Before you start: this is Lesson 73. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–72. 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 kite lifts up into the sky.”
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 the first time Tim ran with his kite?
It dropped and would not fly. Stated in the story — point them at that line rather than saying it for them.
2. What did Tim pin on the kite tip?
The rags from his bag. If they say "a kite tail," that is the same idea, but ask them to find the word the story used.
3. Tim is shy at the start. What does shy mean?
Quiet with people, slow to join in. Line one says it — then at the end he yells to Mom, not shy at all.
Checked word by word: all 100 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 73, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
The story is on the next page →
Tim is shy, but he likes to fly kites. It is dry and sunny by the pond. Tim runs with his kite, but it drops. He runs and runs. It will not fly. Tim sits in the grass. Why will it not fly? Then he thinks of the rags in his bag. Tim pins the rags on the kite tip. He runs on the dry path and lets go. The kite lifts up into the sky. Tim yells to Mom, and Mom grins back. Up in the sky, his kite dips and spins. He will try that trick next time.
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.