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DODO Learning
Think Once. In Both Languages.
Lesson 10
Little DODO · Phase 3

Capital Letters in Frog's Letter

Frog and Toad Are Friends · pp. 53-62 · Format B · Disposition: Making Connections · 25 min
Frog and Toad Are Friends
Pages this lesson: 53-62
Grammar · Capitalization
Students identify and apply capitalization rules for sentence beginnings and proper nouns.
Capital Letters · Sentence Beginnings · Proper Nouns · Names Of People Places Things
Introduce

Vocabulary Exploration· 5 min

Sound focus: capital letters at sentence start and in names
Target words
  1. Toad 53: “Toad was sitting on his front porch.”
  2. Frog 53: “Frog came along and said”
  3. Every 55: “Every day my mailbox is empty.”
  4. Snail 56: “"Snail," said Frog”
Today we're hunting for capital letters in our story. Some words get capitals because they're special names like Frog and Toad. Some words get capitals because they start a sentence. Let's find both kinds together.
Exploration steps
  1. Point to each target word on its page and name it aloud together
  2. Circle the capital letter at the start of each word with your finger
  3. Sort the words: which ones are names and which ones start sentences
Expected responses
  • Toad is a name
  • Every starts the sentence
  • all the names have big letters
Differentiation

Fast finishers: hunt three more capitals on any page. Quiet kids: trace the capital with a finger before saying the word.

Transition cue

Tap the first capital on page 53 — Reading Time.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't skip the sorting step or kids miss the two-rule pattern.

Why this matters: Names get capitals always; sentence-starters get capitals only at the beginning.

Reading in Class· 10 min

Required reading pages: 53-62
Opening move: Point to Toad sitting alone on the porch on page 53.
Toad feels sad because he never gets mail. Frog has an idea to help his friend feel better. Let's read together and find out what Frog does. When I point to you, chorus the questions Frog asks.
Read-aloud steps
  1. Picture-walk pages 53-62: Toad looks sad, Frog writes something, Snail carries a letter, friends wait together
  2. Read aloud once at storytelling pace, pausing at the letter text on page 61
  3. Read again with students chorusing the refrain questions
Call-and-response refrains
  1. What is the matter, Toad? 53: “"What is the matter, Toad?”
  2. Why is that? 54: “"Why is that?" asked Frog.”
Expected responses
  • What is the matter Toad
  • Why is that
  • Frog is asking questions
Differentiation

Struggling readers: echo each refrain after the navigator before chorusing. Fast finishers: count how many times Frog looks out the window.

Transition cue

Close the book and hold up two fingers — Questions Time.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't rush the letter on page 61 or kids miss the capital pattern in real writing.

Why this matters: Pause at page 61 so kids hear the letter's capitals: Dear Toad, Your best friend.

Questions Time· 7 min

Comprehension questions
  1. Which word on page 56 is a name that gets a capital letter? 56: “"Snail," said Frog, "please take this letter to Toad's house and put it in his mailbox."”
  2. Which word on page 61 starts a sentence and gets a capital? 61: “"Oh," said Toad, "that makes a very good letter."”
Extension

Write a sentence about Frog or Toad.

61: “"I wrote 'Dear Toad, I am glad that you are my best friend.”

What students produce: One sentence with a capital at the start and a capital for a friend's name

Let's hunt for capitals together. Some are there because a word is a special name. Some are there because the word starts a sentence. Now you write one sentence about these friends. Remember: capital at the start, capital for the name.
Expected responses
  • Snail
  • Oh starts the sentence
  • Frog and Toad are friends
Differentiation

Quiet kids: say the sentence aloud first, then write. Fast finishers: write two sentences, one about each friend.

Transition cue

Hold up your sentence paper — Wrap-Up Time.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't correct spelling yet; focus only on the two capital rules today.

Why this matters: Picture prompt prevents grammar from blocking kids who can't yet write independently.

Conclusion· 3 min

Routine: My Connection · Disposition: Making Connections
Student-facing prompts
Recap: Frog helped Toad feel better by
Take-home: Tell someone how you help a friend feel happy.
Frog saw his friend feeling sad and found a way to help. Friends notice when we need them. Think about a time you helped someone or someone helped you. Let's share our connections.
Expected responses
  • sending him a letter
  • I help my friend when they're sad
  • my friend helps me
Differentiation

Quiet kids: turn-and-talk with a partner before whole-group share. Fast finishers: draw the moment you helped someone.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't let one loud story dominate; count to three before accepting shares.

Why this matters: Same shape every day so kids own the close.