Lesson 15: u /ŭ/

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 15

SAY
Today we’ll practice our sounds and learn u. Then we’ll read words and sentences together.

LISTEN FOR
Gets ready.

PARENT TIP
Have the known letter tiles and u ready. Introduce u when you reach the New Concept 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. Do not introduce /ŭ/ during this review.

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 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 9 — Visual drill o

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/ŏ/

PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. Model once if needed.

Slide 10 — Visual drill d

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/d/

PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. Model once if needed.

Slide 11 — Visual drill c

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/k/

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
/ŏ/ → o; /k/ → c; /d/ → d

PARENT TIP
Give only three sounds, one at a time, in this order: /ŏ/, /k/, /d/. 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
o, c, d

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 cap, cat, cot.

LISTEN FOR
cap: /k/ /ă/ /p/; cat: /k/ /ă/ /t/; cot: /k/ /ŏ/ /t/.

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 — New Concept

SAY
Today we are learning a new letter and its sound.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

Slide 19 — Meet u

SAY
This is uppercase U and lowercase u. The letter u spells /ŭ/. Say the sound with me.

LISTEN FOR
/ŭ/

PARENT TIP
Point to both letter forms in the supplied paired-letter image. The animated formation practice comes later in this lesson.

Slide 20 — Find different forms of u

SAY
These letters look a little different, but they are all u. Can you find a capital one? Can you find a lowercase one? They can all spell /ŭ/.

LISTEN FOR
Points to uppercase and lowercase forms; says /ŭ/.

PARENT TIP
Use this as letter recognition practice. There is no need to name every font or trace every example.

Slide 21 — U is a Vowel

SAY
Watch the mouth picture and say /ŭ/ with me. Put your hand on your throat. This sound is voiced, so you can feel it.

LISTEN FOR
Says /ŭ/ while looking at the mouth picture.

PARENT TIP
The voice icon shows that /ŭ/ is a voiced sound. A mirror is a fun way to let your child watch their own mouth.

Slide 22 — Beginning sounds

SAY
Listen to the first sound in each word. Umpire. Underwear. What sound do you hear at the start?

LISTEN FOR
/ŭ/ at the start of umpire and underwear.

PARENT TIP
Stretch the first sound if your child needs help: /ŭ/, umpire.

Slide 23 — End sound

SAY
Listen to the last sound in cup. What sound do you hear at the end?

LISTEN FOR
/p/

PARENT TIP
Say the word slowly, then stretch it out: /k/ /ŭ/ /p/. Point to the p as you say the last sound.

Slide 24 — Blend the sounds

SAY
Say each sound as I point to the letter. Then blend the sounds together to read the word.

LISTEN FOR
/s/ /ŭ/ /n/, then sun.

PARENT TIP
Slide your finger under the letters from left to right. Blend the sounds quickly once your child can say each one.

Slide 25 — Write lowercase u

SAY
Watch how lowercase u is written. Line down from the middle, curve around, line up. Line down. Now you try. Say /ŭ/ each time you write it.

LISTEN FOR
Says /ŭ/ while writing u.

PARENT TIP
Play the animation as many times as needed. If your child is stuck, ask “Show me where you start.” Model once on a whiteboard, then let your child copy it.

Slide 26 — Write uppercase U

SAY
Watch how uppercase U is written. Line down, curve around, line up. Now you try. Say /ŭ/ each time you write it.

LISTEN FOR
Says /ŭ/ while writing U.

PARENT TIP
Play the animation as many times as needed. Have your child say the sound each time they write the letter.

Slide 27 — Heart Words

SAY
Today we have two new heart words. Most of a heart word follows the sounds we know. The heart shows the part we learn by heart.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

PARENT TIP
The new heart words are to and do.

Slide 28 — Heart word: to

SAY
This is a heart word. It says to. Read it with me: to. Most of it follows the sounds we know. The heart shows the part we learn by heart.

LISTEN FOR
Reads to.

PARENT TIP
Ask, “Which part can we sound out? Which part has the heart, the part we remember?”

Slide 29 — Heart word: do

SAY
This is a heart word. It says do. Read it with me: do. Most of it follows the sounds we know. The heart shows the part we learn by heart.

LISTEN FOR
Reads do.

PARENT TIP
Ask, “Which part can we sound out? Which part has the heart, the part we remember?”

Slide 30 — Reading

SAY
Now let’s read some sentences together.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

PARENT TIP
Point under each word as your child reads.

Slide 31 — Sentence 1

SAY
Read this sentence. Point to each word as you read.

LISTEN FOR
I can do it.

PARENT TIP
The words I and do are heart words. Help with any word your child does not know, then have them read the whole sentence again.

Slide 32 — Sentence 2

SAY
Read this sentence. Point to each word as you read.

LISTEN FOR
A cup is on top.

PARENT TIP
The words a and is are heart words. Help with any word your child does not know, then have them read the whole sentence again.

Slide 33 — Sentence dictation — listen and write

SAY
Listen to this sentence: Dad cut a nut. Say the whole sentence back to me. Now write it.

LISTEN FOR
Dad cut a nut.

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 34 — Sentence reveal and check

SAY
Now let’s check the sentence you wrote. Read your writing, then compare it with this sentence.

LISTEN FOR
Dad cut a nut.

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 35 — Good Bye

SAY
Great work today. See you next time.

LISTEN FOR
Says goodbye.

PARENT TIP
Praise your child for what they practiced today: the sound /ŭ/ and the heart words to and do.

Slide 36 — Copyright

SAY
Nothing to say on this slide.

LISTEN FOR
Nothing to listen for.

PARENT TIP
This is the copyright slide. You can skip it.