Before you start: this is Lesson 115. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–114. 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 threw in beans, corn and nuts.”
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 soup turn blue?
Blue glue that Max threw in. Line fourteen says it.
2. What did Max think he was putting in?
Juice. Line nine says he went to get the juice.
3. How could the kids keep this from happening again? Why?
Any sensible answer — look at the jug first, keep glue out of the camp pot. Listen for the reason.
Checked word by word: all 183 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 115, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
The story is on the next page →
The sun went down and camp got cold. "Let us make soup for all of us," said Jen. Jen, Sam and Max got out a big black pot. Mom set the pot on the camp fire. Then she sat at the table to watch them. Sam threw in beans, corn and nuts. Jen cut a peach and a pear into bits. "It needs juice next," said Jen to Max. Max went to the shed to get the juice. He came back and threw it all in. Then the soup went blue! "Why is my soup blue?" said Jen. Sam had a good look in the jug. It was not juice. It was blue glue. Max tried to spoon the glue back out. But the blue had gone all the way down. So the group had to start a new pot. Mom gave them a clean pot and sat back down. This time Jen looked at the jug first. She let Max mix the juice in with a spoon. The new soup was good and hot. They ate it all up under the stars.
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.