Lesson 9.4 End-of-Year Check

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this: Read all the heart words from the year.

2. 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.

3. Show how

   Show: Blend pail.

   Say this: “Touch and say: /p/ /ai/ /l/.”

   Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”

   Say this: “Say the word: pail . Use it in a sentence.”

   Answer: pail

   Show: Blend milk.

   Say this: “Touch and say: /m/ /i/ /l/ /k/.”

   Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”

   Say this: “Say the word: milk . Use it in a sentence.”

   Answer: milk

4. Practice together

   Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.

   Ask: Read: pail · milk · chickens · dream

   Listen for: pail = p | ai | l; milk = m | i | l | k; chickens = ch | i | ck | e | n | s; dream = d | r | ea | m

   Ask: Read: spilled · town · dress · toss

   Listen for: spilled = s | p | i | ll | e | d; town = t | ow | n; dress = d | r | e | ss; toss = t | o | ss

   Ask: Read: head · count

   Listen for: head = h | ea | d; count = c | ou | n | t

   3 more practice items on the lesson page.

5. Watch for
   • Guessing from the first letter or the picture. Cover the picture and ask the child to tap every sound.
6. Handwriting and copywork
   1. Write three sentences about your favourite story from this year.
   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: pail, milk, chickens, dream, spilled, town.

7. Decodable story: The Milkmaid and Her Pail

   The Milkmaid and Her Pail

   Molly had a pail of milk on her head. As she walked to town, she began to dream.

   "I will sell this milk and get eggs. The eggs will hatch into chickens. I will sell the chickens and get a fine new dress."

   "When I go to town in my new dress, all the people will look at me. And I will toss my head like this!"

   She tossed her head. Splash! The pail fell and the milk spilled. No milk, no eggs, no chickens, no dress. Do not count your chickens before they hatch.

   Retold from Aesop. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Molly, milkmaid, hatch, before.

   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.

8. Talk about the story
   1. What was Molly carrying?
      Answer

      A pail of milk on her head.

   2. What did she dream of buying?
      Answer

      Eggs, chickens and a new dress.

   3. What happened when she tossed her head?
      Answer

      The milk spilled.

   4. What is the lesson?
      Answer

      Do not count on things before you have them.

   Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).

9. Read-aloud

   Aesop: The Milkmaid and Her Pail. Read the original.

   The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.

10. Game: Year-End Board Game

    Make a path of 40 cards (sounds, heart words, sentences). Roll and read.

11. 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 pail , milk , chickens .; I can read “The Milkmaid and Her Pail” and tell it back.

12. Recitation

    Twinkle, Twinkle (second stanza) (Jane Taylor)

    When the glorious sun is set,
    When the grass with dew is wet,
    Then you show your little light,
    Twinkle, twinkle all the night.

    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 title and the poet, then the poem. Stand up and say it alone for the family.
13. Scripture

    For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

    Plan humbly: "If the Lord will."

Spread over the week

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

1. Session 1. Warm-up, then teach the new idea (steps 1 and 2).
2. Session 2. Warm-up again, then show how with the examples.
3. Session 3. Practice together, then play the game.
4. Session 4. More practice, handwriting and reading, and the daily habit.
5. 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.”