Parent guide · Kindergarten Phonics & Reading: First Sounds, First Words · Unit 4
Lesson 4.4 y, z and qu; Unit 4 Check
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 /y/ when I see y (as in yes ), and write it. I can say /z/ when I see z (as in zip ), and write it. I can say /kw/ when I see qu (as in quilt ), and write it. I can tap and blend words such as yes , yet , yam . I can read the heart words have , give , live , put , want and say which part is learned by heart. I can read “The Quick Quiz” 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: All 26 letter sounds: point to an alphabet chart and say only the sounds, a to z.
Do this: New sound: y. Show the card and say: “This says /y/, as in yes.” 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 /y/ is in the word.
Do this: New sound: z. Show the card and say: “This says /z/, as in zip.” 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 /z/ is in the word.
Do this: New sound: qu. Show the card and say: “This says /kw/, as in quilt.” 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 /kw/ 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:
- y says /y/, as in yes. Make a sound card: write y on the front and draw a yes on the back.
- z says /z/, as in zip. Make a sound card: write z on the front and draw a zip on the back.
- qu says /kw/, as in quilt. Make a sound card: write qu on the front and draw a quilt on the back.
Show: Blend yes.
Say this: “Touch and say: /y/ /e/ /s/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: yes . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: yes
Show: Blend yet.
Say this: “Touch and say: /y/ /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: yet . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: yet
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: yes · yet · yam · yak
Listen for: yes = y | e | s; yet = y | e | t; yam = y | a | m; yak = y | a | k
Ask: Read: zip · zap · zig · quit
Listen for: zip = z | i | p; zap = z | a | p; zig = z | i | g; quit = qu | i | t
Ask: Read: quiz · quip · quack
Listen for: quiz = qu | i | z; quip = qu | i | p; quack = qu | a | ck
5 more practice items on the lesson page.
- Guessing from the first letter or the picture. Cover the picture and ask the child to tap every sound.
- y: Slant down to the base line. Lift. Start at the right and make a long slant down below the base line, touching the first line.
- z: Straight line across the middle line, slant down to the left, straight line across the base line.
- q: Circle back like c all the way around. Straight line down on the right below the base line, then a little kick forward.
- 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: yes, yet, yam, yak, zip, zap.
Word Sounds Heart part have /h/ /ă/ /v/ ♥ e is silent (English words do not end in v) give /g/ /ĭ/ /v/ ♥ e is silent live /l/ /ĭ/ /v/ ♥ e is silent put /p/ /ŏŏ/ /t/ ♥ u says /ŏŏ/ as in book want /w/ /ŏ/ /n/ /t/ ♥ a says /ŏ/ The Quick Quiz
Zed has a quiz. "Can a yak swim?" Zed said, "Yes!"
"Can a yam run?" Zed said, "No!"
"Is a duck sad if it is wet?" Zed did not quit. Zed said, "Not a bit! A wet duck can quack and quack."
Zed got the quiz. Zed is glad.
Original. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Zed.
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.
- Can a yam run?
Answer
No.
- Is a duck sad when it is wet?
Answer
No, a duck does not mind water.
- How did Zed feel at the end?
Answer
Glad.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
- Can a yam run?
New England Primer alphabet rhymes (A to Z). Read the alphabet rhymes. Listen for the first sound of each picture word.
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Say a sound; your child races to touch that letter on an alphabet strip. All 26.
Say this: “Tell me the new sounds you learned this week, and read me one word.”
Listen for: I can say /y/ when I see y (as in yes ), and write it.; I can say /z/ when I see z (as in zip ), and write it.; I can say /kw/ when I see qu (as in quilt ), and write it.; I can tap and blend words such as yes , yet , yam .; I can read the heart words have , give , live , put , want and say which part is learned by heart.; I can read “The Quick Quiz” and tell it back.
Hurt No Living Thing (Christina Rossetti)
Hurt no living thing:
Ladybird, nor butterfly,
Nor moth with dusty wing,
Nor cricket chirping cheerily,
Nor grasshopper so light of leap,
Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,
Nor harmless worms that creep.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 title and the poet, then the poem. Stand up and say it alone for the family.
Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Every animal and every person can praise God.
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.”