Before you start: this is Lesson 72. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–71. 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.
“Jill and Dad go to find it.”
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. Where was the colt hiding?
Behind an old gate. Line eight says it — have them go back and find it themselves.
2. What did Jill do that made the colt come out?
She got the colt's dish and shook it. If they say "she called it," ask "did that work?"
3. The story calls the colt wild. What does wild mean here?
Not tame — it slips past the gate and will not come when called. Lines two, five and ten.
Checked word by word: all 95 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 72, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
The story is on the next page →
Jill is a kind child with a wild colt. In the cold, the colt slips past the gate. Jill and Dad go to find it. Dad holds a lamp up as they go. Jill calls and calls, but no colt runs up. Then Jill thinks. She gets the colt's dish. She shakes it, and the colt jumps up. It was behind an old gate all this time. Jill held the dish and told it to hold still. Most colts run off, but this colt did not. The wild colt is home and is not cold.
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.