Parent guide · Grade 2 Phonics & Reading: Syllables and Stories · Unit 3
Lesson 3.3 Consonant-le Syllables
Written for the parent. Read the Say this lines aloud as they are, or in your own words. Answers for you are marked Listen for.
At a glance
- Time
- 5 sessions of 15–20 minutes
- Goal
- I can say /ŭl/ at the end when I see le (as in table ), and write it. I can tap and blend words such as table , puddle , candle . I can read the heart words people and say which part is learned by heart. I can read “Jesus and the Little Children” and tell it back.
- You need
- Sound cards (printables pack)
- Heart-word cards (printables pack)
- Primary-ruled paper and a pencil
- A King James Bible
- the lesson page (it also has a short video (2:51) and an explainer to read aloud (about 11 minutes))
Steps
Do this: At the end of a word, a consonant plus le is its own syllable: ta-ble, pud-dle, can-dle, lit-tle. Count back three letters.
Do this: New sound: le. Show the card and say: “This says /ŭl/ at the end, as in table.” Your child says it three times, then writes it in the air, on the table with a finger, and on paper. Then play a quick ears game: you say words and your child gives a thumbs up whenever /ŭl/ at the end is in the word.
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: Heart words. A heart word is mostly regular. We tap it like any other word, and draw a heart over the one part that does not follow the rules we know yet. Practise the heart words on cards every day this week (see the table below).
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.
New cards:
- le says /ŭl/ at the end, as in table. Make a sound card: write le on the front and draw a table on the back.
Show: Blend table.
Say this: “Touch and say: /t/ /a/ /b/ /le/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: table . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: table
Show: Blend puddle.
Say this: “Touch and say: /p/ /u/ /d/ /d/ /le/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: puddle . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: puddle
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: table · puddle · candle · little
Listen for: table = t | a | b | le; puddle = p | u | d | d | le; candle = c | a | n | d | le; little = l | i | t | t | le
Ask: Read: gentle · simple · middle · apple
Listen for: gentle = g | e | n | t | le; simple = s | i | m | p | le; middle = m | i | d | d | le; apple = a | p | p | le
Ask: Read: bubble · turtle
Listen for: bubble = b | u | b | b | le; turtle = t | ur | t | le
4 more practice items on the lesson page.
- Trying to read a long word all at once. Find the vowels, split the word into syllables, read each part, then put it together.
- Guessing from the first letter or the picture. Cover the picture and ask the child to tap every sound.
- Copy: Let the little children come to Me.
- 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: table, puddle, candle, little, gentle, simple.
Word Sounds Heart part people /p/ /ē/ /p/ /ŭl/ ♥ eo says /ē/ Jesus and the Little Children
People were bringing their little children to Jesus so He could bless them. Mothers carried babies. Big brothers held the hands of little sisters.
But the disciples frowned. "Do not trouble the Master," they said. "He is too busy for little children. Take them away."
Jesus was not pleased with the disciples. "Let the little children come to Me," He said. "Do not stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
Then Jesus took the children up in His arms. He was gentle with each one. He put His hands on them and blessed them. Jesus is never too busy for children.
Retold from Mark 10:13–16. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Jesus, disciples, trouble, kingdom, belongs, carried, babies, sisters, master.
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.
- Why did people bring children to Jesus?
Answer
So He would bless them.
- What did the disciples say?
Answer
He is too busy; take them away.
- What did Jesus say?
Answer
Let the little children come to Me.
- What did Jesus do?
Answer
Took them in His arms and blessed them.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
- Why did people bring children to Jesus?
Mark 10:13–16. Read aloud.
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Point to the end of each -le word, count back three letters, and draw a line: ta|ble, pud|dle, ap|ple.
Say this: “Tell me the new sounds you learned this week, and read me one word.”
Listen for: I can say /ŭl/ at the end when I see le (as in table ), and write it.; I can tap and blend words such as table , puddle , candle .; I can read the heart words people and say which part is learned by heart.; I can read “Jesus and the Little Children” and tell it back.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
This week: Clear words. Say every ending sound: the t, the d, the s. Open your mouth wider than feels normal.
- 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.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
“Suffer” here means “let” or “allow.”
Spread over the week
5 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.
- Session 1. Warm-up, then New sound: le. Finish with a little practice or the game.
- Session 2. Warm-up, then Tap and blend. Finish with a little practice or the game.
- Session 3. Warm-up, then Spell it. Finish with a little practice or the game.
- Session 4. Warm-up, then Heart words. Finish with a little practice or the game.
- Session 5. Warm-up, then The week at a glance. Finish with a little practice or the game.
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.”