EXAMPLE 01A parent walkthrough
Read the word: ship
Say: Spot the digraph — s and h work together as one sound, “sh”.
Say: Blend the sounds: sh-i-p.
Say: Say the word: ship.
FINAL ANSWER
ship
READING LEVEL 4A
Blends, Digraphs & Silent-E — Level 4A Parent Guide
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The sound system completes: consonant blends, digraphs like sh and ch, r-controlled vowels, and long vowels with silent e. Picture cues fade as real decoding takes over, and vocabulary passes roughly a thousand words by the end of the level.
Kindergarten / Grade 1 (approx. ages 5–7) · approximate gradeTHE DEFINITION
What is Kumon Reading Level 4A?
Kumon Reading Level 4A (Blends, Digraphs & Silent-E) is the 4th of 26 levels in the Kumon reading program, where children learn the sound system completes: consonant blends, digraphs like sh and ch, r-controlled vowels, and long vowels with silent e. Picture cues fade as real decoding takes over, and vocabulary passes roughly a thousand words by the end of the level. It typically aligns with kindergarten / grade 1 (approx. ages 5–7) reading work, though Kumon places children by ability rather than age, so the grade is a guide, not a rule.
Level 4A builds directly on Reading Level 5A: Letter Sounds & First Blends and prepares children for Reading Level 3A: Two-Syllable Words & First Sentences. It is one of 26 Kumon reading levels covered in this independent parent guide series.
This is an independent parent guide, not an official curriculum or placement assessment. Topics and pace can vary; your child's instructor can confirm their current work.
- Consonant blends (st, br, cl)
- Digraphs: sh, ch, th, wh
- Silent-e long vowels (cake, bike)
- Missing-letter spelling
- Sight vocabulary growing toward ~1,000 words
- Freehand letter formation
How do I help my child with Level 4A?
Read one passage together, then let your child try the next one alone. A few small exercises to try together — let your child attempt each one first, then use these prompts when they need a nudge.
Original examples written for parents — not scanned worksheets or reproduced passages.
EXAMPLE 02A parent walkthrough
Complete the word for the cake picture: c_k_
Say: Sound it out — c-a-k — but the a sounds long. Why?
Say: The final e is silent and makes the a say its name.
Fill in a and e: cake.
FINAL ANSWER
cake
How can parents support Level 4A?
Short, calm, and daily beats long and pressured. These small habits make Level 4A stick — pick one and start tonight.
Cover the picture sometimes so they decode, not guess
Silent-e is a rule, not a trick — “the e makes the vowel say its name”
Use flashcards for the newest 20 words; retire the ones they know
A LITTLE MORE CLARITY