At The Lake - Tip Sheet

An image of the cover of the book "At The Lake" showing the view of a cottage on the shore of a lake, surrounded by a pine forest

- IT IS ESSENTIAL TO PRE-TEACH THE CONCEPTS INTRODUCED IN EACH BOOK PRIOR TO READING! -

At the Lake - Teacher Tip Sheet

Purple Series - Book 9 - At the Lake

Grapheme/Phoneme Correspondence

Tips and Activities to Try

Introduced in This Book

  • consonant digraph <kn>/n/

Previously Introduced

Vowels

  • all short vowels, <u>/o͝͝o/
  • <o>/ō/, <e>/ē/, <y>/ī/, <ee>/ē/, <ay>/ā/, <ai>/ā/, <y>/ē/, <a-e>/ā/, <i-e>/ī/, <o-e>/ō/, <u-e>/yū/, <u-e>/o̅o̅/, <e-e>/ē/

Consonants

  • all single consonants and clusters
  • <ng>/ng/, <nk>/nk/
  • <s>/s/ and /z/, <c>/s/, <g>/j/

Digraphs/Trigraphs

  • <th>/TH/ voiced, <th>/th/ unvoiced, <ck>/k/, <ff>/f/, <zz>/z/, <ss>/s/, <ll>/l/, <sh>/sh/, <ch>/ch/, <qu>/kw/, <-tch>/ch/, <-dge>/j/, <wh>/wh/, <wr>/r/

Additional Concepts

  • <al> (<a> as short /ŏ/ before <l>)
  • <wa> (<a> as short /ŏ/ after <w>)
  • <er>/er/, <or>/or/

Key Concepts to Understand

  • <kn> is a digraph, and students should understand <kn> as one unit (therefore one tap when spelling, one Elkonin box, etc.)
  • the <k> in <kn> used to be pronounced (in Old and Middle English)
  • <kn> words are often “sticking out” (knob, knee) or “pinching” (knead, knot) words

Words for Reading and Writing

Here is a list of words that can be used for phonemic awareness activities, reading, dictation, games cards, etc.:

  • knee, knit, knob, knot, knack, knave, kneel, knife, knock (you may also want to include suffixes with your words)

Morphology

Tips and Activities to Try

Introduced in This Book

  • prefix <un-> - gives a sense of reversal, removal or deprivation

Previously Introduced

  • suffix <-s> third person singular, plural, and possessive
  • suffix <-ing> as present participle
  • suffix <-ed> as past tense of a verb
  • compound words
  • suffix <-y>
  • suffix <-er> as comparative/as agent
  • suffix <-es> as plural
  • suffix <-ful>
  • suffix <-est> as superlative
  • suffix <-ly>

Key Concepts to Understand

  • prefixes can intensify, shift or nudge a base’s meaning
  • <un-> can give a sense of reversal, removal or deprivation

Note: prefixes can have more than one “sense” so ensure that you avoid absolute language such as, “<un-> means remove.”

Here are phrases that can be used for reading and/or dictation practice. These phrases can be combined to create sentences. A good opportunity arises to address syntax if the resulting sentence is not grammatically correct.

Noun Phrase

Verb Phrase

Prepositional Phrase

the bravest duke

knitted a fluffy hat

on the unpaved path

her tired wrists

kneels to unknot the laces

by the wren’s nest

the unkind knave

knocked on the gate

beside the long fence

the unsafe kid

unpacked the knife

by the knob on the stove

 

You can differentiate for your students by dropping some of the words in these phases (e.g., “unknowingly knocked on the gate” can just be “knocked”).

Comprehension Corner - At the Lake

Vocabulary Development

  • The author says, “It is unlike their home in the city, and it is a fun place to unwind.” What does unwind mean in this sentence? What is another word for unwind?
  • What does knack mean?

Making Connections

  • Have you ever been to a place on a lake?
  • Which activities would you like to do if you visited a place on a lake?
  • What else can be unlit?

Inferencing

  • What type of days does the fire stay unlit? Why?
  • Do you think fires are safe at the lake? Why?

Retelling/Summarizing

  • What does the family like to do on chilly days?
  • What do they do on hot days?
  • What is your favourite page in this book?

 

Tip Sheet written by Shari Kudsia and Helen Maclean - April 2023 - ©SyllaSense Inc.