Grade 1 · Lesson 2 — Words you SEE

U0 · Square One · What a word is (2 of 4) · blocked practice · 10–15 min · 17 slides · no Poodle book pages yet — Square One runs on remedial sheets
Anchor to leave them with: One word, one hop.
ObjectiveStudents will use the space to find where one written word ends and the next begins.
Smallest pieceIn writing, a space shows where one word stops and the next starts.
Spot test“Can I say it on its own?”
Why that test works—
Why — in your own wordsWhen we know words well, we can learn other languages too.
MaterialsMini-whiteboard + pen per student · Board or screen for the deck · Board space kept clear for the VIP — it stays up all lesson · Worksheet — Lesson 2 · Deck: G1_L002_… .pptx · If it breaks: Remedial sheet 01, Remedial sheet 02, Remedial sheet 03
Vocabulary — pre-pointedT3: word = one thing we say — and when we write it, it has a space on each side; space = the gap that shows where one word stops and the next one starts
T2: space = the gap
SlidePartOn screen / bookTeacher says Teacher does — point, click, clapStudents
1LaunchGrammar — Day 2(nothing yet — this is on screen as they come in and settle)Have Grammar — Day 2 up before they enter. Say nothing about it; it is doing its work by being there.
Note: Same slide every lesson, number only changes. Students learn to read the room from it — it marks the transition into grammar before you speak.
See it on the way in. Know grammar is next.
2LaunchWords you SEE“Here is where this fits with what we already know.”CONTEXT — say where this sits: what it follows, and what it is part of. One sentence, then move. (Greet the class as you always do; that is not a step.)Listen. Orient.
3LaunchToday — Launch highlighted“Here is our plan.”Point down the five steps.Look.
—Launch(no slide — retrieval)“Yesterday. Clap this with me: The dog ran. How many words?”Clap together. Hold up 3 fingers. 60 seconds, no longer.
Note: SPIRAL — retrieval of Lesson 1. If they cannot do this, stop and reteach with remedial sheet 01; the float absorbs it.
Clap 3. Say “three”.
4LaunchToday we are going to learn how to SEE words on the page.“Today we are going to learn how to see words on the page.”Tap the screen on see.Listen.
—LaunchWhy — say it
ten seconds, off screen, in your own words		“When we know words well, we can learn other languages too.”Why this matters. Say it, do not read it. Ten seconds, then move on. Do not explain it further today.
Note: Your words, not these. This is the one beat of the lesson that should sound like you mean it rather than like it is written down.
Listen.
5LaunchWhat we will do
· Yesterday we HEARD words and clapped them.
· Today we will LOOK at words.
· We will find where one word stops and the next starts.
· The SPACE shows us.		“Yesterday we heard words. Today we will look at them. We will find where one word stops and the next word starts. The space shows us.”Click once per line.Listen.
—Launch(board — write by hand)“Can you read this?” … wait … “Now can you read it? The spaces are doing a job.”Write Thedogran on the board. Let them struggle a moment. Then write The dog ran underneath with clear spaces. Point at each space.
Note: The struggle is the point — it creates the need for the space.
Try to read. Notice the difference.
6I doToday — I do highlighted“Watch me.”Point to I do.Watch.
—I do(board — build the VIP, then leave it up)(you are narrating each stage as you draw it — see the stages)Build on the BOARD, not the slide.
· Write The dog ran with clear spaces
· ① Trace each space, say “space”
· ② Ring each word — start at a space, stop at a space
· ③ Write 3 words
Then leave it up for the whole lesson.
Note: Walk it one click per step — this is the slide the teacher talks through, not one to flash. Leave the BOARD copy up; the slide can move on once they start, because the same strip is printed at the top of their sheet. Come back to it if anyone stalls.
Watch it being built. It stays there to look at.
7I doWatch me
· Point to The dog ran.
· Touch each word: The … dog … ran
· Trace the two spaces: “Space. Space.”
· “Two spaces. Three words.”		“The … dog … ran. Space. Space. Two spaces — three words.”Click per line. Touch the words on the screen with your whole finger, not a pointer.Watch only.
8We doToday — We do highlighted“Together now. Boards out.”Boards out.Boards ready.
9We doBirds sing.
Answer2		“Look. Birds sing. How many words do you see? Write the number.”Leave it on screen. Wait. Boards up on signal. Scan. Click to reveal.Count the words, write the number, boards up.
10We doThe cat sleeps.
Answer3		“Look. The cat sleeps. How many words do you see? Write the number.”Leave it on screen. Wait. Boards up on signal. Scan. Click to reveal.Count the words, write the number, boards up.
11We doI like my school.
Answer4		“Look. I like my school. How many words do you see? Write the number.”Leave it on screen. Wait. Boards up on signal. Scan. Click to reveal.Count the words, write the number, boards up.
12You doToday — You do highlighted
Worksheet — Lesson 2
“On your own.”Hand out the worksheet.Sheet out.
13You doExit directions
Before you start
· Sheet and pencil
· Ring each word first — all of them — then write your numbers
· Wait for “go”.
procedure — given standing still, before anyone moves
Worksheet — Lesson 2
“Before you move. Sheet and pencil. Ring each word first — all of them — then write your numbers. When I say go — and not before.”Exit Directions. Give ALL of it standing still, before anyone touches anything. Then release. Do not add instructions once they are working — that is what the VIP on the board is for.
Note: Given BEFORE the release, in one go. Adding a step mid-task is what produces the hands going up.
Listen with hands still. Then start.
14You doVIP slide
How we did it together
the worked example — one click per step
1. Write The dog ran with clear spaces
2. ① Trace each space, say “space”
3. ② Ring each word — start at a space, stop at a space
4. ③ Write 3 words
Worksheet — items 1–3
“Circle each word. Start at a space, stop at a space. Then write how many.”Model circling item 1 in the air. Then let them work.Circle each word, write the count.
15ClosureToday — Closure highlighted“Boards up one more time.”Point to Closure.Boards ready.
16ClosureMy book is new.
Answer4		“Last one. How many words?”Boards up on signal. Scan. Click to reveal.Write 4. Hold up.
17ClosureThe space shows where a word ends.“The space shows where a word ends. Tomorrow we will make our voice and our finger match.”Collect boards.Repeat the sentence.

If it breaks — stop and repair

Do not move on. Reteach with the sheet named against the error, and let the float absorb it.

Secure looks like: Given a four-word sentence containing ONE multisyllabic word and ONE one-letter word, the child counts it correctly both by ear and on the page, and can answer “how do you know?” with the spot test rather than by guessing.

Common errors

  • Claps syllables instead of words — 'hap-py' gets two claps
    Syllables are more salient to the ear than word boundaries at this age.
    → “That was two claps for ONE word. Long words still get one clap.” Return to Tier A, then reintroduce one Tier D item. Remedial sheet 01
  • Counts the period as a word
    It is a visible mark with a space before the next thing.
    → “Can you SAY that on its own?” The spot test settles it. Remedial sheet 02
  • Slides the finger under the line instead of hopping word to word
    It looks like reading and gets rewarded elsewhere.
    → Model the slide, ask “did that show you the words?”, then hop. Remedial sheet 03
  • Refuses 'I' or 'a' as a word — “it's just a letter”
    Length has become the definition.
    → “Can you say it on its own? Then it is a word.” Lesson 4 exists for this. Remedial sheet 02
  • Counts a long word as two words
    The same length↔word association, in the other direction.
    → One hop, said aloud, while touching it once. Remedial sheet 01

Three tiers

CoreAs written.
Bridge2–3 word items only. Teacher does the first one with the student.
FoundationOne word at a time; student echoes, then one clap. No sentences yet.

Non-verbal cue

Two flat hands held apart = “where is the space?”
Question continuum: “How many claps?” (concrete) → “How do you know that was one word and not two?” (open)
As-Suffah Academy · Language Arts · Grade 1 · Lesson 2 Launch → I do → We do → You do → Closure