Lesson 34: z /z/

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 34

SAY
Today we’ll learn a new letter, z, and the sound it makes. Then we’ll read sentences together.

LISTEN FOR
Gets ready.

PARENT TIP
Have the known letter tiles ready.

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 /ă/ /t/? Now /s/ /ă/ /t/. Now /s/ /ĭ/ /p/. Now /p/ /ă/ /t/.

LISTEN FOR
at; sat; sip; pat.

PARENT TIP
Parent-supplied prompts for the ear picture. These words use letters already taught. Do not introduce z 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 sip. Tell me its sounds. Now do sap. Now do mat.

LISTEN FOR
sip: /s/ /ĭ/ /p/; sap: /s/ /ă/ /p/; mat: /m/ /ă/ /t/.

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 a

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/ă/

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

Slide 8 — 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 9 — Visual drill x

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/k/ /s/

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

Slide 10 — Visual drill qu

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/kw/

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

Slide 11 — Visual drill v

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/v/

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 net, hat, pet.

LISTEN FOR
net: /n/ /ĕ/ /t/; hat: /h/ /ă/ /t/; pet: /p/ /ĕ/ /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
Now we are going to learn a new letter.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

Slide 19 — Meet z

SAY
This is uppercase Z and lowercase z. The letter z spells /z/. Say the sound with me.

LISTEN FOR
/z/

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

Slide 20 — Beginning sound

SAY
Zebra begins with /z/. Say the first sound with me.

LISTEN FOR
Says /z/ for the start of zebra.

PARENT TIP
Point to the z at the start of the word.

Slide 21 — Blend the sounds

SAY
Point to each letter and say its sound: /z/ /ĭ/ /p/. Now blend them together and read the word.

LISTEN FOR
zip

PARENT TIP
Slide your finger under the letters from left to right as your child says each sound.

Slide 22 — Write lowercase z

SAY
Watch how to write small z. Same as big Z, but small. Now you try. Say /z/ each time you write it.

LISTEN FOR
Writes z and says /z/.

PARENT TIP
Have your child say the sound each time they write the letter. Watch that z is not written backward.

Slide 23 — Write uppercase Z

SAY
Watch how to write big Z. Line across. Slant down to the left. Line across. Now you try.

LISTEN FOR
Writes Z and says /z/.

PARENT TIP
Let your child trace in the air first if that helps.

Slide 24 — Reading

SAY
Now we are going to read some sentences.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

Slide 25 — Sentence 1

SAY
Read this sentence. Sound out any word you need to.

LISTEN FOR
Zed zips up his vest.

PARENT TIP
Point to each word as your child reads. Celebrate the effort.

Slide 26 — Sentence dictation — listen and write

SAY
Listen to this sentence: Zed can zip the bag. Say the whole sentence back to me. Now write it.

LISTEN FOR
Zed can zip the bag.

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 27 — Sentence reveal and check

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

LISTEN FOR
Zed can zip the bag.

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 28 — Good Bye

SAY
Great job today! We learned the letter z and the sound /z/.

LISTEN FOR
Says /z/ when shown the letter.

PARENT TIP
Celebrate the effort. Keep practice short and positive.

Slide 29 — Copyright

SAY
This slide is for the teacher or parent. There is nothing to read aloud.

LISTEN FOR
Nothing for your child to do here.