The Letters "A" and "T"

Welcome back to Read Not Guess. Today we’re going to work on the letters “A” and “T.”

Remember that we’re going to focus on the sounds the letters make. Both parent and child will need to be able to see the screen.

Ok, let’s get started.

Today’s Letter Sounds

First we’re going to learn the letter A. For now, we’re going to focus on the sound at the start of the word “apple.”

Ask your child to make the A as in "apple" sound 3 times as they point to the letters:

a a a

Ask your child if they can think of any words that have the same “a” sound. If they need help, the words alligator, ant, and ambulance all start with the “a” sound.

Have them say the “a” sound 3 more times as they point to the letters:

a a a

Now we’re going to learn the letter "T." Like with the "p" sound, try to say the "t" sound with just a quick puff of air.

Make the “t” sound quickly, as in "tiger" or "cat."

Ask your child to make a short “t” sound 3 times as they point to the letters:

t t t

Ask your child if they can think of any words with the “t" sound. If they need help, the words toy, table, and train all start with the “t” sound.

Have them say the short “t” sound 3 more times as they point to the letters:

t t t

Word Practice

Now we’re going to work on “blending” letter sounds into words. Your child can start slowly by saying each sound individually, but each time, they should try to say it just a bit faster.

Ask your child to say the correct sounds as they point to the letters:

a t a t at

By the end, make sure your child is reading the word "at" (and not extending it to "ah-tuh"). Let’s do a few more:

p a t p at pat

And:

t u t t ut tut

And:

t a p t ap tap

By the end, check to make sure your child is reading the word as "tap." If they're still going slowly over each syllable (or saying "tuh-aaa-puh"), have them keep practicing until they can read it cleanly and correctly.

Overnight Rhyming Challenge

Rhyming is an important skill for people who are learning to read. It helps them hear the individual sounds in words.

Challenge your child to think of as many words as they can that rhyme with “at.” Give them a high five or fist pound for every word they come up with.

(Made-up words like “dat” are ok at this point, but gently correct them if they say something that is not a rhyme, like “cap.” Say both the correct and incorrect words slowly and clearly so they can hear the difference.)

If they need help, the words bat, flat, and rat all rhyme with “at.”

That’s it for today. We’ll see you next time.

P.S. This lesson pairs well with actress Angela Bassett reading Trombone Shorty at Storyline Online.