Parent guide · Kindergarten Phonics & Reading: First Sounds, First Words · Unit 2
Lesson 2.3 g and o
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 /g/ when I see g (as in gum ), and write it. I can say /ŏ/ when I see o (as in ox ), and write it. I can tap and blend words such as dog , got , not . I can read the heart words was , his and say which part is learned by heart. I can read “Dot and the Pig” 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 (3:51) and an explainer to read aloud (about 12 minutes))
Steps
Do this: Rhyme chain: dog, log, fog, hog ... how many can you make?
Do this: New sound: g. Show the card and say: “This says /g/, as in gum.” 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 /g/ is in the word.
Do this: New sound: o. Show the card and say: “This says /ŏ/, as in ox.” 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 /ŏ/ 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:
- g says /g/, as in gum. Make a sound card: write g on the front and draw a gum on the back.
- o says /ŏ/, as in ox. Make a sound card: write o on the front and draw a ox on the back.
Show: Blend dog.
Say this: “Touch and say: /d/ /o/ /g/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: dog . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: dog
Show: Blend got.
Say this: “Touch and say: /g/ /o/ /t/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: got . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: got
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: dog · got · not · top
Listen for: dog = d | o | g; got = g | o | t; not = n | o | t; top = t | o | p
Ask: Read: pot · mop · on · god
Listen for: pot = p | o | t; mop = m | o | p; on = o | n; god = g | o | d
Ask: Read: dot · nod · gap · dig
Listen for: dot = d | o | t; nod = n | o | d; gap = g | a | p; dig = d | i | g
6 more practice items on the lesson page.
- Adding "uh" to stop sounds (/tuh/, /puh/). Clip them short: /t/, /p/. Extra "uh" makes blending hard (tuh-a-puh is not tap).
- Guessing the vowel. Point to the vowel and say its sound first if needed, then blend from the beginning.
- g: Circle back like c all the way around. Straight line down on the right below the base line, then hook to the left.
- o: Start just below the middle line. Circle back, up and around, and close the circle.
- 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: dog, got, not, top, pot, mop.
Word Sounds Heart part was /w/ /ŏ/ /z/ ♥ a says /ŏ/, s says /z/ his /h/ /ĭ/ /z/ ♥ s says /z/ Dot and the Pig
Dot is a dog. Dot naps on a mat.
Dig, dig, dig! A pig digs a pit.
Dot is not mad at the pig. Dot digs, and the pig digs.
Dot and the pig nap in the pit.
Original. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Dot.
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.
- Who is Dot?
Answer
A dog.
- What did the pig do?
Answer
It dug a pit.
- Was Dot cross with the pig?
Answer
No. Dot was kind and dug too, and they napped together.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
- Who is Dot?
Genesis 2:1–3: God rested on the seventh day. Read aloud. Ask: What did God do on the seventh day?
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Put a toy dog, pig, pot and top in a bag. Your child pulls one out, says its sounds, then finds the cards to spell it.
Say this: “Tell me the new sounds you learned this week, and read me one word.”
Listen for: I can say /g/ when I see g (as in gum ), and write it.; I can say /ŏ/ when I see o (as in ox ), and write it.; I can tap and blend words such as dog , got , not .; I can read the heart words was , his and say which part is learned by heart.; I can read “Dot and the Pig” and tell it back.
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
This week: Big voice. Speak so a person at the back of the room hears every word. Big, not shouting: fill the room, do not scream.
- 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.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
God rested after His work. That is why we have a day of rest.
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.”