Alternative Spellings ai, ae, ay, ee and ea for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4

Term: Second Term

Week: 3

Age: 5 years

Duration: 30 minutes

Subject: Literacy

Curriculum Theme: Language Domain

Previous Lesson: Introduction to simple vowel sounds and CVC words.

Topic: Alternative Spellings ai, ae, ay, ee and ea

Subject Matter: Alternative spellings for the long ‘A’ sound (ai, ae, ay) and long ‘E’ sound (ee, ea). Sight words: Be, Was, Like, Here.

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the alternative spellings ai, ae, ay, ee, and ea.
• Say words containing the long ‘A’ sound (ai, ae, ay) and long ‘E’ sound (ee, ea).
• Recognise and read the sight words: Be, Was, Like, Here.

Affective Domain

• Listen attentively to the teacher’s explanations and examples.
• Participate actively in guided practice and group activities.

Psychomotor Domain

• Point to the alternative spellings on charts or flashcards.
• Trace or attempt to write simple words with the alternative spellings (with guidance).

Social Domain

• Take turns when responding to questions or participating in activities.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4, Early Childhood Care and Education resources.

Instructional Materials

Charts showing alternative spellings (ai, ae, ay, ee, ea), flashcards with example words (rain, day, Mae, see, sea, tea), picture cards matching words, whiteboard/chalkboard, markers/chalk.

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding alternative spellings helps pupils recognise that the same sound can be written in different ways. This foundational knowledge is crucial for developing strong reading and spelling skills, enabling them to decode new words and express themselves more effectively in writing. It also builds their vocabulary with common sight words.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise some letters of the alphabet, know basic letter sounds, and can blend simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Alternative Spellings: Different Ways to Write Sounds

Sometimes, the same sound can be spelled in different ways! We call these “alternative spellings”.

Alternative Spellings for the Long ‘A’ Sound (/eɪ/)

• ai as in rain, paint, wait
• ay as in day, play, say
• ae as in Mae (a name). This spelling is less common for the /eɪ/ sound in simple words, but it is another way to spell a vowel sound.

Alternative Spellings for the Long ‘E’ Sound (/iː/)

• ee as in see, bee, tree
• ea as in sea, tea, dream

Examples from the seed:
See : Sea
Teem : Team

Rhyme for Sounds

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:

Long ‘A’ sound, hear it say,
Like in ‘rain’ and ‘play’ and ‘day’.
‘ai’ and ‘ay’ and ‘ae’ we see,
Different ways for you and me.
Long ‘E’ sound, clear and bright,
Like in ‘see’ and ‘tea’ at night.
‘ee’ and ‘ea’ make the sound,
All around, all around!

Actions: For ‘long A’, stretch hands forward. For ‘rain’, wiggle fingers down. For ‘play’ and ‘day’, clap hands. For ‘long E’, point to ears. For ‘see’, point to eyes. For ‘tea’, mime drinking. For ‘all around’, make circular hand motions.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme together, emphasizing the sounds and spellings. Point to the corresponding letters on a chart as you sing them.

Sight Words

These are words we learn to recognise quickly, just by looking at them!

• Be – “I want to be happy.”
• Was – “He was playing.”
• Like – “I like apples.”
• Here – “Come here, please.”

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Charts with the alternative spellings (ai, ae, ay, ee, ea) and their example words.
• Picture cards for words like ‘rain’, ‘day’, ‘bee’, ‘sea’, ‘tea’.
• Flashcards for the sight words: Be, Was, Like, Here.
• Write the example words clearly on the board, highlighting the alternative spellings.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Repetition, Manipulation of Objects.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and starts with a quick sound game, asking pupils to say words that have a long ‘A’ sound (like ‘cake’) or a long ‘E’ sound (like ‘tree’). The teacher explains that today they will learn that one sound can be spelled in different ways.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, participate in the sound game, and listen attentively.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and prepared for the lesson, recalling previous sound knowledge.

Step 2: Presentation of Long ‘A’ Alternative Spellings (ai, ay, ae)

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the long ‘A’ sound (/eɪ/). The teacher then shows charts/flashcards for ‘ai’, ‘ay’, and ‘ae’. The teacher gives examples for each: “ai” as in “rain”, “ay” as in “day”, and “ae” as in “Mae” (a name). The teacher explains that these are different ways to spell the same long ‘A’ sound.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the charts, and repeat the long ‘A’ sound and the example words after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise and pronounce the long ‘A’ sound and identify its alternative spellings (ai, ay, ae).

Step 3: Guided Practice for Long ‘A’ Spellings

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher calls out words like “paint”, “play”, “wait”, “say” and asks pupils to identify which spelling (ai, ay) they hear or see on the chart. The teacher guides them to say the words and point to the correct spelling.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the words, point to the correct alternative spelling on the chart, and try to say the spellings.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their recognition of ‘ai’ and ‘ay’ for the long ‘A’ sound.

Step 4: Presentation of Long ‘E’ Alternative Spellings (ee, ea)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the long ‘E’ sound (/iː/). The teacher then shows charts/flashcards for ‘ee’ and ‘ea’. The teacher gives examples: “ee” as in “see” and “bee”, and “ea” as in “sea” and “tea”. The teacher uses the seed’s examples “See : Sea” and “Teem : Team” to show how the sound is the same but the spelling is different.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the charts, and repeat the long ‘E’ sound and the example words after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise and pronounce the long ‘E’ sound and identify its alternative spellings (ee, ea).

Step 5: Guided Practice for Long ‘E’ Spellings and Rhyme

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Song

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Rhyme for Sounds” from the Lesson Content, emphasizing the ‘ai’, ‘ay’, ‘ae’ and ‘ee’, ‘ea’ sounds and spellings. The teacher then asks pupils to identify the spelling in words like “tree”, “dream”, “feet”, “read”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions, and identify the spellings in example words.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of both long ‘A’ and long ‘E’ alternative spellings through song and practice.

Step 6: Introduction to Sight Words

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Vocabulary Building/Recognition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the sight words: Be, Was, Like, Here, using flashcards. The teacher says each word clearly, uses it in a simple sentence, and asks pupils to repeat the word and the sentence. The teacher encourages pupils to trace the words in the air.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the sight words and simple sentences, and trace the words in the air.

Learning Point: Pupils begin to recognise and use common sight words.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

1. Point to the spelling ‘ai’ on the chart.
2. Say a word that has the ‘ay’ sound.
3. Which spelling makes the long ‘E’ sound in ‘tree’? (ee or ea)
4. Show me the sight word ‘Like’.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summary/Wrap-up

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them that sounds can be spelled in different ways, and that practising sight words helps them read better. The teacher encourages them to look for these spellings in books or around them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and tidy up their learning space.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and are encouraged to continue practising.

Lesson Keywords

• Alternative Spellings – Different ways to write the same sound.
• Long ‘A’ Sound – The sound /eɪ/ as in ‘rain’ or ‘day’.
• Long ‘E’ Sound – The sound /iː/ as in ‘see’ or ‘tea’.
• Sight Words – Words we learn to recognise quickly without sounding them out.

Differentiation

For pupils who are struggling, the teacher can provide larger flashcards, focus on only one alternative spelling pair at a time (e.g., ‘ee’ and ‘ea’), give more repetition, and use hand-over-hand guidance for tracing. Use more picture cues. For quicker learners, the teacher can challenge them to think of other words with the alternative spellings, or to use the sight words in slightly longer sentences. They can also try to match written words to pictures independently.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare all charts, flashcards, and picture cards in advance. Emphasize the sound first, then introduce the different spellings for that sound. The concept of ‘ae’ for the long ‘A’ sound is less common in simple words for this age group; focus more on ‘ai’ and ‘ay’ for the long ‘A’ sound, and ‘ee’ and ‘ea’ for the long ‘E’ sound, but still introduce ‘ae’ as an alternative as per the curriculum. Repetition is key for young learners, so repeat the sounds, words, and rhyme multiple times. Encourage pupils to look for these spellings in storybooks. Assess understanding by observing if pupils can correctly identify the spellings when prompted and use the sight words in simple oral sentences.