Start with the activity Mr. Johnson recommends. These are selected practice activities—not a complete sequence of lessons.
There are two ways to practice here:
Practice Reading Words: Use a decodable passage that matches spelling patterns your child has already learned. Start with the passage or skill recommended by Mr. Johnson.
Read & Think: Enjoy a story or informational text, discuss its meaning, and answer questions. If reading the words is too difficult, an adult can read aloud or share the reading.
Grade labels are starting points—not a guarantee that a text matches your child’s reading skills. Contact Mr. Johnson if you need help selecting practice.
Unit 2 Practice: Short-Vowel Words
Skill focus: Blend three sounds to read short-vowel words.
For families: Use this after your child has learned the letter sounds in these words. Help with the directions and questions.
Warm up
Read each word. Blend the sounds if needed.
cat • mat • sun • hot • rug • nap
Familiar words to review: a • the • his • is
Read the story
A Nap
Sam has a cat.
His cat is on a mat.
The mat is in the sun.
The cat is hot.
Sam gets the mat.
Sam puts the mat on a rug.
The rug is not in the sun.
His cat gets on the mat.
Sam pats his cat.
His cat has a nap.
Read and think
• Where is the mat at the beginning?
• Why does Sam move the mat?
• What does the cat do at the end?
• How does Sam help his cat? Find a part of the story that supports your answer.
Look closely at words
Read cat and mat. Which sound changes?
Read hot and not. Which sound changes?
Say sun. Say its three sounds. Then blend them together again.
Finish with a reread
Read the story again. Keep your eyes on the words and read carefully.
Retell what happens at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end.
Original supplemental practice. Not an official Wilson Language Training resource.
• The mat starts in the sun.
• Sam moves it because his cat is hot.
• The cat takes a nap.
• Sam helps by moving the mat out of the sun. He also gently pats his cat.
Word work:
cat → mat: The first sound changes from /k/ to /m/.
hot → not: The first sound changes from /h/ to /n/.
sun: /s/ /ŭ/ /n/.
Accept answers in the child’s own words when they match the story. If identifying the words takes substantial effort, read the story aloud afterward so your child can also discuss its meaning.
Unit 4 Review: Read the Base Word and Its Ending
Skill focus: Short-vowel words with suffixes -s and -es.
For families: Use this activity after your child has practiced these endings with the teacher. Read the directions and questions aloud if needed.
Warm up
Read the base word, then the whole word with its ending.
pack → packs
cup → cups
box → boxes
check → checks
fit → fits
Read the story
The Red Box
Ben packs six cups in a red box.
He puts a lid on the box.
The lid will not fit.
Ben checks the cups.
The cups will not fit in this box.
Ben gets a big box.
He puts the six cups in it.
Then he checks the lid.
It fits!
Ben grins.
He puts both boxes on the desk.
Read and think
• What does Ben put in the red box?
• What problem does Ben have?
• How does Ben fix the problem?
• Why do you think Ben grins? Tell which part of the story helped you decide.
Look closely at words
Find packs, cups, checks, fits, and boxes in the story.
Read each whole word. Then identify its base word and ending.
What does the ending in cups tell us?
Say box and boxes. What changes when you add -es?
Finish with a reread
Reread the story accurately and with natural phrasing. This is not a speed race.
Tell the story in your own words: first, next, and last.
Original supplemental practice. Not an official Wilson Language Training resource.
• Ben packs six cups.
• The red box is too small to hold the cups with the lid fitting.
• Ben moves the cups into a bigger box.
• Ben likely grins because he solved the problem. The text says the lid fits just before he grins.
Word work:
packs = pack + s
cups = cup + s
checks = check + s
fits = fit + s
boxes = box + es
The -s in cups means more than one cup. Boxes has an additional spoken syllable compared with box.
Accept answers in the child’s own words when they match the story.
Cumulative Review: Base Words and Suffixes
Skill focus: Read words with -ing and -ed added without changing the base word’s spelling.
For families: This reviews previously taught skills. Use it when recommended by Mr. Johnson. Help with the directions and questions.
Warm up
Read the base word, then the whole word.
camp → camping
rest → resting
pack → packed
help → helped
check → checked
Notice: The base word’s spelling stays the same in these examples.
Read the story
The Tent Check
Ben and Jess went camping with the club.
Ben packed the tent. Jess packed the pegs and a rope.
At camp, they started setting up the tent. One side kept falling.
“Let’s check the pegs,” Jess said.
Ben checked each peg. One was resting on a rock, not deep in the dirt.
Jess held the tent. Ben moved the peg and pressed it into the dirt.
The tent stayed up.
“We both helped,” Ben said.
Then they sat in the tent and rested.
Read and think
• What problem do Ben and Jess have?
• What causes the problem?
• How do they solve it?
• Why does Ben say, “We both helped”? Explain what each person does.
Look closely at words
Find camping, packed, checked, and rested.
Identify each base word and suffix.
Read packed, helped, checked, and rested aloud. Does the -ed ending sound the same in all four words?
Finish with a reread
Read with accurate words and natural phrasing.
Retell the problem, its cause, and the solution.
Parent check
• One side of the tent keeps falling.
• One peg is resting on a rock instead of being deep in the dirt.
• Jess holds the tent while Ben moves the peg and presses it into the dirt.
• Both contribute: Jess supports the tent, and Ben fixes the peg.
Word work:
camp + ing
pack + ed
check + ed
rest + ed
The -ed ending sounds like /t/ in packed, helped, and checked. In rested, it adds a spoken syllable.
Original supplemental practice. Not an official Wilson Language Training resource.
Practice: Two-Syllable Closed Words
Skill focus: Read each syllable, then combine the syllables into a whole word.
For families: Use this after Mr. Johnson has assigned closed-syllable practice. Help with the directions and questions. Review the familiar words he, my, was, said, and the before reading.
Warm up
Read the syllables, then read the whole word naturally.
back / pack → backpack
lunch / box → lunchbox
nap / kin → napkin
pic / nic → picnic
can / not → cannot
Read the story
The Missing Lunchbox
Sam and Ben sit on a bench at the picnic.
Sam checks his backpack. He cannot find his lunchbox.
“It was in my backpack,” Sam said.
Ben checks next to the bench. Sam checks his jacket. Still, no lunchbox.
Then Ben spots a red strap at the end of the bench.
Sam lifts his backpack. His lunchbox is tucked behind it.
Sam grins. He gets his lunchbox and a napkin.
Ben has a sandwich. Sam has an egg.
At last, both can finish lunch.
Read and think
• What problem does Sam have?
• Where do Sam and Ben check?
• What clue helps them find the lunchbox?
• Was the lunchbox inside the backpack when they found it? Find the words that support your answer.
• What would be another suitable title for this story? Explain your choice.
Look closely at words
Find backpack, lunchbox, napkin, picnic, and cannot.
Read each whole word. Then identify its two syllables.
Back
• Sam cannot find his lunchbox.
• Ben checks next to the bench. Sam checks his jacket.
• Ben spots a red strap.
• No. The story says the lunchbox is “tucked behind” the backpack.
• Accept another title that fits the story, such as “The Lunchbox Search,” with a sensible explanation.
Word work:
back / pack
lunch / box
nap / kin
pic / nic
can / not
Each syllable contains a single vowel followed by one or more consonants. In these words, the vowels represent short-vowel sounds.
A backpack is a pack carried on the back. A lunchbox is a box or container for lunch.
Accept answers in the child’s own words when they match the text.
Read independently, share the reading, or ask an adult to read aloud. The goal is to understand the story and explain your thinking.
Before reading: What can make joining a group difficult?
Maya carried her lunch tray toward the table near the window. Three classmates were talking about the bridge they planned to build during science.
“We need someone to draw the design,” Oliver said.
Maya slowed down. She loved drawing. Yesterday, she had filled two notebook pages with pictures of bridges.
There was an empty chair beside Oliver, but a backpack rested on it.
Maya waited for someone to look up. Nobody did.
She turned toward another table.
“Are you sitting here?” Oliver called.
Maya glanced at the backpack. “I thought that seat was taken.”
Oliver pulled the backpack onto his lap. “No. I just put my stuff there.”
Maya sat down, but she kept her notebook inside her bag.
“We still need a design,” Oliver said. “Does anyone have an idea?”
Maya opened her notebook halfway. Then she closed it.
Oliver noticed. “What were you going to show us?”
Maya slid the notebook across the table.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Oliver pointed to a drawing. “Could we try this one?”
Maya pulled her chair closer.
Why does Maya initially think she cannot sit at the table?
What does the reader know about Maya that her classmates do not know at first?
Why might Maya open her notebook and then close it? Use a detail from the story to support your thinking.
What does Oliver do that helps Maya join the conversation?
At the end, Maya pulls her chair closer. What might this action suggest about how she feels?
What message could a reader take from this story? Explain how an event supports your answer.
The story says Maya “glanced” at the backpack. Does glanced suggest a quick look or a long, careful examination? What other word could fit there?
Choose one:
• Retell the story, including Maya’s problem and how the situation changes.
• Write two or three sentences explaining how Oliver helps Maya feel included.
• Describe something the group could do next to make sure everyone contributes.
Original supplemental reading practice.
Suggested answers
A backpack is on the empty chair, so Maya thinks someone is saving the seat.
Maya loves drawing and has already drawn bridges. Her classmates do not initially know she could help with the design.
She may feel nervous, uncertain, or hesitant about sharing. She previously waited without anyone looking up, and she keeps her notebook hidden after sitting down. Accept other reasonable explanations supported by the story.
Oliver moves the backpack, invites Maya to explain what she was going to show, and asks whether the group can try her design.
She may feel more comfortable, interested, or included. Her movement suggests she is becoming more involved. The story does not directly state her feelings.
Possible messages include: inviting someone to contribute can help them feel included; people may have useful ideas even when they are quiet; or small actions can make a difference. Ask the child to connect the message to a specific event.
Vocabulary
Glanced means looked briefly or quickly. “Looked quickly” could replace it.
How to help
Ask, “What in the story makes you think that?”
Accept different interpretations when your child can support them. If writing is difficult, let your child answer aloud. Reading the story to your child is appropriate when the goal is understanding rather than independent decoding, or sounding out.