Before you start: this is Lesson 23. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–22. 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 hen did not get up.”
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 did the hen sit on?
The tan hat. It is in the second line — point at that line rather than saying it.
2. How did Deb get the hen off the hat?
She got a bit of ham, and the hen hopped over to it. Two lines tell it together, so let them read both.
3. Have you ever got an animal to move without picking it up? How did you do it?
Any way — food, a toy, a call. Deb used a bit of ham in line five.
Checked word by word: all 49 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 23, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
The story is on the next page →
Deb has a pet hen. The hen hops on a tan hat. "Get up, hen!" said Deb. The hen did not get up. Deb got a bit of ham. The hen hops to the ham. Deb has the tan hat. She hugs the hen. It is a fun pet.
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.