Before you start: this is Lesson 12. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–11. If they have not done those yet it will feel too hard — ask their teacher where to start.
1. Say the practice words on the words page, then the heart words. A heart word has one part that cannot be sounded out — the little heart marks the bit to just remember.
2. Read the story on the next page. If they get stuck, don’t say the word. Point under the letters and say: “Say each sound, then say them fast” — “mmm – aaa – p … map!”
3. Read it three times — they color a circle each time.
4. They draw what happened, on the top half of the next page. No picture to copy — their drawing is how you see what they understood.
5. They write one sentence, on the lines under their drawing. The sentence to read aloud is in the box below.
“The pot is on the mat.”
Once at normal speed, once slowly, and have them say it back before they write. If they get stuck on a word, say its sounds together — don’t spell it letter by letter.
Practice, not a test — don’t mark it wrong. If a word is misspelled, read it back exactly as they wrote it and let them hear the difference.
A wrong word, or a guess? Don’t say “no” — point at the word: “Try that one again — say each sound.” Fixing it themselves is the win.
Sounded it out twice, still stuck? Tell them the word and carry on. A few told words do no harm.
Stuck on nearly every line, or fed up? Stop — that is fine. Try an easier lesson, or this one tomorrow. Five happy minutes beat twenty cross ones.
1. What happened after Tom tapped the pot?
It went pop and it landed on the mat. Lines three and four tell it together, so let them read both.
2. Who cleaned up the mat?
Tom did, on his own. Listen for Tom and not a grown-up — that is the whole point of the story.
3. What went wrong in this story? Who put it right?
The pot popped off and landed on the mat, and Tom mopped it up himself. Lines three to five.
Checked word by word: all 49 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 12, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
The story is on the next page →
I am Tom. A tin pot is on top. I tap it. Tap, tap, tap. Pop! The pot is not on top. The pot is on the mat. I mop it. Mop, mop, mop. The mat is tan. The pot is on top. I sit and sip. I nap.
Read it again if you need to. Then draw what happened.
Your grown-up will say one sentence from the story. Say it back, then write it.