Home Early Learning Play School (HELPS) 1

Introducing TGM's new video series, Home Early Learning Play School (HELPS)! See the first HELPS-1 here: http://youtu.be/phy45H-7lw4

Hello! Welcome to Grandma Godfrey’s Home Early Learning Play School, or HELPS for short. This is Spy Mission 1.

Can you help me? The international spy, Cody Breaker, has asked for our help to break the code of these squiggly lines he found.

They’re all over the place! Who knows what they mean? Look at this strange one -

SHOW k

And this -

SHOW w

And this -

SHOW q and u.

Your Spy Mission, my little spy, is to discover what the squiggly lines mean. Are they pictures? Sounds? Which squiggly lines mean which sounds?

Oh, look! I found some Spy Tools we can use to start deciphering the secret code!

The first secret is that these squiggles are called – what? – letters.

Here is a – what? – kite. Yes, kite! Kite starts with the sound “k”, so this letter must say “k”.

Oh, look! Here’s another one! This is – what? – water, wavy water. Water starts with the sound “w”, so this letter must say “w”.

Here’s the trick: the famous spy, Cody Breaker, does NOT want the names of these letters; he wants to know their sounds.

Can you remember the sounds, my little spy? Sure you can! You are so smart, and Grandma Godfrey is very proud of you!

Look! Here is a – what? – bat & baseball. Bat & baseball both start with the sound “b”, so this letter must say “b”. See how the bat always comes first, then the baseball; always for “b”.

Oh, look, a – what? – ant. Ant starts with the sound “a”, so this letter says “a”.

Look who came to visit us! Who? – the queen. Queen starts with the sound “qu”, so this letter must say “qu”.

Wait! He’s whispering in my ear. What’s that, Cody Breaker?

Oh, he wants me to give you the first Spy Code Rule 1: The qu rule: q usually has u, and qu says ‘kw’ together.

Would you like me to read you a story? I will in a minute.

Cody says that the rest of the Spy Code can be found in the book, A Funny Boy Was Prince River, or in A Sunny Kid Was Prince River, if you prefer.

Your Spy Chief, Mom or Dad, can find the rest of the Spy Code Book and HELPS in Volume 1 of It’s Not Rocket Surgery!, on Amazon.com.

Oh, good, it’s story time! Pretend you are sitting next to me, and my arm is around you in a grandma hug.

Let’s start: READ "A SUNNY KID WAS PRINCE RIVER"

What’s this at the end of the story? Looks like some special Spy Code Rules for you and your Spy Chief. 

And look! The rest of the Spy Tools! Can you figure out what these letter sounds are?

Wow, this one is tricky! It’s the sound at the end of tux.

Good luck with your mission, my little spy. Keep an eye out for these sounds in the world around you. I know you can do it!

And a note to your Spy Chief – NEVER teach sight-words. NEVER! Proper phonics prevents and cures dyslexia and speech problems. More info on that in Volume 1 of It’s Not Rocket Surgery!

Now, my little spy, report your discoveries by writing the letter sounds you learn on lined paper.

Cody Breaker, that excellent spy, will see them wherever you are. Show your Spy Chief, too.

Don’t worry! There are no mistakes. Mistakes are just learning moments. So give it a try. And try again!

It’s time for me to go, my little spy. Give Grandma Godfrey a great big hug.

I’ll see you in the next Home Early Learning Play School spy message 2.

Happy hunting for secret letter-sound codes!

http://thegodfreymethod.com