Gather the materials
- M/m and S/s cards
- Pictures or drawings of moon, map, sun and sock
- Known a and t letter cards for an optional word-building step
Choose large materials and supervise their use. Adjust quantity, print size, response method and pace to the learner. A partner may move or record while the learner points or explains.
Teach the sequence
3 minutes
Listen without print
Name moon and map and sustain /m/ briefly. Say sun as a contrast. Ask which begins like moon before showing any letters. Explain unfamiliar picture words instead of treating vocabulary as a sound error.
4 minutes
Connect sound and print
Show m and s. Model ‘I hear /m/ at the start of map, and here is m.’ Have the learner select for sun, map and sock in a changed order. Keep the letter name and its sound distinct.
4 minutes
Build only with known correspondences
If m, a and t are familiar, model their sounds and blend mat. Replace m with s to form sat, saying what changed. If that is not yet accessible, stay with the two listening choices instead.
2 minutes
Return to meaning
Read a short suitable sentence or book passage together. Find one practiced letter, then talk about the text’s meaning. The isolated task is one part of reading, not the complete reading session.
Adapt the same idea
Provide more support
Reduce the word set, model each choice and use a consistent spoken variety of English. Allow a pointed answer and adult reading. Do not score speech clarity as letter knowledge or use unknown letter patterns in the blending step.
Extend when ready
Let the learner substitute a familiar beginning to make another real word, explain the change and read it in a meaningful phrase. Keep new spellings explicitly taught rather than guessed from pictures.
What to observe
- Can the learner identify the sound before seeing print?
- Can they connect that sound with a known letter in a new arrangement?
- During blending, are all letter–sound correspondences already familiar?
Use these observations to decide what to model next. A brief note about a strategy or a misconception is more useful than simply recording a score.
Home follow-up
Say two familiar words while tidying up and listen for a shared beginning. Later find its written letter in a book the adult reads.