Lesson 1.2 First Sounds; s and a

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this: Say three words that start the same: sun, sock, sand. What sound do they share? /sss/. Now: apple, ant, ax. /ă/.

2. Teach the new idea

   Do this: The letter s says /s/, like a hissing snake. Keep the sound long and quiet: /sss/, not "suh."

   Do this: The letter a says /ă/, like the start of "apple." Open your mouth wide.

   Do this: Ears game: Is /s/ at the start of the word? sun (yes), map (no), sit (yes). Is /ă/ at the start? ant (yes), egg (no).

   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.

   New cards:

   • s says /s/, as in sun. Make a sound card: write s on the front and draw a sun on the back.
   • a says /ă/, as in ant. Make a sound card: write a on the front and draw a ant on the back.
3. Practice together

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

   Ask: Silly words (not real words; read them by their sounds): sas · sa · sas

   Listen for: sas = s | a | s; sa = s | a; sas = s | a | s. If your child turns a silly word into a real word, point to the sound that changed.

4. Watch for
   • Guessing the vowel. Point to the vowel and say its sound first if needed, then blend from the beginning.
   • Guessing from the first letter or the picture. Cover the picture and ask the child to tap every sound.
5. Handwriting and copywork
   1. s: Start just below the middle line on the right. Curve back, then slide across and curve forward around the bottom.
   2. a: Start just below the middle line. Circle back (like c) all the way around, then straight line down on the right side.
   3. Trace three, then write three on your own on the printable handwriting page. Circle your best one.

   Copywork: Write each word once, saying the sounds as you write: sas, sa.

6. Read-aloud

   Aesop: The Ant and the Grasshopper. Read the fable from The Aesop for Children (Project Gutenberg). Ask: Who worked hard? Who played all summer? Listen for /ă/ in "ant."

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

7. Game: Sound Hunt

   Walk around the house and find things that start with /s/ (sock, sofa, spoon) and /ă/ (apple, ax). Put them in two piles.

8. Narration

   Say this: “Tell me the new sounds you learned this week, and read me one word.”

   Listen for: I can say /s/ when I see s (as in sun ), and write it.; I can say /ă/ when I see a (as in ant ), and write it.

9. Recitation

   Baa, Baa, Black Sheep (Mother Goose)

   Baa, baa, black sheep,
   Have you any wool?
   Yes, marry, have I,
   Three bags full;

   One for my master,
   One for my dame,
   But none for the little boy
   Who cries in the lane.

   This week: Stand tall. Feet still and a little apart, hands quiet at your sides, chin up. Stand still from the first word to the last.

   • 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.
10. Scripture

    Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

    A sluggard is a lazy person. The little ant works hard to get ready for winter.

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.”