Before you start: this is Lesson 89. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–88. 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.
“His good book fell in the pond!”
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 did Gus stand to see the pond?
On a wood log, by the pond. Have them point to that line.
2. Why did the thin stick not work at first?
It was short and did not reach. So Gus tied a hook on to it.
3. The story says the wet log shook. What does shook mean? Show me with your hands.
Moved and wobbled. Line five. Acting it out is the check that they really have the word.
Checked word by word: all 99 words in this
story use only sounds taught by Lesson 89, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here
needs guessing. The spelling ea, ey, ow, oo can say more than one sound in English; every word here uses only the one taught so far.
The story is on the next page →
Gus took a good book to the pond. Mom sat with him on the soft grass. Gus stood on a wood log to see the pond. A duck came to look at his book. Mom held Gus as the wet log shook. His good book fell in the pond! Gus got a thin stick from the grass. The stick was short and did not reach. Then Gus took a hook from his bag. He tied the hook on to the thin stick. Gus stood with Mom and got the book back. It was wet, so he took it home.
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.