Cycle 2

2.1 Sound Review

Purpose and Procedure

This task reviews reading the sound /ă/ as in trap.

Correcting the Student

The following is the correction text to use if a student makes a mistake in a Sound Review task [example sound: /ă/]:

❖ If the student says the letter’s name (/ā/) or a wrong sound (like /ŏ/), say: This sound is /ăăă/. Let’s read it together. Get ready: /ăăă/. Good. Your turn…

❖ If the student doesn’t hold the sound for two seconds, say: Read this sound slowly like this: /ăăă/. Let’s read it together. Get ready: /ăăă/. Good. Your turn…

❖ If the student says the sound at the wrong time, say: Only read this sound when my finger is on this dot, like this: /ăăă/. Let’s read it together. Get ready: /ăăă/. Good. Your turn…

2.2 The Slow Game

Purpose and Procedure

This task introduces students to saying — not reading — the /th/ sound, which some students find tricky.

That sound occurs in the second and third words in this task: the and they.

Even though the word the normally has two acceptable pronunciations, /thē/ and /thǝ/, in this task, you will only segment one of them: /thē/.

Later in the curriculum, students will read the word the, which will be represented with an ē at the end of it. At that time, you will teach them that it can also be pronounced /thǝ/. The word will be written with an ē at the end of it until the specialized orthography is phased out. Using the ē makes it decodable without having to teach the unaccented schwa sound that isn't represented by a consistent letter in our language. The curriculum takes the same approach later with the word a, which can be pronounced /ā/ or /ǝ/.

Important Reminders

Segment the word they as two sounds: /thththāāā/. The ey letter combination in they makes the diphthong /ā/ and should be treated as only one sound.

Count each sound on your fingers as you say a word slowly.

Correcting the Student

In addition to the regular correction text for the Slow Game, the following is the correction text to use for the word zoo in this task:

❖ If the student struggles to produce the /z/ sound, say: Make the /sss/ sound… Good, now watch how I change from /s/ to /z/ without moving my mouth: /ssszzz/. Let’s try it together: /ssszzz/.

In addition to the regular correction text for the Slow Game, the following is the correction text to use for the words the and they in this task:

❖ If the student struggles to produce the /th/ sound, say: Put the tip of your tongue between your teeth, like this… Good. When I make this sound, it tickles my tongue. Watch: /ththth/. Now, let’s try it together: /ththth/.

2.3 The Fast Game

Purpose and Procedure

This task returns to students to saying words back to you the fast way after hearing you say them slowly, but, this time, you don't tell them what the word is first for the final two words in the task: off and you.

The words in this task consist of two continuous sounds.

Notes on the /y/ sound:

• The letter y regularly makes three different vowel sounds. It can be /ĭ/ in the middle of a word like system, /ē/ at the end of a word like party, and /ī/ at the end of some verbs and all single-syllable words like fly.

• It only makes one consonant sound, like in the word yes, and that’s the sound that’s relevant to this task. It is a continuous sound. When you hold it, you may feel like you are saying something close to /ēēē/, and that’s fine. As with all other consonant sounds, be careful not to add a vowel sound after it. It should be /yyy/, not /yyyǝ/.

Important Reminders

Be careful not to add a vowel sound after /yyy/.

Count each sound on your fingers as you say a word slowly.

2.4 Story Reading

Purpose and Procedure

This task introduces answering inferential questions about an image.

2.5 Writing

Important Reminders

You should attend to students’ current skills to determine how the students should write:

• ‍What they should write ON: Students may use our printable worksheets, drawing paper, an erasable template, wide-ruled paper, or tri-lined paper.

• ‍What they should write WITH: Students may use crayon rocks, a pencil with a finger-guiding grip, or a regular pencil. For some students, it may be helpful at first to place your hand over theirs to guide them in their writing.

Writing tasks should not take more than one minute. Students’ strengths should determine how many times they trace, connect dots, and write on their own within the minute allotted for this task. Some students may be able to write a many times in that minute. Others may only be able to trace it a couple of times, but they still should not exceed a minute for the entire task.

As in all types of tasks in this curriculum, students must do the task correctly before moving to the next task. But, in Writing tasks, mastery means saying the correct sound, not writing a perfect symbol. Don’t worry if the student isn’t yet able to write smooth lines. It is still worth it for them to do this task. Applaud their effort, and move on.

You should not say letters' names (or even the word letter) during these tasks but should instead emphasize the sound being associated with that symbol.

2.6 Getting to Know the Student