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Parent coaching (ElevenLabs)
0/152 approved152 missing
Each coaching string becomes a clip the Coach plays in-app. Upload a human-recorded take OR generate it through ElevenLabs (once wired). Review each before it ships. All 18 skills × ~5 strings = roughly 152 clips total.
19/19 skills
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Note: ElevenLabs generation not yet wired — upload human-recorded takes or paste ElevenLabs output here manually for now. Batch generation ships in Phase 3b.
Letter namesPreK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:letter_naming.explanation.0
Letter names are the labels for each of the 26 letters — 'A' is 'ay', 'B' is 'bee'. This is different from letter sounds (that comes next).
Why it matters
·coaching:letter_naming.whyItMatters.0
Kids who reliably name all 26 letters by the end of Pre-K enter kindergarten ready to map sounds onto those letters. Slow naming in K predicts slower decoding later.
Struggle signals
·coaching:letter_naming.struggleSignals.0
Skips or hesitates on certain letters (b/d/p confusion is common and normal at this age).
·coaching:letter_naming.struggleSignals.1
Mixes up the name and the sound (says 'buh' when you point at B instead of 'bee').
·coaching:letter_naming.struggleSignals.2
Can name letters in alphabet order but not in random order.
What to say
·coaching:letter_naming.whatToSay.0
Point and ask: 'What's this letter's name?' Give them 3 seconds.
·coaching:letter_naming.whatToSay.1
If they're stuck, say the name slowly yourself, then point again and ask.
·coaching:letter_naming.whatToSay.2
For reversal mix-ups: 'b has its belly this way →. d has its belly this way ←.'
Letter soundsPreK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:letter_sound_correspondence.explanation.0
Each letter has a name (like 'B') and a sound (like /b/ in 'bat'). This skill is knowing which sound goes with which letter.
Why it matters
·coaching:letter_sound_correspondence.whyItMatters.0
This is the foundation of decoding. Every word your child reads gets built by blending letter-sounds. Fragile letter-sound knowledge looks like guessing.
Struggle signals
·coaching:letter_sound_correspondence.struggleSignals.0
Gives the letter name instead of the sound ('bee' instead of /b/).
·coaching:letter_sound_correspondence.struggleSignals.1
Vowel sounds are the hardest — short 'a' vs short 'e' especially.
·coaching:letter_sound_correspondence.struggleSignals.2
Gets the sound right when letters are shown in order but misses them in random order.
What to say
·coaching:letter_sound_correspondence.whatToSay.0
Point and say: 'What sound does this letter make?'
·coaching:letter_sound_correspondence.whatToSay.1
If stuck: 'This letter says /b/ like ball. Now you say it.'
·coaching:letter_sound_correspondence.whatToSay.2
Practice 3 letters at a time, not all 26 in a row.
RhymingPreK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:rhyming.explanation.0
Two words rhyme when they end with the same sound — 'cat' and 'bat' rhyme. Rhyming is the easiest form of hearing sounds in words.
Why it matters
·coaching:rhyming.whyItMatters.0
Kids who can't rhyme at the end of Pre-K are at higher risk for reading difficulty later. Rhyming is a warm-up for every other phonics skill.
Struggle signals
·coaching:rhyming.struggleSignals.0
Gives a word that starts the same instead of ends the same ('cat' → says 'car' instead of 'bat').
·coaching:rhyming.struggleSignals.1
Gives a word that's related by meaning ('dog' → says 'bone').
·coaching:rhyming.struggleSignals.2
Can identify rhymes when you give two options but can't generate their own.
What to say
·coaching:rhyming.whatToSay.0
Say two words and ask: 'Do these rhyme? Cat. Bat.'
·coaching:rhyming.whatToSay.1
If yes, celebrate. If no, say: 'Listen: caaat, baaat. They end the same.'
·coaching:rhyming.whatToSay.2
Build up to: 'Tell me a word that rhymes with cat.' Accept silly / nonsense words.
First sounds in wordsPreK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:initial_sound_fluency.explanation.0
Hearing the very first sound in a spoken word — 'sun' starts with /s/. The child doesn't look at letters, just listens.
Why it matters
·coaching:initial_sound_fluency.whyItMatters.0
If a child can't hear the first sound, they can't start blending yet. This is the skill that unlocks decoding.
Struggle signals
·coaching:initial_sound_fluency.struggleSignals.0
Names a letter instead of a sound ('sun' → says 'S').
·coaching:initial_sound_fluency.struggleSignals.1
Says a whole syllable or the whole word.
·coaching:initial_sound_fluency.struggleSignals.2
Gets first sounds right on consonants but not vowels.
What to say
·coaching:initial_sound_fluency.whatToSay.0
Say a word slowly: 'Sssssun. What's the first sound?'
·coaching:initial_sound_fluency.whatToSay.1
If stuck, stretch the first sound longer: 'Sssssssss-un.'
·coaching:initial_sound_fluency.whatToSay.2
Then: 'The first sound is /s/. You try.'
Blending sounds into wordsK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:phoneme_blending.explanation.0
The parent says three separate sounds — /k/ /a/ /t/ — and the child says the word: 'cat.' This is blending by ear, before any letters are on the page.
Why it matters
·coaching:phoneme_blending.whyItMatters.0
Reading is blending. Every time your child sounds out a new word, they're using this skill. Weak blending is the #1 cause of 'slow, halting' reading.
Struggle signals
·coaching:phoneme_blending.struggleSignals.0
Repeats the separate sounds but never pulls them together ('/k/ /a/ /t/… /k/ /a/ /t/').
·coaching:phoneme_blending.struggleSignals.1
Starts blending but swaps a sound ('/k/ /a/ /t/' → says 'cap').
·coaching:phoneme_blending.struggleSignals.2
Can blend 2-sound words but not 3-sound words.
What to say
·coaching:phoneme_blending.whatToSay.0
Say the sounds slowly: '/k/… /a/… /t/. What word?'
·coaching:phoneme_blending.whatToSay.1
If stuck, slide the sounds closer: '/k/-/a/-/t/' then 'kaaat.'
·coaching:phoneme_blending.whatToSay.2
Then: 'The word is cat. Let's do it again together.'
Breaking words into soundsK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:phoneme_segmenting.explanation.0
The reverse of blending. The parent says 'cat,' the child says the separate sounds: /k/ /a/ /t/. Tapping one finger per sound is a classic trick.
Why it matters
·coaching:phoneme_segmenting.whyItMatters.0
Segmenting is what powers spelling. A child who can hear each sound in a word can write it; a child who can't will guess.
Struggle signals
·coaching:phoneme_segmenting.struggleSignals.0
Gives you syllables instead of phonemes ('cat' → says 'ca-t').
·coaching:phoneme_segmenting.struggleSignals.1
Gets the first and last sound but misses the middle vowel.
·coaching:phoneme_segmenting.struggleSignals.2
Adds extra sounds that aren't there ('pig' → says /p/ /i/ /n/ /g/).
What to say
·coaching:phoneme_segmenting.whatToSay.0
Say a word: 'Cat. Tap each sound with your finger.'
·coaching:phoneme_segmenting.whatToSay.1
If stuck, do it with them: '/k/ (tap) /a/ (tap) /t/ (tap). Three sounds.'
·coaching:phoneme_segmenting.whatToSay.2
Build up: start with 2-sound words (at, up, in) before 3-sound words.
Short 'a' soundK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:short_a.explanation.0
The short 'a' is the /a/ in 'cat, bat, sat, map.' Not 'ay' (which is long a). Mouth stays open, jaw drops.
Why it matters
·coaching:short_a.whyItMatters.0
Short 'a' is the first vowel most curricula teach because it's so common in early words. A child who locks it in can suddenly read 50+ CVC words.
Struggle signals
·coaching:short_a.struggleSignals.0
Says the letter name 'ay' instead of the sound /a/.
·coaching:short_a.struggleSignals.1
Swaps short 'a' with short 'e' or short 'u' ('cat' → 'kit' or 'cut').
·coaching:short_a.struggleSignals.2
Gets the vowel right in isolation but loses it inside a word.
What to say
·coaching:short_a.whatToSay.0
'A says /a/ like apple.' Point to your open mouth.
·coaching:short_a.whatToSay.1
'Stretch it: aaaaa. Now say cat slowly: /k/-aaa-/t/.'
·coaching:short_a.whatToSay.2
If they say 'cut,' say: 'Drop your jaw more — /a/ not /u/.'
Short 'e' soundK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:short_e.explanation.0
The short 'e' is the /e/ in 'red, bed, pen.' Mouth is less open than short 'a', lips pulled slightly wider.
Why it matters
·coaching:short_e.whyItMatters.0
Short 'e' is the trickiest short vowel because it sounds similar to short 'i' and short 'a' for many dialects. Locking it in reduces decoding errors on a huge word list.
Struggle signals
·coaching:short_e.struggleSignals.0
Swaps /e/ with /i/ ('bed' → 'bid') — common and worth gentle correction.
·coaching:short_e.struggleSignals.1
Swaps /e/ with /a/ ('pen' → 'pan').
·coaching:short_e.struggleSignals.2
Drops the vowel entirely in fast reading ('bed' → 'bd').
What to say
·coaching:short_e.whatToSay.0
'E says /e/ like egg.' Tap your chest.
·coaching:short_e.whatToSay.1
'Say /e/. Now say /i/. Feel the difference — /e/ is lower, /i/ is higher.'
·coaching:short_e.whatToSay.2
If swapping, use a minimal-pair drill: 'bed — bid. Which did I say?'
Short 'i' soundK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:short_i.explanation.0
The short 'i' is the /i/ in 'sit, pig, big.' Mouth is nearly closed, corners pulled back, like the start of a smile.
Why it matters
·coaching:short_i.whyItMatters.0
Short 'i' is common in early decodable text. Kids who swap it with short 'e' will misread hundreds of words until it's stable.
Struggle signals
·coaching:short_i.struggleSignals.0
Swaps /i/ with /e/ ('sit' → 'set').
·coaching:short_i.struggleSignals.1
Says the letter name 'eye' instead of the short sound.
·coaching:short_i.struggleSignals.2
Gets the sound in isolation but drops it inside CVC words.
What to say
·coaching:short_i.whatToSay.0
'I says /i/ like itchy.'
·coaching:short_i.whatToSay.1
'Make a small smile. Say /i/.'
·coaching:short_i.whatToSay.2
Minimal pair drill: 'sit — set. Which one has /i/?'
Short 'o' soundK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:short_o.explanation.0
The short 'o' is the /o/ in 'hot, dog, mop.' Mouth is round and open, like you're saying 'ah' at the doctor.
Why it matters
·coaching:short_o.whyItMatters.0
Short 'o' is reliable — it almost always sounds the same in early reading. A confident short 'o' unlocks a clean CVC word pool.
Struggle signals
·coaching:short_o.struggleSignals.0
Swaps /o/ with /u/ ('dog' → 'dug') — common, especially in some dialects.
·coaching:short_o.struggleSignals.1
Says the letter name 'oh' instead of the short sound.
·coaching:short_o.struggleSignals.2
Reads 'hot' correctly but reads 'hop' as 'hope' (long-vowel guess).
What to say
·coaching:short_o.whatToSay.0
'O says /o/ like octopus.'
·coaching:short_o.whatToSay.1
'Open your mouth round like you're surprised. Say /o/.'
·coaching:short_o.whatToSay.2
If they say 'dug' for 'dog,' say: 'Open your mouth more — /o/ not /u/.'
Short 'u' soundK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:short_u.explanation.0
The short 'u' is the /u/ in 'cup, bus, sun.' Short, relaxed, kind of a grunt. Often the last short vowel kids master.
Why it matters
·coaching:short_u.whyItMatters.0
Once short 'u' is in, all five short vowels are in — and a huge pool of decodable words opens up. This is often the last stretch before confident CVC reading.
Struggle signals
·coaching:short_u.struggleSignals.0
Swaps /u/ with /a/ or /o/ ('cup' → 'cop').
·coaching:short_u.struggleSignals.1
Over-softens the sound into 'uh' — but that's fine, that's roughly what it is.
·coaching:short_u.struggleSignals.2
Drops the vowel entirely in quick reading.
What to say
·coaching:short_u.whatToSay.0
'U says /u/ like umbrella.'
·coaching:short_u.whatToSay.1
'Relax your jaw. Say /u/ like a little grunt.'
·coaching:short_u.whatToSay.2
Minimal pair drill: 'cup — cop. Which has /u/?'
CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant)K0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:cvc.explanation.0
CVC words are 3-letter words with the pattern consonant-vowel-consonant: 'cat, pig, dog, run.' The vowel is almost always short.
Why it matters
·coaching:cvc.whyItMatters.0
CVC is the beachhead pattern — the first word shape most kids decode fluently. A confident CVC reader has the mechanics to attack CVCC, CCVC, and multisyllabic words next.
Struggle signals
·coaching:cvc.struggleSignals.0
Blends the first two sounds correctly then drops the final consonant ('cat' → 'ca').
·coaching:cvc.struggleSignals.1
Reads the whole word as a memorized sight word without looking at middle/end letters.
·coaching:cvc.struggleSignals.2
Gets 'cat' right but 'pat' wrong — signals they're memorizing, not decoding.
What to say
·coaching:cvc.whatToSay.0
'Point to each letter and say its sound. Then say them together fast.'
·coaching:cvc.whatToSay.1
If they stop after two sounds: 'You have /k/ /a/… what's the last one? Keep going.'
·coaching:cvc.whatToSay.2
'Good. Now do it faster, all as one word.'
'sh' soundK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:digraph_sh.explanation.0
Two letters, one sound: 'sh' says /sh/ as in 'ship, shop, fish.' This is the child's first 'two letters, one sound' pattern — a big cognitive shift.
Why it matters
·coaching:digraph_sh.whyItMatters.0
Digraphs are the first real phonics 'rule' kids learn: letters don't always work solo. Once 'sh' clicks, 'ch' and 'th' follow quickly.
Struggle signals
·coaching:digraph_sh.struggleSignals.0
Sounds out both letters separately ('ship' → '/s/ /h/ /i/ /p/').
·coaching:digraph_sh.struggleSignals.1
Confuses /sh/ with /ch/ ('ship' → 'chip').
·coaching:digraph_sh.struggleSignals.2
Gets 'sh' at the start of words but misses it at the end ('fish').
What to say
·coaching:digraph_sh.whatToSay.0
'When you see s and h together, they make one sound: /sh/.'
·coaching:digraph_sh.whatToSay.1
'Put your finger to your lips like shhh — that's the sound.'
·coaching:digraph_sh.whatToSay.2
'/sh/-/i/-/p/. Ship. Your turn.'
'ch' soundK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:digraph_ch.explanation.0
'ch' says /ch/ as in 'chip, chop, much.' Same 'two letters, one sound' pattern as 'sh.'
Why it matters
·coaching:digraph_ch.whyItMatters.0
'ch' shows up in a lot of kid-familiar words (lunch, church, chocolate). Locking it in gives a noticeable fluency boost.
Struggle signals
·coaching:digraph_ch.struggleSignals.0
Confuses /ch/ with /sh/ ('chip' → 'ship').
·coaching:digraph_ch.struggleSignals.1
Sounds out both letters ('chip' → '/k/ /h/').
·coaching:digraph_ch.struggleSignals.2
Gets 'ch' at the start but not at the end ('much' → 'muh').
What to say
·coaching:digraph_ch.whatToSay.0
'c and h together say /ch/ — like a train: ch-ch-ch-ch.'
·coaching:digraph_ch.whatToSay.1
Demonstrate the tongue behind your teeth, then a small puff of air.
·coaching:digraph_ch.whatToSay.2
'/ch/-/i/-/p/. Chip. You try.'
'th' soundK0/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:digraph_th.explanation.0
'th' is actually two sounds that share spelling: the voiced 'th' (that, this) and the unvoiced 'th' (thin, thumb). For early reading, treat them as the same rule — the distinction is fine-tuning later.
Why it matters
·coaching:digraph_th.whyItMatters.0
'th' is everywhere in early reading (the, this, that, with). If it's shaky, high-frequency words suffer.
Struggle signals
·coaching:digraph_th.struggleSignals.0
Swaps /th/ with /t/ or /f/ ('thin' → 'tin' or 'fin') — this can be dialect, not error.
·coaching:digraph_th.struggleSignals.1
Sounds out the t and h separately.
·coaching:digraph_th.struggleSignals.2
Gets 'th' at the start but misses it at the end.
What to say
·coaching:digraph_th.whatToSay.0
't and h together say /th/. Put your tongue between your teeth and blow.'
·coaching:digraph_th.whatToSay.1
Model it yourself — show your tongue briefly between your teeth.
·coaching:digraph_th.whatToSay.2
For dialect-based /f/ swap: note the child is hearing their own speech accurately. Coach the reading, don't correct the speech.
Beginning blends (bl, st, tr, etc.)G10/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:initial_blends.explanation.0
Two consonants at the start of a word where you can HEAR both sounds, unlike digraphs: 'stop' = /s/ + /t/, 'flag' = /f/ + /l/. Kids often want to drop one.
Why it matters
·coaching:initial_blends.whyItMatters.0
Blends unlock a huge vocabulary of early-reader words. Missed blends are the #1 fluency drag in first grade.
Struggle signals
·coaching:initial_blends.struggleSignals.0
Drops one of the two consonants ('stop' → 'sop' or 'top').
·coaching:initial_blends.struggleSignals.1
Adds a vowel between them ('stop' → 'setop').
·coaching:initial_blends.struggleSignals.2
Gets the blend at the start but loses it in longer words.
What to say
·coaching:initial_blends.whatToSay.0
'Two letters, two sounds — say them both quickly, one after the other.'
·coaching:initial_blends.whatToSay.1
'/s/ + /t/ = /st/. Now add /o/ /p/. Stop.'
·coaching:initial_blends.whatToSay.2
If dropping a letter: point to the letter they skipped and say: 'This one too.'
Silent e with 'a' (make, cake, gate)G10/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:long_a_silent_e.explanation.0
When an 'e' sits at the end of a word, it doesn't make a sound — instead, it makes the vowel in the middle say its LONG name. 'mad' becomes 'made.' Most curricula call this 'magic e' or 'silent e.'
Why it matters
·coaching:long_a_silent_e.whyItMatters.0
Silent e is the child's first spelling rule that changes another letter. Mastering it is a leap from phonics-by-memorization to phonics-as-system.
Struggle signals
·coaching:long_a_silent_e.struggleSignals.0
Reads the short-vowel version ('made' → 'mad').
·coaching:long_a_silent_e.struggleSignals.1
Pronounces the silent e ('cake' → 'cak-ee').
·coaching:long_a_silent_e.struggleSignals.2
Only applies the rule sometimes — inconsistent.
What to say
·coaching:long_a_silent_e.whatToSay.0
'See the e at the end? It's silent. But it changes the middle vowel — a says its long name, ay.'
·coaching:long_a_silent_e.whatToSay.1
'Read it two ways: mad (short). Now add silent e. Made (long).'
·coaching:long_a_silent_e.whatToSay.2
'Silent e is bossy. It tells a to say its name.'
Vowel teams 'ee' and 'ea' (bee, eat)G10/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:vowel_team_ee_ea.explanation.0
Two vowels together often make one long sound. 'ee' and 'ea' both usually say /ē/ — 'bee, see, eat, read.' The saying is 'when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking' (mostly true, not always).
Why it matters
·coaching:vowel_team_ee_ea.whyItMatters.0
Vowel teams are where most G1 kids hit a wall. The first vowel team to master is 'ee' because it's totally reliable. 'ea' is nearly-reliable.
Struggle signals
·coaching:vowel_team_ee_ea.struggleSignals.0
Pronounces both vowels separately ('bee' → 'bee-ee').
·coaching:vowel_team_ee_ea.struggleSignals.1
Says the short vowel sound of the first letter ('bee' → 'beh').
·coaching:vowel_team_ee_ea.struggleSignals.2
Gets 'ee' reliably but fumbles 'ea' because of exceptions (head, bread).
What to say
·coaching:vowel_team_ee_ea.whatToSay.0
'When you see two vowels together, they usually make one long sound.'
·coaching:vowel_team_ee_ea.whatToSay.1
'ee and ea both say /ē/ — like the word eat.'
·coaching:vowel_team_ee_ea.whatToSay.2
For 'ea' exceptions: 'This one's tricky — ea says /e/ here, like in head. We have to learn this one.'
'ar' (car, star, park)G10/8 strings approved
Explanation
·coaching:r_controlled_ar.explanation.0
When 'r' follows a vowel, the r takes over and changes the vowel sound. 'ar' says /ar/ — not 'a' + 'r.' Same rule for 'er,' 'ir,' 'or,' 'ur.'
Why it matters
·coaching:r_controlled_ar.whyItMatters.0
R-controlled vowels are in a huge number of common words (star, car, bark, park, far, arm, hard). If shaky, a lot of texts feel harder than they should.
Struggle signals
·coaching:r_controlled_ar.struggleSignals.0
Pronounces the vowel and the r separately ('car' → 'ca-er').
·coaching:r_controlled_ar.struggleSignals.1
Uses the short-vowel sound ('car' → 'cat' sound).
·coaching:r_controlled_ar.struggleSignals.2
Gets 'ar' but confuses it with 'or.'
What to say
·coaching:r_controlled_ar.whatToSay.0
'The r changes the vowel. ar says /ar/ — like a pirate: aargh!'
·coaching:r_controlled_ar.whatToSay.1
'Point to the ar, say /ar/. Then add the rest.'
·coaching:r_controlled_ar.whatToSay.2
'car. Not ca + r. One smooth sound.'