Gus and the Lost Cup Reading guide

Phonics focus

Practise short u in these words: Gus, pup, up, cup, gust, mud, tug, hug. Review the consonant sounds needed for each word before reading. Use the programme lessons to introduce new sounds; the story is original.

Bold red vowels and bold blue consonants show the focus sounds. Help children with other letters and patterns in the word when needed. A highlighted letter does not mean the whole word is independently decodable.

Adult supported words

An adult reads the title with the child. Introduce and help with these story words: and, his, go, the, hill, has, a, tips, it, lands, in, at, will, not, come, out, Dad, helps, pull, comes, rinses. Pull has a different u sound and is not highlighted.

Before reading

Say the focus vowel sound. Blend three practice words. Look at the cover, name the setting and predict what might happen.

During reading

Read each sentence aloud together. Point to the highlighted letters, blend the focus words and reread naturally. Use Talk Together to discuss the character, problem, actions and ending.

Narrative structure

Wind sends Gus’s cup into mud. Gus tries to tug it free. Dad helps him get his cup back for the picnic.

After reading

Invite the child to retell what happened first, what went wrong, what the character tried and how the story ended. Reread the book to build confidence.

Compare pup and cup; blend mud. Explain the extra consonants in gust. Pull is an adult-supported word with a different vowel sound. The setting is a gentle picnic hill with an adult, away from cliffs or steep paths.