Point with a sharpened pencil to each of the large black letters listed across the top of the page: A a, M m, T t, and B b. Ask your student to say each letter’s sound: a says |ă|; m says |m| (not |ŭmŭh|); t says |t| (not |tŭh|); and b says |b| (not |bŭŭŭh|). The letter b has a clipped-off sound. References: Sound Chart, List of 48 Sounds, and Pronunciation Guide.

At Roman numeral I, point to the left side of the first word: am. Ask your student to read this word out loud. Discuss the meaning of am (am is a word that indicates existence) and give an example of this word in a sentence. “I am reading with you.” Next, have your student read the second word at and also discuss its meaning (at is a location word). Example: “I am at school.” Relax and take your time. Your student must train his brain and eyes to recognize letters, a process which accomplished readers tend to take for granted. Allow time for practicing until your student reads each word without hesitation. After your student has successfully read both words in Roman numeral I, mark the Pre-Unit Completion Chart with a 100 beside Roman numeral I, in the column marked R (R is for reading). Teen and adult students usually do not need to have a completion chart until Lesson 1.

Next, say (call out) each word in Roman numeral I and have your student spell it on notebook paper. Use the words in sentences. Allow time for your student to think about how to write the words. [You might ask, “What letter makes the first sound you hear in at?” (|ă| . . . a). “What letter makes the second sound you hear?” (|t| . . . t). After your student has correctly spelled both words, mark the completion chart with a 100 beside the S (S is for spelling).