Lesson Plan
Reading Rescue Detective Plan
Engage 1st graders in detective-themed phonemic awareness and decoding activities to boost reading skills. By the end of the 30-minute session, students will identify initial sounds, manipulate phonemes, decode CVC words, and demonstrate comprehension.
Early readers often need focused, individualized support to master phonemic awareness and decoding. This detective theme increases engagement and confidence while building foundational skills crucial for fluent reading.
Audience
1st Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Detective-themed, scaffolded activities targeting phonemes, decoding, and comprehension.
Materials
- Sound Detective Cards, * Phoneme Clue Sheets, * Word Detective Cases, * Secret Code Word Cards, * Investigation Exit Ticket, * Timer, * Whiteboard and Marker, and * Reward Stickers
Prep
Prepare Detective Materials
5 minutes
- Print and cut out Sound Detective Cards, Phoneme Clue Sheets, Word Detective Cases, Secret Code Word Cards, and Investigation Exit Ticket.
- Gather Timer, Whiteboard and Marker, and Reward Stickers.
- Review each generated material to familiarize yourself with the activities.
Step 1
Warm-Up Investigation
5 minutes
- Shuffle the Sound Detective Cards and hold up one card at a time.
- Ask the student to identify the initial sound of each picture.
- Encourage the student to name another word in the room that starts with that sound.
- Provide positive feedback and clues as needed.
Step 2
Phoneme Detective Challenge
8 minutes
- Present the Phoneme Clue Sheets showing phoneme segments of simple words.
- Prompt the student to blend the phonemes to form the target word.
- Ask the student to delete or substitute one phoneme to create a new word (e.g., change /c/ to /b/ in “cat”).
- Reinforce correct responses and guide corrections.
Step 3
Word Decoding Case Files
10 minutes
- Lay out the Word Detective Cases with CVC and simple CVCC words.
- Have the student decode each word aloud, sounding it out carefully.
- Student writes each word on the whiteboard to practice letter formation and self-checking.
- Offer prompting: “What sound do you hear first?” if needed.
Step 4
Comprehension Mystery
5 minutes
- Use the Secret Code Word Cards to build a simple detective-themed sentence (e.g., “The dog ran.”).
- Student reads the assembled sentence aloud.
- Ask two comprehension questions (e.g., “What did the dog do?” “Why did the dog run?”).
- Student responds verbally or writes a short answer on the whiteboard.
Step 5
Investigation Exit Ticket
2 minutes
- Hand the student the Investigation Exit Ticket.
- Student reads 2–3 words or a short sentence independently.
- Teacher notes accuracy and areas for support.
- Praise effort and award a Reward Sticker for participation.
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Reading Rescue Detective
Welcome to our detective-themed reading session!
Let’s sharpen our reading skills and solve phonics mysteries together.
Introduce the session. Set a positive tone. Explain that we're going to be reading detectives today and have fun while learning.
Session Objectives
By the end of this 30-minute session, the student will:
• Identify initial sounds using detective cues
• Blend, delete, and substitute phonemes
• Decode CVC and CVCC words aloud
• Read and comprehend a simple sentence
Read the objectives aloud. Confirm with student what we'll focus on. Emphasize the detective theme.
Materials
• Sound Detective Cards
• Phoneme Clue Sheets
• Word Detective Cases
• Secret Code Word Cards
• Investigation Exit Ticket
• Timer, Whiteboard & Marker, Reward Stickers
Ensure all materials are ready and within reach.
Preparation
- Print and cut out all detective materials.
- Gather timer, whiteboard, marker, and stickers.
- Review each set to familiarize yourself.
Complete prep in 5 minutes before the session starts. Keep materials organized.
Warm-Up Investigation (5 min)
• Shuffle the Sound Detective Cards
• Hold up one card at a time and ask: “What is the initial sound?”
• Name another word in the room starting with that sound
• Provide positive feedback and clues
Encourage enthusiasm. If the student struggles, offer a hint or model the sound.
Phoneme Detective Challenge (8 min)
• Present the Phoneme Clue Sheets
• Blend phonemes to form the target word
• Try deleting or substituting a phoneme (e.g., change /c/ to /b/ in “cat”)
• Reinforce correct answers and guide corrections
Monitor blending skills. Scaffold where needed. Celebrate detective “wins.”
Word Decoding Case Files (10 min)
• Lay out the Word Detective Cases with CVC/CVCC words
• Student decodes each word aloud, sounding it out
• Student writes each word on the whiteboard for practice
• Prompt with “What sound do you hear first?” if needed
Offer minimal prompts. Encourage self-correction. Track accuracy.
Comprehension Mystery (5 min)
• Use the Secret Code Word Cards to build a simple sentence (e.g., “The dog ran.”)
• Student reads the sentence aloud
• Ask: “What did the dog do?” and “Why did it run?”
• Student answers verbally or on the whiteboard
Focus on comprehension. Praise full sentences.
Investigation Exit Ticket (2 min)
• Hand over the Investigation Exit Ticket
• Student reads 2–3 words or a short sentence independently
• Record accuracy and note support areas
• Award a Reward Sticker for effort
Document reading accuracy. Provide encouragement and celebrate progress.
Recording & Feedback
• Note strengths and areas for growth
• Use notes to plan the next session
• Share positive feedback with the student
Use a quick tally for errors. Plan targeted support for upcoming sessions.
Next Steps
• Continue detective-themed practice at home (e.g., hunt initial sounds)
• Review decoded words in a short daily warm-up
• Celebrate each reading success!
Encourage parent involvement. Suggest simple at-home activities aligned to today’s session.
Worksheet
Sound Detective Cards
Print and cut along the cell borders to create individual picture cards. Use these cards in the Warm-Up Investigation to practice identifying initial sounds.
| [Image: Cat] | [Image: Dog] | [Image: Sun] | [Image: Hat] |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Image: Fish] | [Image: Pig] | [Image: Top] | [Image: Bus] |
| [Image: Car] | [Image: Book] | [Image: Cup] | [Image: Ball] |
Instructions for Teacher:
• Shuffle the cards.
• Hold up one card at a time and ask the student: “What is the first sound you hear?”
• Encourage the student to say another word that starts with the same sound.
• Provide positive feedback and clues as needed.
Worksheet
Phoneme Clue Sheets
Use these clue sheets in the Phoneme Detective Challenge to practice blending, deleting, and substituting phonemes.
Blending Practice
For each set of sounds below, blend the phonemes to say the word. Write the word on the line.
- /c/ – /a/ – /t/ : _______________
- /d/ – /o/ – /g/ : _______________
- /h/ – /a/ – /t/ : _______________
- /s/ – /u/ – /n/ : _______________
Phoneme Deletion
Say each word, then delete the first sound. Write the new word.
- /c/ – /a/ – /t/ (cat) – remove /c/ → _______________
- /d/ – /o/ – /g/ (dog) – remove /d/ → _______________
- /h/ – /a/ – /t/ (hat) – remove /h/ → _______________
- /s/ – /u/ – /n/ (sun) – remove /s/ → _______________
Phoneme Substitution
Change one sound in each word to make a new word. Fill in the new sounds and write the word.
- Change /c/ to /b/ in /c/ – /a/ – /t/ → /b/ – /a/ – /t/ : _______________
- Change /d/ to /p/ in /d/ – /o/ – /g/ → /p/ – /o/ – /g/ : _______________
- Change /h/ to /s/ in /h/ – /a/ – /t/ → /s/ – /a/ – /t/ : _______________
- Change /s/ to /r/ in /s/ – /u/ – /n/ → /r/ – /u/ – /n/ : _______________
Instructions for Teacher:
• Guide the student to say each phoneme slowly before blending.
• Model deletion and substitution if the student hesitates.
• Offer praise and corrective feedback to build confidence.
Worksheet
Word Detective Cases
Print and cut along the cell borders to create individual word cards. Use these cards in the Word Decoding Case Files to practice decoding CVC and CVCC words.
| cat | dog | hat | sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| pig | bus | map | net |
| tent | lamp | desk | milk |
Instructions for Teacher:
• Print and cut out the word cards.
• Lay the cards face-up on the table.
• Ask the student to decode each word by sounding it out slowly.
• Have the student write each word on the whiteboard to practice letter formation.
• Prompt with: “What sound do you hear first? What comes next?”
• Provide positive feedback and corrective cues to build confidence.
Worksheet
Secret Code Word Cards
Print and cut along the cell borders to create individual word cards. Use these cards in the Comprehension Mystery to build and read simple detective-themed sentences.
| the | a | dog | cat | sun | ran | sat | see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| is | on | in | and | big | small | jump | jumps |
| red | blue | quick | slow | detective | clue | found | . |
Instructions for Teacher:
• Print and cut out the word cards.
• Shuffle the cards and lay them face-down.
• Ask the student to pick cards and arrange them to form a simple sentence (e.g., “the detective found a clue.”).
• Have the student read the assembled sentence aloud.
• Encourage the student to swap cards to create new sentences and read them.
• Offer support for word order and pronunciation, and celebrate each correct sentence.
Worksheet
Investigation Exit Ticket
Name: _________________________ Date: ________________
1. Word Reading
Read each word aloud. Then, write the word on the line.
- cat: _______________
- dog: _______________
- sun: _______________
2. Sentence Reading & Writing
Read the sentence aloud. Then, write the entire sentence on the line.
the cat sat. _______________
Teacher Notes:
Use this exit ticket to quickly gauge the student’s independent reading accuracy and writing legibility. Award a detective sticker for effort!