This song is available on Greg Whitfield's AlphaSongs.
As with the other vowels, U makes two different sounds: "uhh" and "oooh". (It actually makes a third sound: "yoooh"). This activity is helpful for disinguishing between the first two.
Draw pictures of the two characters in the song, Gus and Julie, and label the pictures with their names (it's best to use large index cards for these).
Review the sound that Gus made when his mind went blank ("uhhh") and locate this sound in the middle of his name. Talk about the sound that Julie made when she saw the bug ("oooh") and find this sound in her name. Then, using a list of words containing one sound or the other, say the words orally one at a time. Have your child hold up Gus's picture if they hear the short U sound and Julie's picture if they hear the long U sound.
Kids get really good at this with practice, and they enjoy imitating each character's sound (along with the appropriate blank, without-a-clue look of Gus, and the grossed-out look of Julie).
This activity also presents a convenient opportunity to introduce the fact that OO can also make the long U sound (school, food, boot, shoot).
Gus knew the sound that the letter U makes
'Cause he had a U in his name
But when his teacher called on him
To tell the whole class
His mind went suddenly blank
He scratched his head and said, "Uhh..."
He tapped his foot and said, "Uhhh..."
He twiddled his thumbs and said, "Uhhh..."
And the teacher said, "That's correct!"
Now U is a letter with two different sounds
And one of them happens in "Gus"
But U makes another sound
Unlike the other sound
And Julie knew just what it was
She raised up her hand to tell the whole class
And the teacher called out Julie's name
But just then a bug appeared on the rug
And Julie forgot what to say
She looked at the bug and said, "Oooo..."
Made a face at the bug and said, "Oooo..."
Crawled away from the bug and said, "Oooo..."
And the teacher said, "That's correct!"
And so if your teacher one day calls your name
And asks you the sounds made by U
Just remember how Gus just forgot and said "Uhhh..."
And the bug made Julie say, "Oooo..."
This song is available on Greg Whitfield's AlphaSongs.
