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?