Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before this lesson, prepare large, clear flashcards for individual vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and common consonants (b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, y, z). Also, have simple picture cards for CVC words (e.g., cat, sun, pen) ready. The central idea is for pupils to understand that putting individual letter sounds together creates a word. Focus on clear pronunciation and encourage active oral participation. Successful learning will be observed when pupils can orally blend two or three sounds to form a simple word.

Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: Third Term
Week: 2
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Language Domain
Previous Lesson: Recognition of individual vowel and consonant sounds.
Topic: BLENDING VOWELS AND CONSONANTS TO FORM SIMPLE WORDS
Subject Matter: Review Vowel and Consonant Sounds. Weekly focus: Blending Vowels and Consonants to Form Simple Words.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Identify and say individual vowel and consonant sounds.
Explain that blending means putting sounds together.
Orally blend two sounds (C-V, V-C) to form simple syllables or words.
Orally blend three sounds (C-V-C) to form simple words.

Affective Domain

Show enthusiasm while participating in blending activities.
Listen attentively to the teacher’s sound demonstrations.

Psychomotor Domain

Point to specific vowel and consonant letters when named.
Use hands to demonstrate blending sounds together.

Take turns when practising blending sounds.
Participate in group chanting of blended sounds.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3.
Early Childhood Care and Education resources.
Suitable early-years phonics workbook.

Instructional Materials

Large flashcards for individual vowels (a, e, i, o, u).
Large flashcards for common consonants (e.g., b, c, d, f, m, n, p, s, t).
Picture cards for simple CVC words (e.g., cat, sun, pen, mat).
Whiteboard or chart paper.
Markers.
Sound recorder (optional, for teacher to check pronunciation).

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for Pre-School Level 3 pupils as it builds foundational literacy skills. Blending sounds is the key to decoding words and learning to read. By practising this skill, children develop phonological awareness, which is essential for their future academic success in reading and writing.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can already recognise and say the individual sounds of most vowels and consonants. They can also identify some simple words.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

BLENDING VOWELS AND CONSONANTS TO FORM SIMPLE WORDS

What is Blending?

Blending means putting individual sounds together to make a word. We take the sound of one letter and join it with the sound of another letter to hear a word.

Review: Vowel and Consonant Sounds

Vowels: a, e, i, o, u (They make open sounds).
Consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, y, z (They make blocked sounds).

Blending Examples:

We will practise putting sounds together to make words.

Consonant-Vowel (C-V) Blending:

/b/ + /a/ = ba (like in ‘ball’)
/m/ + /a/ = ma (like in ‘mama’)
/d/ + /e/ = de (like in ‘den’)
/s/ + /i/ = si (like in ‘sit’)
/g/ + /o/ = go (like in ‘go’)

Vowel-Consonant (V-C) Blending:

/a/ + /m/ = am
/i/ + /n/ = in
/o/ + /n/ = on

Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (C-V-C) Blending:

/c/ + /a/ + /t/ = cat
/s/ + /u/ + /n/ = sun
/p/ + /e/ + /n/ = pen
/m/ + /a/ + /t/ = mat
/s/ + /i/ + /t/ = sit

Other Simple Blends (Teacher-led examples):

V-C-V: /a/ + /g/ + /o/ = ago
C-V-C-V: /m/ + /a/ + /m/ + /a/ = mama

Blending Sounds Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:

Sounds we know, hear them clear,
Put them close, right here, right here.
/c/ and /a/ and /t/ we say,
Blend them now, it’s “cat” today!
Sounds we know, hear them clear,
Words we make, banish fear!

Actions: Point to mouth for sounds, bring hands together for blending, clap for the word.

Watch and Practise Blending

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO-o5yA8t4A

Key Words

Vowel – special letters (a, e, i, o, u) that make open sounds.
Consonant – other letters that make blocked sounds.
Blend – to put sounds together to make a word.
Word – a group of sounds that has a meaning.

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Begin by reviewing vowel and consonant sounds using flashcards. Explain “blending” simply as “putting sounds together.” Use large letter flashcards to physically demonstrate blending. Hold up a ‘c’ card, say /c/, then an ‘a’ card, say /a/, then a ‘t’ card, say /t/. Then, slowly slide the cards together while blending the sounds: /c/-/a/-/t/ = cat. Repeat this process for C-V, V-C, and C-V-C words, emphasizing clear, drawn-out sounds initially, then speeding up to form the word. Use familiar words and pictures.

What to show or demonstrate: Show individual letter flashcards, say their sounds. Then, combine two or three cards, slowly blending the sounds, and then saying the whole word. Use picture cards to reinforce the meaning of the blended words (e.g., show a picture of a cat after blending C-A-T).

How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Blending Sounds Rhyme” several times with the pupils, encouraging them to perform the actions. Use it as a fun break and a way to reinforce the concept of putting sounds together.

How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to see and hear blending. Play the video, pausing at key points to have pupils repeat the sounds and words. Encourage them to mimic the actions and sounds shown in the video. After watching, ask pupils to recall some of the words blended in the video.

What to watch for: Observe if pupils are correctly making the individual letter sounds and if they are able to smoothly join them together without long pauses. Correct any mispronunciations gently and model the correct sound. Encourage all pupils to participate orally.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Motivation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and sings a familiar alphabet song to get them ready for learning. The teacher then tells them they will be learning how to put sounds together to make words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher and sing along to the alphabet song with enthusiasm.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and ready for the lesson.

Step 2: Review Vowel and Consonant Sounds

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Recall/Identification

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up vowel and consonant flashcards one by one, asking pupils to identify the letter and say its sound. The teacher reminds them which are vowels and which are consonants.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the letters and say their sounds as the teacher shows the flashcards. They repeat the sounds after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils recall and correctly pronounce individual vowel and consonant sounds.

Step 3: Introduce C-V Blending

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains blending. Using letter flashcards (e.g., ‘b’ and ‘a’), the teacher demonstrates how to blend /b/ and /a/ to make “ba”. The teacher repeats slowly, then faster. Pupils then practise blending other C-V sounds like “ma”, “de”, “si”, “go” with teacher guidance.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the teacher’s demonstration carefully. They then practise blending C-V sounds orally with the teacher, repeating the sounds and the blended syllable.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the concept of blending and can orally blend simple C-V sounds.

Step 4: Introduce V-C and C-V-C Blending

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates blending V-C words (e.g., /a/ + /m/ = “am”) and then C-V-C words (e.g., /c/ + /a/ + /t/ = “cat”) using flashcards and picture cards. The teacher guides pupils to blend sounds and say the full word, showing the corresponding picture.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstration. They then actively participate in blending V-C and C-V-C words, saying the sounds and the final word. They point to the correct picture for the word.

Learning Point: Pupils can orally blend V-C and C-V-C sounds to form simple words and associate them with pictures.

Step 5: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Blending Sounds Rhyme” with actions. The teacher then plays the short video on blending CVC words, encouraging pupils to watch and listen carefully.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions. They watch the video attentively and repeat sounds and words as prompted by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their blending skills through a fun rhyme and visual aid.

Step 6: Further Blending Practice

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents more blending examples, including V-C-V (e.g., “ago”) and C-V-C-V (e.g., “mama”), guiding pupils to blend them. The teacher provides individual support as needed.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils attempt to blend the new sound patterns with the teacher’s help, focusing on clear pronunciation.

Learning Point: Pupils extend their blending skills to slightly more complex word patterns.

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 me the letter ‘a’ and tell me its sound.”
“Is ‘b’ a vowel or a consonant?”
“What word do we make when we blend /s/ – /u/ – /n/?” (Teacher shows letter cards)
“Blend these sounds for me: /m/ – /a/.”
“Circle all the vowel sounds in this list: a, p, e, t, i.” (On a small worksheet or whiteboard)

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: Summarisation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their hard work in blending sounds to make words. The teacher encourages them to keep practising at home by listening for sounds in words.

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

Learning Point: Pupils feel encouraged and understand the importance of continued practice.

Lesson Keywords

Vowel – The letters a, e, i, o, u.
Consonant – All other letters of the alphabet.
Blend – To put sounds together to make a word.
Word – A sound or sounds that have a meaning.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils struggling, provide more one-on-one repetition with only two sounds (C-V or V-C). Use larger, more distinct letter cards and hand-over-hand guidance to physically demonstrate bringing sounds together. Focus on only 2-3 core CVC words.
Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp blending, challenge them to blend more CVC words or to identify simple words from a small group of picture cards by saying the sounds. Ask them to identify words that start with a specific blended sound (e.g., “Which word starts with ‘ma’ sound?”).