Lesson 1: a /ă/New concept: A -- /a/ -- Keyword: Apple

Where this sound appears: Short A appears at the beginning of words (ant, apple) or in the middle between two consonants (cat, map, sat).

Quick Tip: This is your very first lesson! Do not worry about going fast -- just focus on making the sound correctly. Short A says /a/ like the start of "apple." Feel your mouth drop open and your tongue rest flat.

Extra Practice Worksheets (preview at bottom)

Step 1: Phonemic Awareness

Today, we are starting two foundational reading skills: Blending (putting sounds together to read a word) and Segmenting (breaking a word apart to spell it).

Think of these like mental muscles. The more your child practices them, the smoother their reading and writing will become. 

Drill 1: The Blending Drill (Putting Sounds Together)
The Goal: Help your child listen to individual word parts (syllables) and smash them together to hear the whole word.
For compound words like cupcake and football, we use our hands to make it visual and physical!
How to do it (Step-by-Step):

1. Show your first fist: Put out your left fist and say the first part: "Cup." (Have your child do the same).
2. Show your second fist: Put out your right fist and say the second part: "Cake." (Have your child do the same).
3. Clap them together: Bring your hands together in a clap and say the whole word: "Cupcake!"

Your Script to Use:
You: "Okay, let's play a guessing game. I'm going to chop a word into pieces, and you have to smash it together. Ready? 
Cup... cake. What's the word?"
Child: "Cupcake!"
You: "Perfect! Let's try another one. Foot... ball. What's the word?"
Child: "Football!"

Drill 2: The Segmenting Drill (Breaking Sounds Apart)
The Goal: This is the exact opposite of blending. We start with the whole word, and your child has to pull it apart. This is the secret ingredient to becoming a great speller!

For a word like lipstick, we are going to pretend to "pull" the word apart like a piece of stretchy taffy, or chop it into pieces.

How to do it (Step-by-Step):

1. State the whole word: Say the full word clearly first ("Lipstick").
2. The "Catch and Chop" Method: Have your child pretend to catch the word in the air with both hands.
3. Break it down: Have them put out one hand/fist for the first part ("Lip"), and the second hand/fist for the second part ("stick").

Your Script to Use:
You: "Now we are going to do the opposite! I'll give you the whole word, and you have to chop it into its two pieces. The word is lipstick. Can you catch it and chop it?"

Child: (Catches the air) "Lipstick!"
You: "Now chop it."
Child: (Holding out one hand, then the other) "Lip... stick!"
You: "Spot on! You broke it right in half."

Quick Tips for Success at Home

• Keep it Fast & Fun: These drills shouldn't take more than 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Watch the Pace: When blending, don't leave too long of a pause between the words (e.g., say "foot... ball," not "foot.......... ball"), or they might forget the first word before you say the second!
• Celebrate the Effort: If they get stuck, just give them the answer and have them repeat it back to you. It's all about building confidence!

Step 3: Auditory Drill
Not enough letters learned yet for this step. Begin with Lesson 2.

Step 5: Word Building
Not enough letter combinations yet for word building. 

Step 6: New Concept and Letter Formation

Different Ways to See This Letter
"Look at all the different ways you might see the letter A. It can look a little different in different books or on signs, but it is always the same letter."

ASL Sign
"This is the ASL hand sign for the letter A. Let us make it together."
"Hold up your hand and try to copy the shape on the screen. Great!"

Keyword, Mouth, Voiced or Unvoiced
"A usually makes a different sound than it's name it makes the short sound /a/. Say that with me"
"Our keyword for this sound is apple. Say it with me: apple."
"Now watch my mouth when I make this sound: /a/. Open your mouth wide. Your jaw drops down. Your tongue is flat and relaxed."

"This is a voiced sound. Put your hand on your throat and say /a/. Feel your voice box hum? That means your voice is on."

Where the Sound Appears
"Listen while I tell you where you can hear this sound in words. You hear the short A sound at the beginning of words like alligator and ant. 

"You also hear it in the middle of words, like in cat and bag."

How We Form the Letter
"Now let us learn how to write the letter a. Watch me first."
"Start just below the midline. Curve up to the left and all the way around to make a c shape, then add a straight line down on the right."

"First, let us sky write it together. Hold up your writing finger and write it big in the air. Ready? Go."

"You can write it on your own! Say /a/ each time you write it."

Day 2  |  Step 10: Dictated Sentence
No dictated sentence for this lesson. There are not yet enough words for a complete sentence.