Welcome back to Read Not Guess. Today we’re going to work on the letters “B” and "i."
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
Today we’re going to learn the letter "B." It’s pronounced like the beginning of the words “baby” or "ball."
Ask your child to make the “B” sound 3 times as they point to the letters:
b
b
b
Ask your child if they can think of any words that start with the “b” sound. If they need help, the words boy, butter, and basketball all start with the “b” sound.
Have them say the “b” sound 3 more times as they point to the letters:
b
b
b
Now we’re going to learn the letter “i.” For now, we’re going for the soft “ih” sound as in “in” and “big.”
Ask your child to make the “ih” sound 3 times as they point to the letters:
i
i
i
(Note that we're mainly using lowercase letters because most of what your child reads will be in lowercase. The capital “I” is a special case, though, and you could pause and show them what it looks like.)
Ask your child if they can think of any words that have the “ih” sound in them. If they need help, the words it, itch, and igloo all start with the “ih” sound.
Have them say the “ih” sound 3 more times as they point to the letters:
i
i
i
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:
i t
it
And:
b i t
b i t
bit
Keep practicing until they can say the word "bit" clearly and cleanly. If they are still pronouncing it as "buh-ih-tuh," point out their mistake and have them do it again.
Now:
i n
in
And:
b i n
b i n
bin
Let's do a few more:
b u g
b ug
bug
And:
r i p
r i p
rip
And:
t r i p
tr i p
trip
Silly Sentence Challenge
If you think your child is ready, see if they can read this sentence:
Splat. A car hit a rat on its butt.
If they read it smoothly, great! If they stumble, have them re-read it another time or two to get it right.
That’s it for today. We’ll see you next time.