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Lesson 2: Word Families
a - as in cat
e - as in pet
i - as in big
o - as in pot
u - as in cup
Once your student has gained proficiency in recognizing and naming the letters, plus articulating their sounds (see Lesson 1), they can start putting them together into words. A couple simple games will help teach your child how to "sound through" words.
Using the flash cards you started with in Lesson 1, separate the five main vowels (a, e, i, o, u) from the rest of the cards (consonants). Choose one vowel and one consonant. For instance, choose the a and the t.
Place them side by side on a flat surface in front of the child. Demonstrate making the sounds for each of the letters (as given in the phonogram chart in Lesson 1). Let your child repeat the process, slowly and carefully blending the two sounds together, until they are saying "at".
Give the rest of the consonants to your student, and have them place a card in front of the a and t. Say the sound of the new card, then say the sound with "at, forming a word.
For instance, if you started with the a and the t, "at" is on the playing surface. Put the letter b in front of the other cards, forming the word "bat".
Once your child has sounded through each letter and the word "bat", put the next card on top of the b, forming a new word with "at". Repeat the process of sounding out each letter, then sounding through the new word.
Continue the game with every consonant. When a real word is formed, ask for a definition. When a non-word is formed, sound through it anyway.
If your child is old enough, perhaps they would like to print the real words in a notebook as they form them. Many children enjoy making up new definitions for the non-words. Creative pictures and short stories often accompany these "made-up" words.
Work only until your child is tired. A few words each day builds into a large, working vocabulary very quickly. Once your child has the hang of sounding through words, point simple words out whenever you can - at the supermarket or mall, in books, newspapers, on labels. Have fun and let help your child explore.
If your student attempts larger words that have different sounds, don't tell them they are wrong. Compliment their attempt, and explain that you will be exploring the rules that help form that particular word very soon.
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