Parent guide · Grade 2 Phonics & Reading: Syllables and Stories · Unit 4
Lesson 4.3 Three-Syllable Words
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 tap and blend words such as wonderful , celebrate , remember . I can read the heart words nothing and say which part is learned by heart. I can read “The Son Who Came Home” and tell it back.
- You need
- Heart-word cards (printables pack)
- Primary-ruled paper and a pencil
- A King James Bible
- the lesson page (it also has a short video (4:10) and an explainer to read aloud (about 10 minutes))
Steps
Do this: Find the vowels, split into syllables, read each part, then put them together: won-der-ful, cel-e-brate, re-mem-ber, fan-tas-tic.
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.
Show: Blend wonderful.
Say this: “Touch and say: /w/ /o/ /n/ /d/ /er/ /f/ /u/ /l/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: wonderful . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: wonderful
Show: Blend celebrate.
Say this: “Touch and say: /c/ /e/ /l/ /e/ /b/ /r/ /a_e/ /t/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: celebrate . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: celebrate
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: wonderful · celebrate · remember · fantastic
Listen for: wonderful = w | o | n | d | er | f | u | l; celebrate = c | e | l | e | b | r | a_e | t; remember = r | e | m | e | m | b | er; fantastic = f | a | n | t | a | s | t | i | c
Ask: Read: hospital · carpenter · important · together
Listen for: hospital = h | o | s | p | i | t | a | l; carpenter = c | ar | p | e | n | t | er; important = i | m | p | or | t | a | n | t; together = t | o | g | e | th | er
Ask: Read: yesterday · animal
Listen for: yesterday = y | e | s | t | er | d | ay; animal = a | n | i | m | a | l
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: He was lost, and is found.
- 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: wonderful, celebrate, remember, fantastic, hospital, carpenter.
Word Sounds Heart part nothing /n/ /ŭ/ /th/ /ĭ/ /ng/ ♥ o says /ŭ/ The Son Who Came Home
Jesus told this story. A man had two sons. The younger son said, "Father, give me my part of your money now." So the father did, and the son went far away.
In that far country he spent all his money on foolish things. Then a famine came, and he had nothing to eat. He took a job feeding pigs, and he was so hungry he wished he could eat the pig food.
At last he remembered his father. "My father’s hired servants have plenty to eat. I will go home and say, Father, I have sinned. I am not fit to be your son. Make me a servant."
But while he was still far off, his father saw him and ran to him and hugged and kissed him. "Bring the best robe! Put a ring on his hand! Let us celebrate! My son was lost, and now he is found!" God is like that father. He runs to welcome sinners who come home.
Retold from Luke 15:11–24. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Jesus, money, hired, servants, squandered, pigs.
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.
- What did the younger son ask for?
Answer
His share of the money.
- What happened when his money was gone?
Answer
He was hungry and fed pigs.
- What did he plan to say?
Answer
Father, I have sinned; make me a servant.
- What did the father do?
Answer
Ran to him, hugged him, and threw a feast.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
- What did the younger son ask for?
Luke 15:11–32. Read aloud, including the older brother.
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Stomp once for each syllable as you read: won-der-ful (3 stomps).
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 wonderful , celebrate , remember .; I can read the heart words nothing and say which part is learned by heart.; I can read “The Son Who Came Home” and tell it back.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
This week: Eyes up. Look at your listeners, not the floor. Pick three faces (left, middle, right) and give each one a line.
- 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.
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
God rejoices when sinners return.
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.”