# Lesson 41: Understanding letter sounds

📖 READING (40 Lessons) • 🟢 A. Sounds and Words

← Back to Level 1

## Objective

Hear and say common letter sounds, match each sound to its letter, and read simple sentences smoothly using what you know about sounds.

## Materials

- Your child’s attention and a quiet space to listen to sounds 😊
- The Sound Pad (bottom right corner) to hear every letter and digraph sound

## Letter & Sound Pad

Tap any button to hear its sound.

### Short vowels

### Long vowels

### Consonant sounds

### Digraphs

## Mini-lesson — Letter sounds (phonics)

Every letter has a name and a sound.

When we read, we listen for the sound and match it to the letter. Today we will practice listening to sounds and finding the right letters.

Listen to these consonant sounds:

- The letter m says
  like in mop.
- The letter s says
  like in sun.
- The letter t says
  like in top.

Now listen to the short vowel sounds:

- a says
  like in cat.
- e says
  like in bed.
- i says
  like in sit.
- o says
  like in hot.
- u says
  like in sun.

When we learn letter sounds, we listen first. Each sound helps us figure out what letter we see in a word.

As you explore the sounds today, tap the sound buttons to hear how each letter begins. Notice how your mouth feels, what the sound starts with, and how it changes the word.

Hearing sounds clearly is the first step to reading words in the mini-book.

Picture: A child on a sound walk finding letters that match sounds.

## Guided Practice — Read the letter-sound mini-book

Step 1: Practice the letter sounds.

Look at each letter on the pad. Say the sound you think it makes. Then tap the button to check if you matched the sound.

Step 2: Read the mini-book.

Read the sentences in the mini-book. Try to notice letters and the sounds they start with. Read each page smoothly, like a real reader.

### Letter–Sound Pad

#### Vowel sounds

#### Consonant sounds

### Mini-Book: My sound walk

1

I see the sun.

The sun is on me.

2

I see a map.

The map is in my bag.

3

I see a net.

The net is on the sand.

4

I see a pen.

The pen is in my hand.

## Reading Practice — Listen and choose the letter

Tap the sound button. Listen carefully. Then drag the correct letter into the box. When you are done, press “Check answers”.

Tap to listen:
s m t
Tap to listen:
p s m
Tap to listen:
t n p
Tap to listen:
i a e
Tap to listen:
o u a
Tap to listen:
m t n
Tap to listen:
i e a
Tap to listen:
o u a
Tap to listen:
t m p
Tap to listen:
e i o

## Quick Check (5 questions)

#### What is a letter sound?

The sound a letter makes when we read A picture on the page The number of the page

#### Why is it helpful to listen for the first sound in a word?

So we can skip the word quickly It helps us think of the letter that matches the sound It only helps us find the page number

#### Which is a good way to practice letter sounds?

Tap the sound buttons and say the sound back Ignore the sounds and only look at pictures Close the book and guess the words

#### When you read the mini-book “My sound walk”, how do letter sounds help you?

They tell you what the page number is They only help you look at the pictures They help you figure out the words as you read

#### How will knowing letter sounds help you in later reading lessons?

It will help you sound out and read new words It will only help you color the pictures It will stop you from reading new books

## Assessment (parent/teacher)

Hears and repeats the consonant sounds m, s, t, n, and p Identifies the short vowel sounds a, e, i, o, and u when heard Matches a played sound to the correct letter (e.g., hears /m/ → chooses m) Uses letter sounds to help read simple words in the mini-book

## Exit ticket (student)

😀 I can hear sounds and pick the right letters 🙂 I can do some of the sounds but need more practice 😅 Some sounds still feel tricky

#### I will practice…

Listening for the first sound in a word Tapping the sound buttons and saying the sound back Matching sounds to letters in the sound pad
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