Before you start: this is Lesson 28. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–27. 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.
“Deb and Ned run in the fog.”
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. How did Wag get wet?
He dug in the mud. Line two says it. If your child is stuck, put a finger on that line and let them read it again.
2. What did Ned use to rub Wag?
A big rag. Line four says it. One word is plenty here.
3. Walk me through how Wag got dry, step by step.
Ned rubbed him with a big rag, Deb rubbed him too, then he napped in his den. Lines four to seven.
Checked word by word: all 59 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 28, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
The story is on the next page →
Deb and Ned run in the fog. Wag the pup digs in the mud. Wag is wet! "Look at Wag," said Deb. "He is wet." Ned gets a big rag and rubs Wag. Deb rubs him and Wag wags and wags. "We can set him in his den," said Ned. Wag naps in the den. He is not wet.
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.