Beginning Sound h Words, Pictures, Poems and Stories for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 8
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Letter Work
Previous Lesson: Reading, Writing, Matching and Colouring with Beginning Sound g for Pre-School Level 4
Topic: Beginning Sound h: Words, Pictures, Poems and Stories
Subject Matter: Speech Writing. Weekly focus: Beginning Sound h: Words, Pictures, Poems and Stories.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the letter ‘Hh’ and its beginning sound /h/.
• Name words that start with the /h/ sound.
• Match pictures to words beginning with the /h/ sound.

Affective Domain

• Listen attentively to poems and stories.
• Show enthusiasm while pronouncing words with the /h/ sound.

Psychomotor Domain

• Form the uppercase ‘H’ and lowercase ‘h’ correctly.
• Copy simple words beginning with the /h/ sound in their notebooks.
• Recite a short poem about the /h/ sound.

Social Domain

• Participate in group activities for sounding and writing.
• Take turns to answer questions about stories.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources
• Relevant early-years literacy workbook
• Rhyme book

Instructional Materials

• Charts showing uppercase ‘H’ and lowercase ‘h’
• Picture cards of objects starting with /h/ (e.g., hat, hen, hand, house, horse, hammer, happy)
• Flashcards with ‘Hh’ and simple ‘h’ words
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pencils and notebooks/writing paper
• MP3/MP4 player or television for sound/video
• Picture books with simple stories

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for developing pupils’ phonological awareness, specifically their ability to recognise and produce the initial /h/ sound. Mastering beginning sounds helps children decode words, improve their pronunciation, and build a strong foundation for reading and writing. Engaging with poems and stories also enhances their listening skills and vocabulary development.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can already identify some letters of the alphabet and their sounds. They can hold a pencil correctly and have practised tracing and copying simple patterns or letters. They also enjoy listening to short stories and rhymes.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Beginning Sound h: Words, Pictures, Poems and Stories

The sound /h/ is made by pushing a little puff of air out of your mouth, like when you are breathing out. It’s a soft sound.

The Letter Hh

• Uppercase H: H
• Lowercase h: h

Words that start with the /h/ sound:

• Hat
• Hen
• Hand
• House
• Horse
• Hammer
• Happy

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display a large chart showing ‘H’ and ‘h’.
• Show picture cards for “hat”, “hen”, “hand”, “house”, “horse”, “hammer”, “happy”.
• Demonstrate how to write ‘H’ and ‘h’ on the whiteboard.

Sound Rhyme: H is for Happy!

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

H, H, H, a happy sound,
Hear it all around.
H for hat and H for hen,
Say it loudly, once again!
H, H, H, a happy sound,
Hear it all around.

Actions: Pupils clap hands for “happy”, point to their head for “hat”, flap arms for “hen”, and make a puffing sound for /h/.

How to use the rhyme: Recite the rhyme together, encouraging pupils to make the /h/ sound and perform the actions. Repeat several times to reinforce the sound.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video to hear the /h/ sound and see more ‘h’ words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw75-s-kM6o

Writing the Letter ‘Hh’

1. Uppercase H: Start from the top, draw a straight line down. Go to the middle, draw another straight line down. Then draw a line across the middle to join them.
2. Lowercase h: Start from the top, draw a straight line down. Go to the middle of that line, curve around and down to the bottom.

Key Words

• Sound: The noise we make when we speak.
• Beginning: The start or first part of something.
• Pronounce: To make the sound of a word or letter.
• Copy: To write something exactly as you see it.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Storytelling, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Repetition, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Warm-up

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and starts with a quick “Hello, everyone!” The teacher asks pupils to say “Hello” back. The teacher then tells them they will learn a new sound today, the sound we make when we say “Hello!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher and respond to the “Hello” prompt. They listen attentively.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and introduced to the concept of a new sound.

Step 2: Introduction of the /h/ Sound

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Phonics Instruction/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to make the /h/ sound (a soft puff of air, like when breathing on a cold window or saying “hot”). The teacher shows the ‘Hh’ chart and says, “This is the letter H, and it makes the /h/ sound.” The teacher leads pupils in repeating the /h/ sound several times.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s mouth, try to make the /h/ sound, and repeat it after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils learn to recognise and produce the /h/ sound.

Step 3: Identifying /h/ Words with Pictures

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Picture Talk/Word Association

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays picture cards one by one (hat, hen, hand, house, horse, hammer, happy). For each picture, the teacher says the word clearly, emphasising the beginning /h/ sound. The teacher asks, “What is this? What sound do you hear at the beginning?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the pictures, listen to the words, and try to say the words, focusing on the initial /h/ sound.

Learning Point: Pupils associate the /h/ sound with familiar objects and words.

Step 4: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Songs and Rhymes/Audio-Visual Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “H is for Happy!” rhyme, encouraging actions. Afterwards, the teacher plays the short educational video about the /h/ sound, asking pupils to listen and repeat words from the video.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions and watch the video, repeating the sounds and words as prompted.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of the /h/ sound through song and visual aids.

Step 5: Letter and Word Formation Practice

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to form uppercase ‘H’ and lowercase ‘h’ on the whiteboard, explaining the strokes. The teacher then guides pupils to trace ‘H’ and ‘h’ in the air, on their palms, and then on their notebooks/writing paper. The teacher writes simple ‘h’ words (e.g., “hen”, “hat”) on the board and guides pupils to copy them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils follow the teacher’s demonstration, air trace, trace on paper, and then attempt to copy the letter ‘Hh’ and simple ‘h’ words in their notebooks.

Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and learn to write the letter ‘Hh’ and simple ‘h’ words.

Step 6: Listening to a Story/Poem

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Storytelling/Listening Comprehension

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher tells a very short, simple story or recites a short poem that includes several ‘h’ words (e.g., “Happy Hannah had a big red hat. She saw a hen and a horse near her house.”). The teacher asks 1-2 simple questions about the story/poem.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively to the story/poem and answer simple questions about it.

Learning Point: Pupils enhance their listening skills and identify ‘h’ words within context.

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. “What sound does this letter make?” (pointing to ‘Hh’ on the chart).
2. “Can you point to a picture that starts with the /h/ sound?” (showing a few mixed pictures).
3. “Say a word that starts with /h/.”
4. “Show me how to write the letter ‘h’ in the air.”
5. “Try to copy the word ‘hat’ in your book.”

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: Summarization/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to keep practising the /h/ sound and writing the letter ‘Hh’. The teacher encourages them to look for ‘h’ words around them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the teacher’s instructions.

Learning Point: Pupils are motivated to continue learning and practising the sound.

Lesson Keywords

• H: The letter we learned today.
• Sound: The noise ‘H’ makes, like a puff of air.
• Hat: Something you wear on your head, starts with /h/.
• Hen: A bird that lays eggs, starts with /h/.
• Hand: Part of your arm, starts with /h/.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils struggling to make the sound, provide more one-on-one modelling and hand-over-hand guidance for letter formation. Use larger tracing templates. Focus only on recognising the sound and identifying pictures, rather than writing words.
• Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concept, encourage them to think of more words that start with /h/. Ask them to draw pictures of ‘h’ words and label them. Challenge them to write a simple sentence using an ‘h’ word.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare all picture cards, charts, and writing materials beforehand. Ensure the MP3/MP4 player or television is working and the video is cued up. When introducing the /h/ sound, exaggerate the puff of air and encourage pupils to feel the air on their hands. Repetition is key for sound recognition and pronunciation. For writing, focus on correct pencil grip and the directional strokes for ‘H’ and ‘h’. Do not expect perfect writing; encourage effort and correct formation. Observe pupils’ ability to make the sound and associate it with words, as this is more important than perfect spelling at this stage. The short story or poem should be simple and engaging, allowing pupils to hear the sound in context. Praise all attempts to encourage participation.