Before you start: this is Lesson 75. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–74. 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 candle rolls back into Meg's hand.”
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 made the candle fall off the table?
The handle slipped, so the bottle bumped the candle. Send them back to that line.
2. How did Meg get the candle out from behind the box?
She tipped the box by its handle while Mom held it still. If they say "she poked it," ask "did that work?"
3. Walk me through how the candle got from the table to behind the box.
The handle slipped, the bottle bumped the candle, it fell and rolled. Lines three to five.
Checked word by word: all 93 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 75, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
The story is on the next page →
Meg has a little candle on the table. It sits next to a bottle and an apple. Meg picks up the bottle by its handle. The handle slips and the bottle bumps the candle. The candle falls and rolls behind a big box. Meg gets flat on the rug and pokes it. It is stuck. She can not get it. Then Meg thinks of the handle on the box. Mom holds the box still as Meg tips it. The candle rolls back into Meg's hand. That was a simple fix, and Meg grins.
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.