Reading Adventure #1	Reading Adventure #2

LESSON PLAN: Reading Adventure #1

Overview

Verbal Interplay

Supporting Your Child's Reading

First Steps Online: Exploring The Reading Game Interface

Using The Report Card

Overview

The first Reading Adventure has 19 challenges. Besides Ducky, you will meet a number of playful characters -- animals, people, and objects -- which will help the young reader associate words with their meanings in sentences.

New Skills

• Exploring the screen
• Using the mouse to click on an answer box.

• Answer yes/no questions.
• Choose the word or phrase to complete a sentence.
• Choose a letter to complete a word.

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Verbal Interplay

Verbal Play is a talking game in which you ask questions that can be answered with yes or no. ("Is your name ___ ?" "Is this a book?" "Am I [your name or relationship].")

Continue with a visual game for yes and no. Print the words yes and no and have your child point to the word that answers the questions. (Or use the sight words yes and no from the Montessori Home Reading Advantage.)

You might want to give your child a preview of what he or she will be reading about in Lesson 1.
Name
Point to this picture of an ant. Name the ant by saying, "This is an ant."
Show
Point to these pictures of an ant and a man. Ask your child to show the ant by saying, "Show me the ant."
Recall
Point to the ant. Ask your child to recall the ant by asking, "What is this?"
Repeat
Repeat this name-show-recall approach using pictures of the ant and the mat.

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Supporting Your Child's Reading

Letters and Sounds:

Help your child associate letters with the sounds they represent in the words they are learning in Lesson 1.

Provide individual letter cards (or use the plastic letters from the Montessori Home Reading Advantage) for these letters: a, m, n, t.

Lay the letters on a mat or other clearly designated plain surface.

1. Choose the letter a and say "aaa" in a whisper as you place it on the mat. Then ask your child to say the sound.
2. Choose the letter n and add it to the right of the a while saying "nnn" in a whisper. Ask your child to say the sound.
3. Choose the letter t and add it to an while saying "ttt" in a whisper. Ask your child to say the sound.
4. Say the word ant slowly, emphasizing each letter sound.
5. Use the same procedure for a, m ("aaa" and "mmm"). Say the word am slowly, emphasizing each letter sound.
6. Ask your child to give the sound of each of the letters on the mat while saying the sound.

Words:

Help your child practice blending sounds together to make words.

Use the same letter cards for a, m, n, t.

1. Choose the letters a, n, t and place them on the mat. Say the whole word, ant, emphasizing the individual sounds in a smoothly blended way.
2. Ask your child to do the same thing.
3. Use the same approach to make the words am, an, man, and mat.
4. Form pairs of the words (ant, am, an, man, mat) and ask your child to choose the one you say.
5. Invite the child to make words by combining the letters.
6. Play a game of "Am I" by forming man, mat, or ant and asking, "Am I (a man, an ant, a mat)?" Invite your child to do the same.
7. Play a game of "I am" by beginning with "I am" and adding man, mat, or ant. Ask your child to form the word that matches the word you used. Then invite your child to begin "I am" and ask you to make the word.

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First Steps Online: Exploring The Interface

1. Explore the log-on screen by helping your child identify Ducky LaT and look at the other parts of the screen.
2. Help the child sign on. You might need to type in the child's name.
3. You may also take some time to explore the stop and go lights. The child may move the cursor to the lights.
   
4. Encourage the child to find out that the bell rings when the cursor is placed on it.
5. Let Ducky direct the lesson screens. Provide help as needed, but allow your child to follow the directions independently.

Ducky Will Help

Ducky will read the first few Screen Questions for you. Later, you should help your child do this. You will see that at first a child will need a lot of attention, help, patience, and prompting.

Later, when they begin to understand, children will do more and more on their own, until you hardly need to be there.

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Using the Report Card

You may wish to review the number of correct responses your child made. The report card is intended to help you and the student observe success.

You can also observe any particular problems and work with your child to understand the reasons for incorrect responses. Some incorrect responses might be a result of clicking on the wrong answer by mistake. Or, they might show a lack of understanding of the task.

If there are several errors, it could be helpful for the child to repeat the lesson or for you to review the skills by using the activities above.

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