Lesson 20: Bb /b/

Help Your Child Learn to Say, Write, and Read with the Letter Bb!

What Will We Learn Today?

Today we’re learning the letter Bb, which spells the sound /b/—as in bat or bus. In this lesson, your child will learn how to say the /b/ sound, write uppercase and lowercase Bb, and read short words, phrases, and connected sentences using this bouncy, voiced consonant.

How to Make the /b/ Sound

To help your child make the /b/ sound, try this:

• Lips Together – Start with lips closed.

• Voice On – Turn on your voice.

• Pop the Air – Let the air burst out quickly, like a small bubble.

The /b/ sound is a voiced stop sound—you say it with a quick burst, not stretched out like /ssss/. Encourage your child to say /b/ clearly and confidently. You can even pretend you're popping bubbles as you say it together.

Let’s Practice Writing Bb

Uppercase B:
Draw a straight line down. Then draw two bumps on the right side—one at the top and one in the middle.

Lowercase b:
Draw a straight vertical line down. From the middle of the line, draw a small curve to the right that connects to the bottom of the line.

Have your child say the sound /b/ each time they write the letter to help reinforce the sound-symbol connection.

Let’s Read Words with Bb

Practice these simple, decodable words together:

bog, bag, cub, bud, bat, bus, bib, bug, sob

Say each word slowly and blend the sounds together. Ask your child:

• “Which words begin with the /b/ sound?”

• “Can you find a word that ends with /b/?”

Let’s Read Bb Phrases

Read these short phrases aloud:

• a big bag

• the bad bug

• a tan bib

• a cub and a bat

• a bug in the bin

• a big bus

Encourage your child to point to each word as they read and read the phrase more than once for fluency.

Let’s Read Sentences and a Mini-Story

Short Sentences:

• Bob got a big bus.

• I got a bun and a bib.

• The cub is in the tub.

• Pam can dab and bop.

Connected Sentences (Mini-Story):
Gab got a big bag. Gab got a big and fat map. The map did not fit in the bag. Gab sat at the mat. Gab did sob.

Ask your child to retell the story in their own words or draw a picture to show what happened.

At-Home Learning Tip: Create a Bb Basket

Collect items from around the house that begin with the /b/ sound—like a ball, book, banana, or button. Place them in a labeled “Bb Basket.” This is a great way to build letter-sound awareness through play and hands-on learning.