Lesson 11: am, an (nasal a)
Overview
Graphemes and Heart Words
Word List
Sentences
- I am Pam.
- Nan is as fit as Tim.
- A man is in the pit.
Parent guide: what to say for each slide
Use only previously taught letters and sounds during review before New Concept. Have paper, a marker, and letter tiles ready. Say sounds where slashes appear. For sentence dictation, keep the goose slide showing, read the sentence aloud, and reveal the next slide only after writing.
Slide 1 — Welcome to Lesson 11
SAY
Today we’ll practice the a that comes before m and n, and learn a new heart word, as. There is no new letter today.
LISTEN FOR
Gets ready.
PARENT TIP
Have your letter tiles ready for the word building section.
Slide 2 — Blending Practice
SAY
Listen to my sounds. Put them together to tell me the whole word.
LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.
Slide 3 — Listen and blend
SAY
What word is /ĭ/ /t/? Now /s/ /ĭ/ /t/. Now /s/ /ĭ/ /p/. Now /t/ /ĭ/ /p/.
LISTEN FOR
it; sit; sip; tip.
PARENT TIP
Parent-supplied prompts for the ear picture. These words use letters already taught.
Slide 4 — Segmenting Practice
SAY
Now listen to a whole word and tell me each sound you hear.
LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.
Slide 5 — Listen and segment
SAY
Say pit. Tell me its sounds. Now do fit. Now do tap.
LISTEN FOR
pit: /p/ /ĭ/ /t/; fit: /f/ /ĭ/ /t/; tap: /t/ /a/ /p/.
PARENT TIP
Parent-supplied prompts for the ear picture. Tap one finger per sound. These three words each have three sounds.
Slide 6 — Visual Drill
SAY
Tell me the sound of each letter as it appears.
LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.
Slide 7 — Visual drill m
SAY
What sound does this letter spell?
LISTEN FOR
/m/
PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. Model once if needed.
Slide 8 — Visual drill s
SAY
What sound does this letter spell?
LISTEN FOR
/s/
PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. Model once if needed.
Slide 9 — Visual drill f
SAY
What sound does this letter spell?
LISTEN FOR
/f/
PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. Model once if needed.
Slide 10 — Visual drill i
SAY
What sound does this letter spell?
LISTEN FOR
/ĭ/
PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. Model once if needed.
Slide 11 — Visual drill n
SAY
What sound does this letter spell?
LISTEN FOR
/n/
PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. Model once if needed.
Slide 12 — Auditory Drill
SAY
Listen, say the sound back, and write the letter that spells it.
LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.
Slide 13 — Listen and write three letters
SAY
Listen to my sound. Say it back, then write the letter that spells it.
LISTEN FOR
/t/ → t; /s/ → s; /p/ → p
PARENT TIP
Give only three sounds, one at a time, in this order: /t/, /s/, /p/. Keep the answer slide hidden until your child has written the letters.
Slide 14 — Check your three letters
SAY
Let’s check your writing. Point to each letter and tell me its sound. Watch how the letter is made, then try it once more.
LISTEN FOR
t, s, p
PARENT TIP
These are the three letters shown. Pause or replay the formation animations as needed.
Slide 15 — Word Building
SAY
Let’s use our known letters to build and read.
LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.
Slide 16 — Get the letter tiles ready
SAY
Put your letter tiles where you can reach them. I’ll say a word. You’ll say the sounds, choose the letters, and read the word you built.
LISTEN FOR
Gets the known letters ready.
PARENT TIP
The board picture is a cue to use your own tiles or letter cards. Use the letters your child has learned; the decorative letters in the picture are not the word list.
Slide 17 — Build words with tiles
SAY
I’ll say a word. Say each sound, choose the letters, and read the word you built. Our review words are pat, pit, sip.
LISTEN FOR
pat: /p/ /ă/ /t/; pit: /p/ /ĭ/ /t/; sip: /s/ /ĭ/ /p/.
PARENT TIP
Use only letters and sounds from earlier lessons. Keep today’s new concept out of this review; introduce it in the New Concept section.
Slide 18 — Build words with tiles
SAY
I’ll say a word. Say each sound, choose the letters, and read the word you built. Our review words are pat, pit, sip.
LISTEN FOR
pat: /p/ /ă/ /t/; pit: /p/ /ĭ/ /t/; sip: /s/ /ĭ/ /p/.
PARENT TIP
Use only letters and sounds from earlier lessons. Keep today’s new concept out of this review; introduce it in the New Concept section.
Slide 19 — Nasal a before m and n
SAY
Today we will learn how a sounds before n and m. These are known letters in a new sound pattern.
LISTEN FOR
Blends the sounds smoothly and notices a before m or n.
PARENT TIP
Introduce this pattern only in this section, after cumulative review.
Slide 20 — Nasal a before m and n
SAY
Point to a and n. Before n, the short a sounds a little nasal. Blend /ă/ /n/ into an.
LISTEN FOR
Blends the sounds smoothly and notices a before m or n.
PARENT TIP
Introduce this pattern only in this section, after cumulative review.
Slide 21 — Nasal a before m and n
SAY
Build tan. Blend /t/ /ă/ /n/. Listen to a before n, then read tan.
LISTEN FOR
Blends the sounds smoothly and notices a before m or n.
PARENT TIP
Introduce this pattern only in this section, after cumulative review.
Slide 22 — Nasal a before m and n
SAY
Build fan. Blend /f/ /ă/ /n/. Listen to a before n, then read fan.
LISTEN FOR
Blends the sounds smoothly and notices a before m or n.
PARENT TIP
Introduce this pattern only in this section, after cumulative review.
Slide 23 — Nasal a before m and n
SAY
Point to a and m. Before m, the short a sounds a little nasal. Blend /ă/ /m/ into am.
LISTEN FOR
Blends the sounds smoothly and notices a before m or n.
PARENT TIP
Introduce this pattern only in this section, after cumulative review.
Slide 24 — Nasal a before m and n
SAY
Build Pam. Blend /p/ /ă/ /m/, then read Pam. It is a name.
LISTEN FOR
Blends the sounds smoothly and notices a before m or n.
PARENT TIP
Introduce this pattern only in this section, after cumulative review.
Slide 25 — Nasal a before m and n
SAY
Build Sam. Blend /s/ /ă/ /m/, then read Sam. It is a name.
LISTEN FOR
Blends the sounds smoothly and notices a before m or n.
PARENT TIP
Introduce this pattern only in this section, after cumulative review.
Slide 26 — Heart Words
SAY
Today we have a new heart word.
LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.
Slide 27 — Heart word: as
SAY
This is a heart word. Most of it follows the sounds we know. The heart shows the part we learn by heart.
LISTEN FOR
Your child reads the word "as".
PARENT TIP
Ask: "Which part can we sound out? Which part has the heart, the part we remember?"
Slide 28 — Reading
SAY
Now you will read some sentences.
LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.
Slide 29 — Sentence 1
SAY
Touch under each word and read the sentence.
LISTEN FOR
I am Pam.
PARENT TIP
Let your child sound out any word they need to, then read the whole sentence smoothly.
Slide 30 — Sentence 2
SAY
Touch under each word and read the sentence.
LISTEN FOR
Nan is as fit as Tim.
PARENT TIP
Let your child sound out any word they need to, then read the whole sentence smoothly.
Slide 31 — Sentence dictation — listen and write
SAY
Listen to this sentence: A man is in the pit. Say the whole sentence back to me. Now write it.
LISTEN FOR
A man is in the pit.
PARENT TIP
Do not show the sentence before dictating it. Keep the goose-writing cue on screen. Say the sentence twice at a natural pace. Let your child repeat it, write it, and reread their own writing. Check the new concept, capitals, spaces, and punctuation. Then go to the NEXT slide to reveal the sentence and check together.
Slide 32 — Sentence reveal and check
SAY
Now let’s check the sentence you wrote. Read your writing, then compare it with this sentence.
LISTEN FOR
A man is in the pit.
PARENT TIP
This is the first time your child sees the complete dictation sentence. Check the new concept, capitals, spaces, and punctuation. Help with previously taught heart words as needed.
Slide 33 — Good Bye
SAY
Great work today. See you next time.
LISTEN FOR
Your child saying goodbye.
Slide 34 — Copyright
Adult information only. No child-facing script is needed; you may skip this slide during teaching.
Workbook Pages
Letter sort
Letter fluency
Missing sound
New heart word
Roll and read
Reading fluency
Word ladder
Dictation
Watch For
- Reading an as /ăn/ with a clipped a. Let the a sound nasal and blended with n.
- Mixing am and an.
Game: Two-Door Sort
Materials
- Two paper bags or two boxes, one labeled "am" and one labeled "an"
- Word cards: Sam, Pam, man, pan, fan, tan
How to play
- Put the word cards face down in a pile.
- The learner flips a card, reads the word, and finds the ending.
- They put the card in the "am" door or the "an" door.
- When all the cards are sorted, pull them out of each bag and read them again as a list.
- For a challenge, say a word out loud and have the learner point to the door where it belongs.