Lesson One

• Review appropriate sections in the binder.
• Read: Set 5, Book 8 (“The King”) pp. 1-5

Lesson Two

• Introduce words: music, does
• Review appropriate sections in the binder.
• Read: Set 5, Book 8 (“The King”) pp. 6-10

With music, they have already learned the sounds within the word, but may not sound it out correctly in the beginning, A little prep work–helping them sound it out before actually reading it in the book–will go a long ways and only takes a moment.

In regard to the word does, well…there really isn’t a more frustrating word. My lesson usually goes something like this:

Me: I give you a chore, so I tell you to do it. Do you do it?
Child: Yes! I do it! ← encourage them to actually use the word do if they don’t do it on their own
Me: Okay. And then I go and give another chore to someone else–to your sister. And your sister…does she do it?
Child: Yes! She does it!
Me: Okay. Would we ever say that she doooooz it?
Child: No!

From here, then, I get out the paper and write do → does. We don’t say doooooz. We don’t know why. Go goes but do does and we don’t know why.

By the way, lessons like these are actually early grammar lessons. I’m not one to begin formal grammar very early, but grammar must be begun in the earlier ages from this type of oral teaching. I’m not saying we should correct every misspeak of every child, but taking the time to help children speak correctly (in a grammatical sense) will help them in their reading, and vice versa.

Lesson Three

• Review appropriate sections in the binder.
• Read: Set 5, Book 8 (“The King”) pp. 11-13

Lesson Four

• Introduce new sound: silent-w
• Review appropriate sections in the binder.
• Read: Set 5, Book 8 (“The King”) pp. 14-17

Click here for tips on teaching the silent-w sound.

Lesson Five

• Introduce new blend: alk
• Review appropriate sections in the binder.
• Read:  Book 8 (“The King”) pp. 18-ff

Click here for tips on teaching the alk blend. 

Lesson Six

• Review appropriate sections in the binder.
• Read: Set 5, Book 8 (“The King”) pp. 1-5

Lesson Seven

• Review appropriate sections in the binder.
• Read: Set 5, Book 8 (“The King”) pp. 6-13

Lesson Eight

• Review appropriate sections in the binder.
• Read: Set 5, Book 8 (“The King”) pp. 14-18

Lesson Nine

• Review appropriate sections in the binder.
• Read: Set 5, Book 8 (“The King”) pp. 19-20

So. Did we really take nine lessons to finish this little, tiny book?

Why, yes. Yes we did.

If a child can only handle four pages, they can only handle four pages. Giving them five when they can only handle four will only discourage them.

But the converse is also true: giving them four when they are ready for and need ten is also a disservice.

The lesson in this is to learn to read your students.