The Letter Sounds

Lesson 1, Level 1: Building Blocks of Reading

Part 1: Understanding Letter Sounds

Learning the sounds that letters make is the most important first step in learning to read! When you know the sound of each letter, you can put those sounds together to read words. It's like learning the individual notes before you can play a song. Without knowing the sounds, reading would be very difficult, almost like trying to understand a secret code without the key.

Consonant Sounds

Consonant sounds are made when the airflow from your mouth is blocked or partially blocked by your tongue, teeth, or lips. Think about the sound of 'b' (your lips close), 'd' (your tongue touches the roof of your mouth), or 'f' (your teeth touch your lower lip). These sounds are often sharp, short, or require a specific mouth shape. Most letters in the alphabet are consonants!

Vowel Sounds

Vowel sounds are made when the airflow from your mouth is open and unobstructed. The letters 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u' are the vowels. Sometimes 'y' can also act as a vowel. Vowel sounds are the "glue" that holds words together. Every syllable in every word has at least one vowel sound. They can be short (like the 'a' in 'cat') or long (like the 'a' in 'cake'). In this lesson, we will focus on short vowel sounds.

Part 2: Short Vowel Words to Study and Remember

Here are some common short vowel words. Practice saying them aloud!

cat
dog
hen
pig
sun
bed
cup
fox
sit
run
map
red
fin
nut
top

Part 3: Short Sentences Using Short Vowel Words

Read these sentences aloud to practice using the words you've learned.

Part 4: Exercises

Test your understanding with these exercises!

  1. Say it aloud: Practice saying each short vowel word from Part 2 five times.
  2. Identify the vowel: In the word "cat", what is the vowel letter? What sound does it make?
  3. Fill in the blank: The dog is on the ____. (Hint: a short vowel word from the list)
  4. True or False: All words have at least one consonant sound.
  5. Match the sound: Which word rhymes with "hen"? (bed, cup, sun)
  6. Circle the short vowel words: (apple, pig, tree, run, book)
  7. Create a sentence: Use the word "sun" in a new short sentence.
  8. Consonant or Vowel? Is 'p' a consonant or a vowel?
  9. Read and draw: Read the sentence "The pig is on the map." Draw a picture of it.
  10. Find the odd one out: Which word does not have a short 'a' sound? (cat, map, car)

Part 5: Vocabulary to Remember

Here are some important terms from this lesson: