Activity: “Rule Sort”

Objective: To practice identifying and sorting words that follow the ff, ll, ss, and zz rule.

Materials needed: - Word cards (prepared in advance) with words that follow the ff, ll, ss, and zz rule, as well as words that do not follow the rule - Sorting mats or labeled containers for each rule (ff, ll, ss, zz)

Instructions: 1. Introduce the ff, ll, ss, and zz rule to the students, explaining that when a word has a short vowel sound followed by one of these consonant pairs, the consonant pair is doubled. 2. Review examples of words that follow the rule (e.g., off, ball, miss, buzz) and words that do not follow the rule (e.g., of, bell, mass, buzz). 3. Divide the students into small groups or pairs. 4. Distribute the word cards among the groups. 5. Instruct the students to read each word on their card and determine if it follows the ff, ll, ss, or zz rule. 6. Students should place the word card in the corresponding sorting mat or container labeled with the correct rule. 7. After all the word cards have been sorted, review the words in each category as a whole class, discussing any words that may have caused confusion. 8. Repeat the activity with different word cards or allow students to create their own word cards to challenge their understanding of the rule.

Extension: - Have students create sentences using words that follow the ff, ll, ss, and zz rule. - Challenge students to come up with additional words that follow the rule and add them to the sorting activity.