsels, now let's use the word morsel in a sentence.

The cookie was so delicious, I only left one morsel, morsel.

Great job.

Our last word today is the word gnaw.

Can you say gnaw?

Great job.

The word gnaw's kind of special.

The G in gnaw doesn't make a sound.

It's a silent letter.

So we say gnaw.

To gnaw means to chew.

Gnaw.

Let's clap the syllables in the word gnaw.

Ready?

Gnaw.

How many syllables did you hear?

Just one.

There is one syllable in the word gnaw.

To gnaw means to chew, so our movement for not today will be chew.

Can you do that with me?

Chew, to gnaw.

Now let's see, what did our book say about the word gnaw?

It says right here, "Under the snow, beavers gnaw on aspen bark."

Gnaw, great job.

Let's say our words and do our movements one more time.

Ready?

Kingdom, a crown and land, a magic or secret place.

Morsel, small amount of food or crumbs.

And gnaw means to chew.

Great job, readers and writers.

Let's try to use our new words with someone in our home today.

(soft music) What lives under the snow?

Do you have something to write on, and something to write with?

Great, let's think back to our book today.

Do you remember anything that lived under the snow?

Wow, you remembered a lot of information from our story.

Today, we're gonna use something called a sentence stem to help us write.

That means I already wrote part of the sentence, and we're just gonna work together to fill in the blank.

Let's read the sentence stem together.

A blank lives under the snow.

So we need to work together to stretch out a word to fill in our blank.

Let's think.

Hmm.

I remember, a vole lived under the snow, and vole begins with our letter of the day.

To write the word vole, I need your help stretching out the sounds.

Are you ready?

V, O, L. How many sounds did you hear in the word vole?

Three, that's right.

We'll write the word vole on the line.

What was the first sound you heard in the word vole?

That's right.

V, and that was our letter today.

What letter is that?

That's right, it's the letter V. So let's make a lowercase V. You can write with me at home too.

Start in the middle.

It needs to be lowercase.

Little diagonal line down, and little diagonal line up.

There's our V. What's the next sound you hear in the word vole?

V, O. O is the next sound.

Do you know what letter makes that sound?

That's right, it's the letter O.

Watch me make a lowercase O.

Start in the middle, and small curve around, and then close it up.

There's my O.

What's the last sound you hear in the word vole?

L, L. What letter makes the L sound?

Do you remember?

That's right.

I heard you say L, L makes the L sound.

To make a lowercase L, we start at the top, and we make one big line down.

Now we're almost done with our word, but we need one more letter.

I know that I need something called a magic E to help that O say its name.

We'll learn more about magic E at a different time, but let's make a lowercase E at the end of vole.

It looks like this.

Little line out, up, and around.

E, that's the word vole.

Let's read our sentence, and make sure it makes sense.

A vole lives under the snow.

Great work.

Friends, we learned so many new things today.

We learned all about the letter V. We read a nonfiction book, and we learned about what lives under the snow.

We learned some new vocabulary words.

We practiced building words, and we stretched out sounds, and drew a picture to answer our big question.

Great job reading and writing with me today, friends.

I'll see you next time on Read, Write, ROAR.

- [Narrator] This program is made possible in part by the Michigan Department of Education, the state of Michigan, and the W.K.

Kellogg Foundation.

Additional support by, and by viewers like you, thank you.

(upbeat music)