Before you start: this is Lesson 118. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–117. 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 the sad sound came again.”
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 did the kids say lived in the school?
A ghost, in the halls. Line two says it.
2. What was really making the sad sound?
A cat, stuck in back of a door since lunch. The cook had guessed a machine.
3. What would you take with you to look? Why?
Any answer is fine. Kim took a lamp and her mom.
Checked word by word: all 167 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 118, plus heart words already learned. Nothing here needs guessing.
Heart words — read each one, then check the box.
The story is on the next page →
Kim went to a school that was very old. Kids said a ghost lived in the halls. At night it made a long, sad sound. It went up and down like a song. The cook said it was just a machine. But Kim did not think that was it. "Can we go and look?" she said to Mom. That night Mom got a lamp and they went in. The dark hall felt still, and Kim led the way. They stood and did not hear a thing. Kim felt so sad. "It has gone," she said. Then the sad sound came again. It came from a door at the back. Kim gave the door a hard tug. It did not open. The door was stuck. So she got a stick and tugged again. The door came free. Green eyes shone! It was a cat, stuck in there since lunch. Mom held the lamp and Kim fed it milk. Her school ghost sat and ate and shut its eyes.
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.