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Lesson 30

y /y/

The grapheme Y spells /y/

At this point, Y is only being introduced as the initial /y/ sound. The letter Y can also represent the /ī/ sound as in my or the /ē/ sound as in puppy (Lessons 73 and 74). When Y follows a vowel, it forms the vowel teams AY and EY or the diphthong OY. These concepts are introduced in Lessons 84, 85, and 95.

Today's plan

about 15 min
  1. Step 1Warm up our ears (blend & segment)2 min
  2. Steps 2 & 3Look & Say / Listen & Spell4 min
  3. Step 4Blending drill3 min
  4. Step 5New concept + read/spell6 min
Step 1

Warm Up Our Ears

Say the sounds; students blend them into a word. Then say a word; students break it apart.

Blend it (teacher says sounds → you say word)

/y/ · /ĕ/ · /t/yet
/y/ · /ĕ/ · /s/yes
/y/ · /ă/ · /k/ · /s/yaks
/y/ · /ĕ/ · /l/ · /p/yelp

Break it (I say word → you say sounds)

Steps 2 & 3

Flashcard Drills

Full-screen cards for the class. Tap a card to check the answer, or press Hear the words to hear the example words read aloud.

Step 4

Blending Drill

Change one part at a time and read the new word.

→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→

Initial

j r w

Middle

a

e

i

o

u

Final

b t lt s

nt pt st

+

Step 5

New Concept

Today we learn the letter Y and the sound /y/ like in yellow.

Highlighted words are the ones to show and practice reading — tap one to hear it.

This is the letter Y. Y is a consonant. Y spells /y/ like in the beginning of the word . The /y/ sound for the letter Y can come at the beginning of a word, such as the words and .

Letter formation: Y

Review Y: Start at the top. Slant line down to the middle. Hop back to the top and over (to the right). Slant line down to the middle. Straight line down to the bottom.

Letter formation: y

Introduce y: Begin at the middle line. Start at the top. Slant short line down to the bottom. Hop to the top and over (to the right). Slant longer line down below the line.

How our mouth moves

To make the /y/ sound, stretch your lips into a tight smile like this...(model). Raise your tongue up to touch the roof of your mouth, and turn your voice on. The /y/ sound is a continuous sound that can be stretched out (use continuous hand motion). Watch me /yyy/. You try /yyy/. Be sure students do not add a schwa sound (i.e., /y/ not /yuh/). It should almost be /ye/, but tighter. If students struggle to make the /y/ sound, have them say "yes" but hold out the first sound.

Sound wall

Add grapheme card 'y' to the consonant grid under the /y/ picture card.

Open the digital sound wall →