Welcome back to Read Not Guess. Today we’re going to work on the “qu” sound.
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.
Let’s get started.
Today’s Letter Sound
Today we’re going to learn the “qu” sound. We’re going for a “kw” sound like at the beginning of the words “quick” or “quit.”
Note that both of these start with “qu.” That’s how we’re going to learn it as well. Although there are rare exceptions, the letter “q” is typically followed by a “u,” so we’re going to group it together as “qu.”
Ask your child to make the “qu” sound 3 times as they point to the letters:
qu
qu
qu
Ask your child if they can think of any words that have the “qu” sound. If they need help, the words quiz, quick, and quack all have the “qu” sound.
Have them say the “qu” sound 3 more times as they point to the letters:
qu
qu
qu
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:
qu i t
qu it
quit
And:
qu i z
qu iz
quiz
A couple more:
qu i ll
qu ill
quill
And:
qu i ck
qu i ck
quick
Did they get it right? If they're still reading it as "kwuh-ih-cuh" by the end of the sequence, have them do it faster until they are blending the word "quick" correctly and without any extra sounds.
Silly Sentences
If you think your child is ready, see if they can read these:
Quick! Get in the back!
"Quack, quack," went the duck.
A squid is not a pet.
If they read it smoothly, great! If they stumble, have them sound it out another time or two to get it right.
That’s it for today. We’ll see you next time.