Hal’s Hat Reading guide

Phonics focus

Lessons 13–16: short-vowel contrasts with h, r, l and f

Practise h, r, l, f and short a, i, o, u, e in these words: hat, hit, hot, hut, hem; ram, rim, rod, red, run; lap, lip, log, leg, lump; fan, fin, fog, fed, fun. 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, by, the, lake, a, of, it, lands, to, his, too, far, away, Dad, gets, with, wet, sits, on, fishing, says. Fish needs sh; with needs th. Far is not short a, lake is not short a, and away begins with a weak vowel, so those vowels are not highlighted.

Before reading

Say the focus sounds. 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

A gust blows Hal’s hat out of reach during a fishing trip. Hal tries to reach it, Dad offers a net, and they recover it safely.

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 the vowel in each word family, then reread the story for meaning. Some contrasting practice words appear only in the guide. An adult supervises the fishing trip and uses the net from a stable grassy bank; Hal stays out of the water.