Before you start: this is Lesson 84. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–83. 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 hall rug was flat and 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. Why did Ray have to stay in?
Gray rain fell all day — line two. Line one says he had been set to play in the yard.
2. What went wrong when Ray ran the train on the soft rug?
The train tipped on its side — line six. That is why he tries the flat hall rug next.
3. You have a drawing box. Which part of this story goes in it?
Any moment — the train down the hall, or Ray painting it gray. Ask what made them pick it.
Checked word by word: all 101 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 84, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
The story is on the next page →
Ray was set to play in the yard today. Then gray rain fell all day long. Ray had to stay in the whole day. He got his train set from a box. He ran the train on the soft rug. The rug made the train tip on its side. Ray had a plan and went to the hall. The hall rug was flat and hard. The train ran fast all the way to Dad. Then Ray got paint and made the train gray. Dad came to play trains with him. The rain came to a stop, but Ray will stay in.
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.