Before you start: this is Lesson 121. It uses only sounds already taught in Lessons 1–120. 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 Nell had a much better plan.”
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 was wrong with the barn at the start?
The paint was cracked and gray, and Nell said it made the farm look sad.
2. Whose plan was the big picture?
Nell's. She is the one who asks the painter to paint a big picture on it, in line fourteen.
3. Would you paint your house a picture or one plain color? Why?
Either answer is fine. The reason is the point.
Checked word by word: all 170 words in this story use only sounds taught by Lesson 121, 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 →
Nell and her dad have a big farm. Her dad is a farmer with a big barn. The paint on the barn was cracked and gray. Nell said it made the farm look sad. First she got a brush and some soap. She stood on a box and did her best. But the gray did not come off at all. So they got a painter to fix it up. The painter came out from the city in a van. She had just red paint in the back. She painted the barn red from top to bottom. "All barns look like that," said Nell. Then Nell had a much better plan. "Can you paint a big picture on it?" The painter was an artist as well. She made a farm and a big sun on it. Nell held the paint pots for her all day. Dad was mad at first, but now he grins. A visitor comes out each day to look. Nell tells them her dad has the best barn.
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.