Before you start: this is Lesson 80. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–79. 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.
“Then Pam pats the mud in hard.”
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 knocked the pot off the step?
A big pig that ran past. Have them point to that line.
2. What did Pam do to get the plant to stand up?
She patted the mud in hard. If they say "she filled the pot," ask "did the plant stand up then?"
3. The pig runs past that step a lot. What do you think will happen to the plant now?
Any guess with a reason. The last line puts the plant in the yard corner, away from the step.
Checked word by word: all 90 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 80, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
The story is on the next page →
Pam and her sister have a little plant. They set her pot on the top step. Then a big pig runs past and bumps it. The pot lands under the step in the mud. Pam fills her pot back up with her hands. After that, the plant flops and will not stand. Then Pam pats the mud in hard. Her plant sits up at last. "That pig will never stop," her sister said. So Pam and her sister lift the pot up. Her plant sits safe in the yard corner.
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.