Lesson 20: -s /s/
Step 1: Phonemic Awareness
No letters, no writing. Ears only.
Part A: Blending
"I am going to say some sounds one at a time. Squish them together into a word. Ready?"
/k/ /a/ /t/ /s/ -> cats
/p/ /o/ /t/ /s/ -> pots
/k/ /u/ /p/ /s/ -> cups
/m/ /a/ /p/ /s/ -> maps
/s/ /i/ /t/ /s/ -> sits
Part B: Segmenting
"Now I will say a word. Break it into its sounds and count them on your fingers. Ready?"
cats -> /k-a-t-s/ (4 sounds)
pots -> /p-o-t-s/ (4 sounds)
cups -> /k-u-p-s/ (4 sounds)
maps -> /m-a-p-s/ (4 sounds)
sits -> /s-i-t-s/ (4 sounds)
Step 3: Auditory Drill
"I will say a sound and you write the letter as fast as you can. Ready?"
Say: /a/ -> Write: A
Say: /i/ -> Write: I
Say: /o/ -> Write: O
Say: /u/ -> Write: U
Say: /e/ -> Write: E
Say: /m/ -> Write: M
Say: /s/ -> Write: S
Say: /t/ -> Write: T
Say: /p/ -> Write: P
Say: /f/ -> Write: F
Say: /n/ -> Write: N
Say: /d/ -> Write: D
Say: /k/ -> Write: C
Say: /g/ -> Write: G
Say: /b/ -> Write: B
If they write the wrong letter: give the correct answer, have them write it while saying the sound, then move on.
Step 5: Word Building
"I will say a word. Listen for all the sounds, then build it or write it. Then look at it, cover it up, and write it again."
Say: "cats"
Say: "sits"
Say: "pots"
Say: "maps"
After all words: go back and spot-check any that were spelled incorrectly. Say the sounds out loud together, then have your child try again.
Step 6: New Concept and Letter Formation
Slide: The Spelling Rule
"When we add S to a noun, it usually means more than one. When we add S to a verb, it means one person is doing the action right now."
"This S says /s/. You already know that sound. Listen: cats, pots, cups. Hear the /s/ at the end?"
"Let us read these words: cats, pots, maps, cups, sits, pets."
No letter formation today.
S has already been introduced. Review its formation if needed.
Day 2 | Step 10: Dictated Sentence
"Now I will say a sentence. Listen carefully, then write it down."
"The cats sit up."
"When you are done, let us check it together using CAPS."
C = Capital letter at the start. | A = Appearance. | P = Punctuation at the end. | S = Spelling.