Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, prepare clear flashcards for individual letters (vowels: a, e, i, o, u; consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, l, m, n, p, r, s, t) and simple picture cards for CVC words like ‘cat’, ‘pen’, ‘pig’, ‘sun’. The central idea is for pupils to understand that putting sounds together forms words. Observe pupils actively blending sounds orally and pointing to the correct letters or pictures as they form words.

Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: First Term
Week: 8
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Language Domain
Previous Lesson: Introduction to Vowel Sounds
Topic: BLENDING PURE VOWELS WITH CONSONANTS AND FORMING WORDS
Subject Matter: INTRODUCTION OF PURE VOWEL SOUNDS – Blending sounds – Word formation. Weekly focus: Blending Pure Vowels with Consonants and Forming Words.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Identify pure vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u).
Blend consonant and vowel sounds to form simple words.
Form C-V, V-C, and C-V-C words orally.

Affective Domain

Listen attentively as the teacher pronounces sounds.
Participate enthusiastically in blending activities and games.

Psychomotor Domain

Point to letter flashcards as their sounds are called.
Attempt to trace letter shapes in the air or on paper.

Take turns when blending sounds with peers.
Work cooperatively during guided practice.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3
Jolly phonics handbook and C/D
Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources

Instructional Materials

Jolly phonics handbook and C/D
Sound recorder
Letter flashcards (vowels: a, e, i, o, u; consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, l, m, n, p, r, s, t)
Picture cards of simple CVC words (e.g., cat, pen, pig, sun, bat, dog)
Whiteboard or chart paper
Markers

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for Pre-School Level 3 pupils as it lays the foundation for reading and writing. By learning to blend sounds, children begin to understand how letters combine to form words, which is a fundamental step towards literacy and effective communication. This skill helps them decode new words and build confidence in their early reading journey.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise some letters of the alphabet and have been introduced to the basic sounds of pure vowels (a, e, i, o, u). They can also identify some common objects and their names.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

BLENDING PURE VOWELS WITH CONSONANTS AND FORMING WORDS

What is Blending?

Blending means putting sounds together to make a word. When we blend, we say the sounds quickly, one after the other, to hear the whole word.

Pure Vowel Sounds:

a as in ‘apple’ /a/
e as in ‘egg’ /e/
i as in ‘ink’ /i/
o as in ‘orange’ /o/
u as in ‘umbrella’ /u/

Blending Sounds to Form Words:

We can put a consonant sound and a vowel sound together to make a word part or a small word.

Examples of Blending:

C-V Words (Consonant-Vowel):
- /b/ + /a/ = ba (as in banana)
- /m/ + /e/ = me
- /s/ + /i/ = si (as in sit)
- /g/ + /o/ = go
- /r/ + /u/ = ru (as in run)
V-C Words (Vowel-Consonant):
- /a/ + /m/ = am
- /i/ + /n/ = in
- /o/ + /n/ = on
- /u/ + /p/ = up
- /i/ + /t/ = it
C-V-C Words (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant):
- /c/ + /a/ + /t/ = cat
- /p/ + /e/ + /n/ = pen
- /p/ + /i/ + /g/ = pig
- /t/ + /o/ + /p/ = top
- /s/ + /u/ + /n/ = sun

Blending Song

Tune: “Are You Sleeping, Brother John?”

Lyrics:

Sounds are blending, sounds are blending,
Hear them now, hear them now.
C-A-T makes cat, C-A-T makes cat,
Listen well, listen well.

S-U-N makes sun, S-U-N makes sun,
What a word, what a word.
P-E-N makes pen, P-E-N makes pen,
Let’s blend more, let’s blend more!

Actions: Clap hands for each sound, then sweep hands together for the word. Point to letter cards as they are mentioned.

Watch and Practise Blending

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5R-2q4K43Q

Key Words

Vowel – Special sounds like a, e, i, o, u.
Consonant – Other letter sounds like b, c, d, f.
Blend – To put sounds together to make a word.
Word – A sound or group of sounds that has a meaning.

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Begin by reviewing the pure vowel sounds, asking pupils to say them aloud. Introduce the concept of blending by showing two letter flashcards (e.g., ‘b’ and ‘a’) and physically pushing them together while saying their sounds quickly to form ‘ba’. Repeat with various C-V, V-C, and then C-V-C combinations. Emphasise saying the individual sounds clearly before blending them into the whole word.

What to show or demonstrate: Use large letter flashcards to demonstrate blending. Show a consonant card, say its sound, then a vowel card, say its sound, then slide them together to form a blend. For CVC words, use three cards. Use picture cards to reinforce the meaning of the CVC words formed (e.g., show ‘cat’ picture after blending ‘c-a-t’).

How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Blending Song” together multiple times, encouraging pupils to join in with the actions. Point to the letter cards as the words are sung, reinforcing the sound-letter connection. This can be used as a transition or energy break.

How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to see how sounds come together. Ask pupils to watch and listen carefully. After watching, pause the video at different CVC words and ask pupils to blend the sounds they heard, then say the word. Encourage them to repeat the words from the video.

What to watch for: Observe if pupils are struggling to isolate individual sounds or if they are unable to combine sounds quickly. Provide extra practice for those who need it, focusing on one sound combination at a time.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning
Demonstration
Guided Practice
Songs and Rhymes
Picture Talk
Question and Answer
Repetition
Manipulation of Objects (flashcards)

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and asks them to recall the five pure vowel sounds they learned previously. The teacher then introduces the day’s topic: “Today, we will learn how to put these sounds together to make new sounds and even words! It’s like magic!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and enthusiastically say the five pure vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) with the teacher. They listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Pupils recall prior knowledge of vowel sounds and are prepared for the new topic.

Step 2: Review of Pure Vowel Sounds

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Repetition/Identification

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays flashcards for each pure vowel (a, e, i, o, u), pronounces the sound clearly, and asks pupils to repeat. The teacher uses a sound recorder to play the sounds for reinforcement.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify each vowel letter and repeat its sound after the teacher. They listen to the recorded sounds and practise saying them.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their recognition and pronunciation of pure vowel sounds.

Step 3: Introduction to Blending (C-V Words)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Explanation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that blending is putting sounds together. Using letter flashcards (e.g., ‘b’ and ‘a’), the teacher demonstrates how to blend /b/ and /a/ to make “ba”. The teacher repeats with other C-V combinations like ‘m-e’ (me), ‘s-i’ (si), ‘g-o’ (go), ‘r-u’ (ru), guiding pupils to listen and repeat.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the teacher’s demonstration, listen to the blended sounds, and attempt to repeat the C-V blends after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the concept of blending and practise forming simple C-V sounds.

Step 4: Guided Practice (V-C and C-V-C Words)

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Correction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents V-C combinations (e.g., ‘a-m’ = am, ‘i-n’ = in, ‘o-n’ = on) and C-V-C words (e.g., ‘c-a-t’ = cat, ‘p-e-n’ = pen) using flashcards. The teacher guides pupils to blend the sounds and say the full word. The teacher provides immediate correction and encouragement.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils actively participate by blending sounds from the flashcards and saying the words. They match the blended words to corresponding picture cards where available.

Learning Point: Pupils gain confidence in blending different sound combinations and forming simple words.

Step 5: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Blending Song” with actions. Afterwards, the teacher plays the educational video on blending CVC words, asking pupils to pay attention to how the sounds come together.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the blending song with actions. They watch the video attentively and try to identify the words being blended.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce blending skills through a fun and visual medium, enhancing retention.

Step 6: Word Formation Game

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Game-based Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up a picture card (e.g., a ‘dog’) and asks pupils to identify the sounds in the word, then blend them. The teacher can also call out sounds for pupils to form a word (e.g., “What word do we get from /d/ /o/ /g/?”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the sounds in picture words and orally blend them. They also try to form words when the teacher calls out individual sounds.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their blending skills in a practical, interactive way.

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.

“What sound do you hear first in ‘cat’?”
“Blend these sounds for me: /p/ /i/ /g/.”
“Show me the letter for the /a/ sound.”
“What word do we get when we put /s/ and /u/ and /n/ together?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate by saying sounds, blending words, or pointing to letter cards.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summarisation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their hard work in blending sounds and forming words. The teacher reminds them that practising blending helps them read. The teacher gives a simple task like “Try to find two words at home that start with the /m/ sound.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the teacher’s summary and instructions for home practice. They say “Thank you” to the teacher.

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

Lesson Keywords

Vowel – The sounds a, e, i, o, u.
Consonant – Other letter sounds like b, c, d.
Blend – To join sounds together to make a word.
Word – A sound or group of sounds that means something.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils struggling with blending, focus on C-V blends first, using only two letter cards at a time. Provide hand-over-hand guidance to physically push the cards together while saying the sounds. Use larger, more distinct letter cards.
Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp blending, challenge them to identify the beginning, middle, and end sounds in CVC words. Ask them to think of other CVC words that were not discussed in class.