Before you start: this is Lesson 91. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–90. 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.
“Sam sat on the steps to think.”
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. How long did it take Sam to make the bird?
Three days. Find the line that starts "It took him" and let them read it to you.
2. How did Sam get the bird off the roof?
He glued his stick to a long broom so it would reach. The stick on its own was short.
3. Would you have made a bird from sticks? Tell me why.
Either answer is fine. Ask what they would make instead.
Checked word by word: all 165 words in this
story use only sounds taught by Lesson 91, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here
needs guessing. The spelling ea, ey, ow 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 →
Sam had a big pile of thin sticks in his room. He built a bird from the sticks and glue. It took him three days to get it right. He made the bird blue with a few red dots. The wings were thin, and the beak was sharp. Sam held his blue bird up on the school steps. Then a big wind blew, and the bird flew! It went up on a low roof by the steps. Sam ran and got a long stick from the yard. He held it up high, but the stick was short. Next he stood up on a big wood box. The stick still did not reach the blue bird. Sam sat on the steps to think. Then he ran in and got the tall broom. He glued the stick to the broom. That new tool was long, and it did reach. Sam got his blue bird back on the steps. He will keep it up high in his room.
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.