Lesson 4: t /t/

Have paper or a whiteboard, a marker, and letter tiles ready. Read the Say wording aloud. Slashes mean say the sound rather than the letter name.

Slide 1 — Welcome to Lesson 4

SAY
Today we’ll learn t and use our letter sounds to read little words. First, let’s listen to some word parts.

LISTEN FOR
Gets ready to listen.

PARENT TIP
Have a, m, s, t tiles or cards ready for the later word slides.

Slide 2 — Blending Practice

SAY
I’ll say two word parts. Put them together into one whole word.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

Slide 3 — Snow plus ball

SAY
Listen to these two word parts: snow … ball. Put them together. What word do they make?

LISTEN FOR
snowball

PARENT TIP
Pause before saying the answer. If needed, say “snow … ball, snowball,” and have your child repeat. Bring two hands together as you join the parts.

Slide 4 — Snowball

SAY
Yes, snowball! Say it with me: snowball. We joined snow and ball to make snowball.

LISTEN FOR
Says “snowball.”

PARENT TIP
This is the answer picture. If your child did not get the previous item, use it to model the answer, then try the two parts again.

Slide 5 — Sun plus glasses

SAY
Listen to these two word parts: sun … glasses. Put them together. What word do they make?

LISTEN FOR
sunglasses

PARENT TIP
Pause before saying the answer. If needed, say “sun … glasses, sunglasses,” and have your child repeat. Bring two hands together as you join the parts.

Slide 6 — Sunglasses

SAY
Yes, sunglasses! Say it with me: sunglasses. We joined sun and glasses to make sunglasses.

LISTEN FOR
Says “sunglasses.”

PARENT TIP
This is the answer picture. If your child did not get the previous item, use it to model the answer, then try the two parts again.

Slide 7 — Segmenting Practice

SAY
Now pull a whole word apart into its two word parts.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

Slide 8 — Hot dog

SAY
Say hot dog. Now pull that word apart into two smaller word parts. What two parts do you hear?

LISTEN FOR
hot … dog

PARENT TIP
Move your hands apart. If needed, model “hot … dog.” These are word parts, not individual speech sounds.

Slide 9 — Hot and dog

SAY
That’s right: hot … dog. Those are the two parts in hot dog. Say the parts, then say the whole word.

LISTEN FOR
hot … dog; hot dog.

PARENT TIP
Point to each picture as you name the two parts.

Slide 10 — Snowman

SAY
Say snowman. Now pull that word apart into two smaller word parts. What two parts do you hear?

LISTEN FOR
snow … man

PARENT TIP
Move your hands apart. If needed, model “snow … man.” These are word parts, not individual speech sounds.

Slide 11 — Snow and man

SAY
That’s right: snow … man. Those are the two parts in snowman. Say the parts, then say the whole word.

LISTEN FOR
snow … man; snowman.

PARENT TIP
Point to each picture as you name the two parts.

Slide 12 — Visual Drill

SAY
Look at each letter and tell me its sound.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

Slide 13 — Visual drill s

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/s/

PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. If needed, say “This is s. It spells /s/. Your turn.”

Slide 14 — Visual drill a

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/a/

PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. If needed, say “This is a. It spells /a/. Your turn.”

Slide 15 — Visual drill m

SAY
What sound does this letter spell?

LISTEN FOR
/m/

PARENT TIP
Ask for the sound rather than the letter name. If needed, say “This is m. It spells /m/. Your turn.”

Slide 16 — Auditory Drill

SAY
Now listen to a sound and write the letter that spells it.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

Slide 17 — Listen and write three letters

SAY
Listen to my sound. Say it back, then write the letter that spells it.

LISTEN FOR
/m/ → m; /s/ → s; /ă/ → a

PARENT TIP
Give only three sounds, one at a time, in this order: /m/, /s/, /ă/. Keep the answer slide hidden until your child has written the letters.

Slide 18 — 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
m, s, a

PARENT TIP
These are the three letters shown. Pause or replay the formation animations as needed.

Slide 19 — New Concept

SAY
Our new letter is t. It spells /t/. Listen to how quick the sound is.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

Slide 20 — Lowercase t

SAY
This is lowercase t. Its name is T. The sound we are learning is /t/. Say /t/ with me.

LISTEN FOR
/t/

PARENT TIP
Trace the displayed letter in the air. Keep the letter name and its sound distinct.

Slide 21 — Uppercase T

SAY
This is uppercase T. Its name is T. The sound we are learning is /t/. Say /t/ with me.

LISTEN FOR
/t/

PARENT TIP
Trace the displayed letter in the air. Keep the letter name and its sound distinct.

Slide 22 — Find different forms of t

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

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

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

Slide 23 — T is a consonant

SAY
T is a consonant. Put your tongue just behind your top front teeth and let it release a quick puff: /t/. Your turn.

LISTEN FOR
Makes a short /t/.

PARENT TIP
Use a clear /t/ as at the start of tent. Keep your voice off and avoid “tuh.”

Slide 24 — T is a quick sound

SAY
Listen: /t/ … /t/ … /t/. Each sound is quick. Make three quick /t/ sounds with me.

LISTEN FOR
Three separate, brief /t/ sounds.

PARENT TIP
Do not stretch /t/ into a hiss or add a vowel to make it longer.

Slide 25 — Tent and tail

SAY
Say tent. What is the first sound? /t/. Now say tail. What sound comes first?

LISTEN FOR
/t/ in both words.

PARENT TIP
Name and read both words. The child is listening for /t/, not independently decoding tail.

Slide 26 — Hat and mint

SAY
Say hat. Listen for the last sound: /t/. Now say mint. What sound comes last?

LISTEN FOR
/t/ in both.

PARENT TIP
Adult reads the words. Keep final /t/ brief; mint has four sounds, but the task here is only to identify its final sound.

Slide 27 — Blend at

SAY
Point under a and say /a/. Point under t and say /t/. Now slide the sounds together: /aaa/t/, at. Your turn.

LISTEN FOR
Reads “at.”

PARENT TIP
Touch one dot for each sound, then sweep left to right under the whole word. Keep /t/ quick.

Slide 28 — Blend mat

SAY
Let’s read each sound: /m/ /a/ /t/. Now connect them: /mmmaa/t/, mat. You try.

LISTEN FOR
Reads “mat.”

PARENT TIP
Point to each tile, then sweep under the whole word. Ask “Which letter did we add to at?” Answer: m at the beginning.

Slide 29 — Write lowercase t

SAY
Watch how we write lowercase t. Start where the dot shows us and follow the movement. Now draw it in the air with me. Try it on your board.

LISTEN FOR
Forms t and says its sound.

PARENT TIP
Play or replay the letter animation. Model once, trace together, then let your child try. Aim for recognizable formation rather than perfect handwriting.

Slide 30 — Write uppercase T

SAY
Watch how we write uppercase T. Start where the dot shows us and follow the movement. Now draw it in the air with me. Try it on your board.

LISTEN FOR
Forms T and says its sound.

PARENT TIP
Play or replay the letter animation. Model once, trace together, then let your child try. Aim for recognizable formation rather than perfect handwriting.

Slide 31 — Heart Words

SAY
Let’s read the words I and the in short phrases. I’ll help with the other words.

LISTEN FOR
Let your child settle into the next activity.

Slide 32 — I walk

SAY
What is this first word? I. I’ll read the next word: walk. Now read the phrase with me: I walk. Can you show me walking?

LISTEN FOR
Reads I; joins in “I walk.”

PARENT TIP
Supply walk. Its spelling has not been taught; the picture supports meaning after you read the word.

Slide 33 — The tiger

SAY
Do you remember this word? The. This next word is tiger. Read it with me: The tiger. What sound do you hear at the beginning of tiger?

LISTEN FOR
Reads The; joins in the phrase; identifies /t/.

PARENT TIP
Supply tiger. Do not ask the child to decode its untaught vowel spelling.

Slide 34 — Good Bye

SAY
You worked on t today. What sound does it spell? Show me one thing you learned. I noticed how you kept trying. We’re finished for today!

LISTEN FOR
/t/

PARENT TIP
Choose one specific success to mention, such as hearing a sound, blending a word, or forming a letter. Stop here for the child.

Slide 35 — Copyright and course information

PARENT TIP
Adult information only. No child-facing script is needed; you may skip this slide during teaching.