Parent guide · Kindergarten Phonics & Reading: First Sounds, First Words · Unit 8
Lesson 8.1 s-Blends: st sp sn sm sk sl sw
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 tap and blend words such as stop , step , spin . I can read the heart words who , where and say which part is learned by heart. I can read “Jonah and the Big Fish” and tell it back.
- You need
- Heart-word cards (printables pack)
- Primary-ruled paper and a pencil
- A King James Bible
- the lesson page (it also has an explainer to read aloud (about 10 minutes))
Steps
Do this: Blend the first two: /s/ /t/ (st), /s/ /p/ (sp). Now stop, spin, snap, smell, skip, sled, swim.
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.
Show: Blend stop.
Say this: “Touch and say: /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: stop . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: stop
Show: Blend step.
Say this: “Touch and say: /s/ /t/ /e/ /p/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: step . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: step
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: stop · step · spin · spot
Listen for: stop = s | t | o | p; step = s | t | e | p; spin = s | p | i | n; spot = s | p | o | t
Ask: Read: snap · snug · smell · smash
Listen for: snap = s | n | a | p; snug = s | n | u | g; smell = s | m | e | ll; smash = s | m | a | sh
Ask: Read: skip · skin · sled · slip
Listen for: skip = s | k | i | p; skin = s | k | i | n; sled = s | l | e | d; slip = s | l | i | p
6 more practice items on the lesson page.
- Dropping a sound in a blend (sip for slip, fog for frog). Tap one finger for each sound.
- Guessing from the first letter or the picture. Cover the picture and ask the child to tap every sound.
- Copy: Stop and swim.
- 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: stop, step, spin, spot, snap, snug.
Word Sounds Heart part who /h/ /oo/ ♥ w is silent; o says /oo/ where /w/ /air/ ♥ ere says /air/ Jonah and the Big Fish
God said to Jonah, "Go to Nineveh." Jonah did not go. He got on a ship to run from God.
A big wind hit the ship. Jonah said, "It is my sin. Toss me in!" The men did. Splash!
God sent a big fish. The fish got Jonah in one gulp! Jonah sat in the fish and sang to God.
Then the fish spat Jonah on the land. Jonah went to Nineveh at last. God is kind to all who will turn from sin.
Retold from Jonah 1–3. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Jonah, Nineveh, turn.
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.
- Where did God tell Jonah to go?
Answer
Nineveh.
- What did Jonah do instead?
Answer
Got on a ship to run away.
- What did God send?
Answer
A big fish.
- What did Jonah do at the end?
Answer
He obeyed and went to Nineveh.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
- Where did God tell Jonah to go?
Jonah 1–3 (told or read in parts). Read Jonah 1:1–17 and 2:10–3:5 over the week.
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Make pairs of s-blend cards. Turn them over two at a time; say "snap!" and read both when they match.
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 stop , step , spin .; I can read the heart words who , where and say which part is learned by heart.; I can read “Jonah and the Big Fish” and tell it back.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
This week: Begin and end well. Say the title and author (or the Bible reference) first. At the end, pause, then say “thank you” and sit down.
- 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.
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
Jonah prayed this inside the fish.
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.”