TH Sound: the sound, the words, the books

Path, bath, math, thin — the TH digraph. Five decodable stories and twenty flashcards, each child’s copy starring that child. This guide maps the pack onto the components of systematic, explicit early-literacy instruction (the ones Wisconsin’s 2023 Act 20 names: phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, letter–sound knowledge, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension).

1. The sound

Target: TH Sound. Spellings tinted in the books: th. Say the sound in isolation, then in the twenty words, then find it in the captions.

2. The words

Sight words used in the captions: a, the, has, in, on, and, to, is.

3. Phonemic awareness (5 minutes)

• Blend: say the sounds of a pack word slowly; children say the word.
• Segment: say a word; children tap out its sounds.
• Swap: change one sound (cat → hat → hot) with the flashcards face down.

4. Decoding with the flashcards (5 minutes)

• Picture side up: name it, find the tinted sound, say the word.
• Word side up: sound out, blend, check with the picture.
• Speed round: the child reads the word side of ten cards as fast as accuracy allows.

5. The stories (10 minutes each)

1. “the child’s name and the Thunder” — Bang! Thunder wakes [NAME], and the thumps in the hall turn out to be the dog, who has hidden in the bath. [NAME] climbs in too, Mom gives a thumbs up, and a thick cloth over the tub makes a den for three, until the storm passes and the only thump left is the dog's tail. (10 pages; uses thumb, three, thick, thunder, thank, bath, cloth, teeth; with Mom)
2. “the child’s name and the Moth” — A moth is flapping round the lamp at bedtime. [NAME] throws a cloth and misses, the cat jumps and misses, the dog snaps and misses, and then the moth lands on [NAME]'s thumb. [NAME] holds very still, carries it out into the night, and comes back to find three more at the lamp. (10 pages; uses thumb, three, throw, think, thank, tooth, moth, cloth, teeth)
3. “the child’s name's Throne” — A log by the path is [NAME]'s throne, with a feather hat and a thin stick for a sceptre, until three ducks climb on and will not get off. [NAME] throws the stick, the dog thuds into the log, and the whole court lands in thick mud, where the ducks decide that [NAME] makes a better throne anyway. (10 pages; uses three, throw, thick, thin, think, throne, path, feather)
4. “the child’s name's Cloth Duck” — [NAME]'s cloth duck has a rip and feathers are everywhere, so Gran gets thread and a thin pin and [NAME] threads it, thumbs up. Then the cat grabs the reel and strings thread round the lamp, the chair and [NAME]'s thumb. [NAME] winds it all back, Gran stitches on a thick patch, and the duck gets a hug. (10 pages; uses thumb, three, thick, thin, thread, thank, cloth, feather; with Gran)
5. “the child’s name on the Path” — A spring walk with Dad: the pond thaws, and [NAME] counts one feather, two moths and three ducks along the path. A thorn pricks Dad's thumb and [NAME] kisses it better. Then thunder sends them running home through the puddles to a hot bath, three rubber ducks and a bit of bath math. (10 pages; uses thumb, three, thorn, thunder, thank, thaw, bath, moth, path, math, feather; with Dad)

First read: the child decodes every word; wait, do not rush in. Second read: fluency, with expression. Then talk about the pictures in any language the child has.

6. Checking progress

• Accuracy: words read correctly on the first pass of a story (aim for 95%+ before the next pack).
• Letter–sound knowledge: the tinted spellings named in isolation.
• Comprehension: retell the story in three sentences; the pictures are the prompt.
• Engagement: how many re-reads the child asks for. Personalised books are re-read more; count it.

7. Families

Send the flashcards home; the word side is a two-minute routine.

Story Petal books are generated by an image model from instructions we write, checked by a person, and never used to train anything beyond a child’s own order. What our art must get right.