Parent guide · Kindergarten Phonics & Reading: First Sounds, First Words · Unit 3
Lesson 3.1 c, k and ck
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 /k/ when I see c (as in cat ), and write it. I can say /k/ when I see k (as in kit ), and write it. I can say /k/ when I see ck (as in duck ), and write it. I can tap and blend words such as cat , cap , can . I can read the heart words of , said and say which part is learned by heart. I can read “The Cat and the Kid” 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 (3:49) and an explainer to read aloud (about 12 minutes))
Steps
Do this: Which word starts with /k/? cat or dog? kit or pit? Both c and k can say /k/.
Do this: New sound: c. Show the card and say: “This says /k/, as in cat.” 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 /k/ is in the word.
Do this: New sound: k. Show the card and say: “This says /k/, as in kit.” 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 /k/ is in the word.
Do this: New sound: ck. Show the card and say: “This says /k/, as in duck.” 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 /k/ 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:
- c says /k/, as in cat. Make a sound card: write c on the front and draw a cat on the back.
- k says /k/, as in kit. Make a sound card: write k on the front and draw a kit on the back.
- ck says /k/, as in duck. Make a sound card: write ck on the front and draw a duck on the back.
Show: Blend cat.
Say this: “Touch and say: /c/ /a/ /t/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: cat . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: cat
Show: Blend cap.
Say this: “Touch and say: /c/ /a/ /p/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: cap . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: cap
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: cat · cap · can · cot
Listen for: cat = c | a | t; cap = c | a | p; can = c | a | n; cot = c | o | t
Ask: Read: kid · kit · kin · cod
Listen for: kid = k | i | d; kit = k | i | t; kin = k | i | n; cod = c | o | d
Ask: Read: cop
Listen for: cop = c | o | p
5 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).
- Saying two letters of a digraph separately (s-h instead of /sh/). Underline the two letters together; they make one sound.
- c: Start just below the middle line on the right. Circle back, up and around, and stop before you close it.
- k: Straight line down from the top. Slant in from the middle line to touch the stick, then slant out to the base line.
- 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: cat, cap, can, cot, kid, kit.
Word Sounds Heart part of /ŭ/ /v/ ♥ o says /ŭ/, f says /v/ said /s/ /ĕ/ /d/ ♥ ai says /ĕ/ The Cat and the Kid
Kim is a kid. Kim has a cat.
The cat naps on a cot.
"Pat the cat," said Dad. Kim pats the cat.
The cat sits on top of Kim!
Original. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Kim.
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 has a cat?
Answer
Kim.
- Where did the cat nap?
Answer
On a cot.
- Where did the cat sit at the end?
Answer
On top of Kim.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
- Who has a cat?
Aesop: The Cat and the Mice (Belling the Cat). Read from The Aesop for Children. Ask: Was the plan good? Why did no mouse go?
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Show a picture or say a word with /k/. Your child points to the c card or the k card. (Rule for later: k comes before e and i, as in kid and kit.)
Say this: “Tell me the new sounds you learned this week, and read me one word.”
Listen for: I can say /k/ when I see c (as in cat ), and write it.; I can say /k/ when I see k (as in kit ), and write it.; I can say /k/ when I see ck (as in duck ), and write it.; I can tap and blend words such as cat , cap , can .; I can read the heart words of , said and say which part is learned by heart.; I can read “The Cat and the Kid” and tell it back.
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
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.
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast:
A good person takes care of animals.
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.”