Lesson 9.4 End-of-Year Check

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this: Read the year’s hardest words: thought, beautiful, celebration, picture, neighbor, wonderful.

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 Solomon.

   Say this: “Touch and say: /s/ /o/ /l/ /o/ /m/ /o/ /n/.”

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

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

   Answer: Solomon

   Show: Blend wisdom.

   Say this: “Touch and say: /w/ /i/ /s/ /d/ /o/ /m/.”

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

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

   Answer: wisdom

4. Practice together

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

   Ask: Read: Solomon · wisdom · understanding · judge

   Listen for: Solomon = s | o | l | o | m | o | n; wisdom = w | i | s | d | o | m; understanding = u | n | d | er | s | t | a | n | d | i | ng; judge = j | u | dge

   Ask: Read: people · riches · honour · discern

   Listen for: people = p | eo | p | le (heart part: eo says /ē/); riches = r | i | ch | e | s; honour = h | o | n | our (heart part: the h is silent and our says /er/); discern = d | i | sc | er | n (sc says /s/)

   Ask: Read the sentence: Solomon asked for wisdom.

   Listen for: Reads every word correctly: “Solomon asked for wisdom.”. Pauses at the full stop and sounds like talking on the second read.

   2 more practice items on the lesson page.

5. Watch for
   • 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.
6. Handwriting and copywork
   1. Write a letter to a grandparent about your favourite story 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: Solomon, wisdom, understanding, judge, people, riches.

7. Decodable story: Solomon Asks for Wisdom

   Solomon Asks for Wisdom

   When Solomon became king of Israel after his father David, he was still young. One night at Gibeon, the LORD came to Solomon in a dream and said, "Ask what I shall give thee."

   Solomon could have asked for gold, or a long life, or victory over his enemies. But he said, "O LORD my God, You have made me king, and I am only a little child. I do not know how to lead this great people. Give me an understanding heart, so I can judge them well and know good from bad."

   God was pleased with Solomon’s answer. "Because you asked for wisdom, and not for riches or a long life for yourself, I will give you a wise and understanding heart. And I will also give you what you did not ask for: riches and honour."

   Solomon woke up and knew it was a dream from God. He became the wisest king in all the world, and people came from far countries to hear his wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

   Retold from 1 Kings 3:5–14. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Solomon, Gibeon, David, Israel, understanding, discern, honour, riches, shall, thee.

   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 did God say to Solomon in the dream?
      Answer

      "Ask what I shall give thee."

   2. What did Solomon ask for?
      Answer

      An understanding heart to judge the people well.

   3. What else did God give him?
      Answer

      Riches and honour.

   4. Where does wisdom begin?
      Answer

      With the fear of the LORD.

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

9. Read-aloud

   1 Kings 3. Read aloud, including the story of the two mothers (verses 16–28).

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

10. Game: Year-End Reading Party

    Pick your three favourite stories from the year and read them aloud to the family.

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 Solomon , wisdom , understanding .; I can read “Solomon Asks for Wisdom” and tell it back.

12. Recitation

    The Land of Counterpane (Robert Louis Stevenson)

    When I was sick and lay a-bed,
    I had two pillows at my head,
    And all my toys beside me lay,
    To keep me happy all the day.

    And sometimes for an hour or so
    I watched my leaden soldiers go,
    With different uniforms and drills,
    Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

    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

    The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

    True wisdom starts with God.

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.”