The lesson begins with a little song and ends with a roller coaster cheer. The 30 minutes in between could be described as tedious. But 22 second graders don’t think so, and they give it their unwavering attention. Seated shoulder-to-shoulder on a multicolored rug, they learn about five ways to form a long “U” sound and four ways to form a long “I.” They learn how an “A” sometimes sounds like ...