Parent guide · Kindergarten Phonics & Reading: First Sounds, First Words · Unit 9
Lesson 9.1 Year Review: Sounds and Digraphs
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 splash , thrill , shrink . I can read the heart words little , pretty and say which part is learned by heart. I can read “Daniel and the Lions” 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 (3:59) and an explainer to read aloud (about 10 minutes))
Steps
Do this: Robot talk with any word from the year: /ch/ /i/ /ck/, /s/ /p/ /l/ /a/ /sh/.
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 splash.
Say this: “Touch and say: /s/ /p/ /l/ /a/ /sh/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: splash . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: splash
Show: Blend thrill.
Say this: “Touch and say: /th/ /r/ /i/ /ll/.”
Say this: “Sweep your finger under the word and say the sounds again, faster, without stopping between them.”
Say this: “Say the word: thrill . Use it in a sentence.”
Answer: thrill
Do this: Your child does these with you. Let them try first; help only after a real try.
Ask: Read: splash · thrill · shrink · scrunch
Listen for: splash = s | p | l | a | sh; thrill = th | r | i | ll; shrink = sh | r | i | nk; scrunch = s | c | r | u | n | ch
Ask: Read: chimp · dish · think · fresh
Listen for: chimp = ch | i | m | p; dish = d | i | sh; think = th | i | nk; fresh = f | r | e | sh
Ask: Read: plump
Listen for: plump = p | l | u | m | p
4 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.
- Copy: God is good.
- 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: splash, thrill, shrink, scrunch, chimp, dish.
Word Sounds Heart part little /l/ /ĭ/ /t/ /ŭl/ ♥ -le says /ŭl/ (regular in Grade 2) pretty /p/ /r/ /ĭ/ /t/ /ē/ ♥ e says /ĭ/ Daniel and the Lions
Daniel was a man of God. Daniel had a habit: he gave thanks to God, and he did not stop.
Bad men said to the king, "Daniel must stop, or he must go in the den of lions!"
Daniel did not stop. In the den he went. Clank! The king was so sad.
God sent His angel to shut the lions up. At sunup, Daniel was well. Not one lion had bit him. The king said, "The God of Daniel is the living God!"
Retold from Daniel 6. Before reading, show your child these story words and read them together: Daniel, Darius, lions, lion, angel, gave.
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.
- What did Daniel keep doing?
Answer
Praying and giving thanks to God.
- Where was he thrown?
Answer
Into the lions’ den.
- Who shut the lions’ mouths?
Answer
God sent His angel.
- What did the king say?
Answer
The God of Daniel is the living God.
Then ask your child to tell the whole story back in his or her own words (narration).
- What did Daniel keep doing?
Daniel 6. Read Daniel 6:10–23 aloud.
The read-aloud is for listening, not decoding. Read it to your child at another time of day.
Bingo with every sound card of the year.
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 splash , thrill , shrink .; I can read the heart words little , pretty and say which part is learned by heart.; I can read “Daniel and the Lions” and tell it back.
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
This week: Recital. Put it all together: stand tall, big clear voice, eyes up, steady pace, pauses, expression, a good beginning and ending.
- 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.
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me:
Daniel trusted God, and God kept him safe.
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.”