Parent guide: Grade 1 Phonics & Reading: Long Vowels and Many Words 9.3 Reading a Chapter Story

At a glance

Time: 5 sessions of 15–20 minutes
Goal: I can tap and blend words such as Daniel , king , food . I can read “Daniel and His Friends” and tell it back.
You need: Counters (dried beans, buttons or pebbles)
Heart-word cards (printables pack)
Primary-ruled paper and a pencil
A King James Bible
Print: the lesson page (it also has a short video (3:48) and an explainer to read aloud (about 8 minutes))

Steps

Warm-up
Do this: Echo-read the first page of the story with expression.
Teach the new idea
Do this: Tap and blend. For each word your child touches each letter (or letter team) and says its sound, then sweeps a finger under the whole word and says it smoothly. Never guess from the first letter or a picture. If a word is misread, point to the part that was missed and blend again from the start.
Do this: Spell it. Say a word. Your child says it back, taps the sounds on his or her fingers, then writes one letter (or letter team) for each sound. Check together, sound by sound.
Do this: The week at a glance. Day 1: warm-up, new sound, handwriting. Day 2: card review, word lists, spelling. Day 3: second new sound or more words, heart words. Day 4: read the story, talk about it. Day 5: reread the story for fluency, play the game, quick check (10 words, 1 sentence, 5 spelling words). Read the read-aloud at another time of day.
Show how
Show: Blend Daniel.
Say this: “Touch and say: /d/ /a/ /n/ /i/ /e/ /l/ (heart word: i says /y/ and e says a quick /ə/, /dăn-yəl/).”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: Daniel . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: Daniel
Show: Blend king.
Say this: “Touch and say: /k/ /i/ /ng/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: king . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: king
Practice together
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: Daniel · king · food · water
Listen for: Daniel = d | a | n | i | e | l (heart word: i says /y/ and e says a quick /ə/, /dăn-yəl/); king = k | i | ng; food = f | oo | d; water = w | a | t | er
Ask: Read: better · beans · healthy · wise
Listen for: better = b | e | t | t | er; beans = b | ea | n | s; healthy = h | ea | l | th | y; wise = w | i_e | s
Ask: Read the sentence: Daniel would not eat the king’s food.
Listen for: Reads every word correctly: “Daniel would not eat the king’s food.”. Pauses at the full stop and sounds like talking on the second read.
2 more practice items on the lesson page.
Watch for
- Guessing from the first letter or the picture. Cover the picture and ask the child to tap every sound.
Handwriting and copywork
1. Copy: God gave them wisdom.
2. Use the ball-and-stick lines: tall letters touch the top line, short letters touch the middle line, tails go below the base line.
Copywork: Write each word once, saying the sounds as you write: Daniel, king, food, water, better, beans.
Decodable story: Daniel and His Friends
Daniel and His Friends
Chapter 1. The king of Babylon took Daniel and his three friends far from home. The king said, "Teach these young men. Give them my rich food and my wine."
But Daniel said in his heart, "I will not eat the king’s food." He asked the man in charge, "Let us eat beans and drink water for ten days. Then look at us."
Chapter 2. The man in charge said yes. For ten days Daniel and his friends had beans and water. At the end of ten days, they looked better and stronger than all the other young men!
God gave the four friends wisdom and skill. When the king tested them, they were ten times wiser than all the wise men in his land. God honors the ones who honor Him.
Retold from Daniel 1. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Daniel, Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Nebuchadnezzar, wisdom, healthy, better, ten.
Every word in this story uses only the sounds and heart words taught so far (checked by the School Launch decodability checker). Read a page a day on Days 3 and 4, and the whole story on Day 5.
Talk about the story
1. What would Daniel not eat?
  Answer
  The king’s rich food and wine.
2. What did he ask for instead?
  Answer
  Vegetables (beans) and water.
3. How did they look after ten days?
  Answer
  Healthier than the others.
4. What did God give them?
  Answer
  Wisdom and skill.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
Read-aloud
Daniel 1. Read aloud over two days.
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Game: Chapter Titles
After reading, your child makes up a title for each chapter and writes it.
Narration
Say this: “Tell me the new sounds you learned this week, and read me one word.”
Listen for: I can tap and blend words such as Daniel , king , food .; I can read “Daniel and His Friends” and tell it back.
Recitation
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9 (KJV)
This week: Recital. Put it all together: stand tall, big clear voice, eyes up, steady pace, pauses, expression, a good beginning and ending.
- Day 1: The teacher says it twice; the child echoes it one line at a time.
- Days 2–4: Say it together each morning; drop one line of help each day.
- Day 5: Say the reference, then the verse, then the reference again. Stand up and say it alone for the family.
Scripture
As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
Daniel 1:17 (KJV)
God gave them wisdom.

Spread over the week

5 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

Session 1. Warm-up, then teach the new idea (steps 1 and 2).
Session 2. Warm-up again, then show how with the examples.
Session 3. Practice together, then play the game.
Session 4. More practice, handwriting and reading, and the daily habit.
Session 5. Quick check: narration and a few practice items. Move on when it is mostly right.

For you

For families. Keep each session short and cheerful: 15 to 20 minutes, then stop. If your child is tired or frustrated, stop and finish tomorrow. A lesson can take more than a week; move on when the quick check on Day 5 is mostly “Got it.”