Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before this lesson, prepare flashcards for individual consonant and vowel letters, and separate cards for simple C-V, V-C, C-V-C, and V-C-V words. Ensure you have a clear space for pupils to see and hear you demonstrate blending sounds. The central idea for pupils is to understand that individual letter sounds can be put together to make new sounds and words. Successful learning will be observed when pupils can orally blend two or three sounds to form simple words and identify words from blended sounds.
Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: Second Term
Week: 10
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Language Domain
Previous Lesson: Recognition of individual consonant and vowel sounds.
Topic: BLENDING CONSONANTS WITH VOWELS AND FORMING WORDS
Subject Matter: CONSONANT SOUNDS – Blending sounds – Word formation. Weekly focus: Blending Consonants with Vowels and Forming Words.
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Identify consonant and vowel sounds orally.
- Blend consonant and vowel sounds to form simple C-V and V-C words.
- Blend three sounds to form simple C-V-C words.
Affective Domain
- Listen attentively as the teacher demonstrates sound blending.
- Show enthusiasm for learning new words.
Psychomotor Domain
- Point to consonant and vowel letters on flashcards.
- Practise saying blended sounds and simple words.
Social Domain
- Participate actively in group blending activities.
- Take turns in forming words with flashcards.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3
- Early Childhood Care and Education resources on phonics
- Relevant early-years literacy workbooks
Instructional Materials
- Flashcards with individual consonant letters (e.g., b, c, d, f, g)
- Flashcards with individual vowel letters (a, e, i, o, u)
- Flashcards with simple C-V words (e.g., ba, me, si)
- Flashcards with simple V-C words (e.g., at, on, in)
- Flashcards with simple C-V-C words (e.g., cat, dog, sun)
- Chart showing blending examples
- Sound recorder (optional)
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson is crucial for 4-year-olds as it lays the foundation for reading. By learning to blend sounds, pupils begin to understand how letters combine to form words, which is a fundamental step towards decoding and early literacy. This skill helps them to sound out new words and build confidence in their reading journey.Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can already recognise and say the individual sounds of most consonant and vowel letters. They can also identify some simple sight words.Lesson Content/Board Summary
BLENDING CONSONANTS WITH VOWELS AND FORMING WORDS
Blending sounds means putting two or more sounds together to make a new sound or a word.
We blend consonant sounds with vowel sounds to form words.
Examples of Blending:
- Consonant-Vowel (C-V) words:
- /b/ + /a/ = ba (as in banana)
- /m/ + /e/ = me (as in me)
- /s/ + /i/ = si (as in sit)
- Vowel-Consonant (V-C) words:
- /a/ + /t/ = at (as in at home)
- /o/ + /n/ = on (as in on top)
- /i/ + /n/ = in (as in in the box)
- Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (C-V-C) words:
- /c/ + /a/ + /t/ = cat
- /d/ + /o/ + /g/ = dog
- /s/ + /u/ + /n/ = sun
- /c/ + /u/ + /p/ = cup
- Vowel-Consonant-Vowel (V-C-V) words:
- /a/ + /g/ + /o/ = ago
- /e/ + /m/ + /u/ = emu
Key Words
- Consonant – a letter that is not a vowel (e.g., b, c, d, f).
- Vowel – a letter that makes an open sound (a, e, i, o, u).
- Blend – to put sounds together smoothly.
- Word – a sound or group of sounds that has a meaning.
Our Blending Song
Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Lyrics:
Sounds are fun, sounds are bright,
Put them together, make a word so right.
C and A, make a ‘ca’,
T and A, make a ‘ta’.
C-A-T, spells out ‘cat’,
Let’s all blend, just like that!
Actions: Clap hands for each sound, then put hands together for the blended word. Point to letter cards as they are mentioned.
Watch and Practise Blending
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Begin by reviewing individual consonant and vowel sounds using flashcards. Explain that blending is like mixing colours, but with sounds. Demonstrate each blending example clearly, saying the individual sounds slowly, then blending them smoothly. Use your hand to show the sounds coming together. Repeat each example multiple times, encouraging pupils to echo you.
What to show or demonstrate: Use large flashcards for individual letters and then combine them to form words. Point to each letter as you say its sound, then sweep your hand under the letters as you say the blended word. For C-V-C words, physically arrange three letter cards to form the word (e.g., C, A, T to make CAT).
How to use the rhyme/song: Introduce the “Our Blending Song” by singing it first. Then, lead pupils in singing it together, performing the actions. Repeat the song 2-3 times to reinforce the concept of blending sounds to form words. Encourage them to point to imaginary letters as they sing.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to see and hear how sounds blend to make words. Ask pupils to listen carefully to the sounds and try to say the words with the video. After watching, pause to discuss some of the words shown and have pupils practise blending them orally.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils are able to hear the individual sounds and combine them. Some may struggle with the smooth transition between sounds; provide extra modelling and repetition. Ensure they are not just memorising words but understanding the blending process.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Repetition, Manipulation of Objects, Practical Activity.Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recap
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils, leads a quick “Good morning” song, and briefly reviews individual consonant and vowel sounds by showing flashcards and asking pupils to say the sounds.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and say the sounds of the letters shown by the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils recall individual letter sounds.
Step 2: Introducing Blending (C-V)
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Explanation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the concept of blending, explaining it’s like putting sounds together. The teacher demonstrates blending C-V sounds using flashcards (e.g., /b/ + /a/ = ba, /m/ + /e/ = me). The teacher says the individual sounds slowly, then blends them smoothly, sweeping a hand under the letters.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, watch the teacher’s demonstration, and repeat the blended sounds after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the concept of blending and practise C-V sounds.
Step 3: Guided Practice (C-V and V-C)
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Repetition
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to blend more C-V and V-C sounds using different letter flashcards (e.g., /d/ + /i/ = di, /s/ + /o/ = so, /o/ + /n/ = on, /i/ + /n/ = in). The teacher provides immediate feedback and correction.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils actively participate by saying the individual sounds and blending them to form C-V and V-C words, repeating after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils gain confidence in blending two sounds.
Step 4: Introducing Blending (C-V-C)
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Modelling
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that we can blend three sounds to make a word. The teacher demonstrates blending C-V-C words using letter flashcards (e.g., /c/ + /a/ + /t/ = cat, /d/ + /o/ + /g/ = dog). The teacher emphasizes saying each sound clearly before blending them quickly to form the word.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstration, listen to the three sounds, and try to blend them to form the C-V-C words.
Learning Point: Pupils understand how three sounds can form a word.
Step 5: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Engagement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Our Blending Song” with actions. Then, the teacher plays the short educational video on blending CVC words, encouraging pupils to listen and repeat words from the video.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the blending song with actions and watch the video, repeating the blended words they hear.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce blending skills through song and visual examples.
Step 6: Word Formation Game
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Practical Application/Game-based Learning
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up two or three letter flashcards and asks pupils to blend the sounds to form a word. For example, show ‘c’, ‘u’, ‘p’ and ask “What word can we make?”. The teacher guides them to say /c/-/u/-/p/ = cup.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns or respond as a group, blending the sounds from the flashcards to form words.
Learning Point: Pupils apply blending skills to form simple words.
Step 7: Evaluation/Review
Time: 4–5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.
- Show flashcards of individual letters (e.g., ‘b’, ‘a’) and ask, “What word do these sounds make when we put them together?”
- Say two sounds (e.g., /s/ /i/) and ask, “What word did I just say?”
- Show a C-V-C word flashcard (e.g., ‘sun’) and ask, “Can you tell me the sounds in this word?”
- Ask pupils to identify and circle all the consonant sounds on a simple worksheet (if available).
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/Encouragement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and effort in blending sounds and forming words. The teacher reminds them that practising blending helps them read. The teacher encourages them to look for words around them and try to blend their sounds.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the teacher’s summary and encouragement.
Learning Point: Pupils feel encouraged to continue practising blending sounds.
Lesson Keywords
- Blend – to put sounds together.
- Consonant – a letter like ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’ that is not a vowel.
- Vowel – a letter like ‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’, ‘u’ that makes an open sound.
- Word – a sound or group of sounds that has a meaning.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils struggling with blending, provide more one-on-one repetition. Use larger letter cards and fewer sounds (focus on C-V blending first). Use hand-over-hand guidance to show the sweeping motion for blending.
- Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp blending, challenge them to identify more C-V-C words from a set of flashcards or to try blending V-C-V words like ‘ago’ or ’emu’. Ask them to identify the sounds in simple words they already know.
Community Join the conversation Open discussion +