Omar Otto's Occupation is designed to teach the short “o” sound and contrast it with the long “o” sound. The short /o/ sound is produced as a natural part of the story as children open their mouths to say /o/ for the doctor and dentist, and to admire paintings or cute animals. This is contrasted with long /o/ throughout the story. Help your children decide if the words in the story contain the long or short /o/ sound, as in “Oh, please observe this object.” More advanced children can explore the different spellings of the long /o/ sound, as in “know,” “no,” and “open.” This book helps children explore a variety of occupations, as well as family members who each have an opinion about what Omar Otto should be when he grows up.
