Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 3
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Language Domain
Previous Lesson: Identification and Pronunciation of Single Sounds s, a, t, i, p, n
Topic: Identification and Pronunciation of Single Sounds d, a, i and m
Subject Matter: Single Sounds: d, a, i, m. Sight Words: I, Go, Car.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Identify the single sounds /d/, /a/, /i/, and /m/ when seen.
Pronounce the single sounds /d/, /a/, /i/, and /m/ correctly.
Recognise simple words containing the sounds /d/, /a/, /i/, and /m/.
Identify the sight words “I”, “Go”, and “Car”.

Affective Domain

Show enthusiasm while practising the sounds and words.
Listen attentively to the teacher’s pronunciation.
Participate actively in sound and word games.

Psychomotor Domain

Trace the letters ‘d’, ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘m’ in the air and on paper.
Point to specific letters and words on flashcards or charts.
Attempt to write simple words containing the target sounds.

Take turns when responding or playing games.
Share learning materials respectfully.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
Early Childhood Care and Education curriculum resources
Approved Pre-School Level 4 Literacy Workbook

Instructional Materials

Chart displaying single sounds d, a, i, m with corresponding pictures (e.g., dog, ant, ink, man)
Flashcards for letters ‘d’, ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘m’ (uppercase and lowercase)
Flashcards for sight words: “I”, “Go”, “Car”
Picture cards for words like “dog”, “ant”, “ink”, “man”, “bed”, “pan”, “pin”, “gum”
Whiteboard and markers
Individual slates or exercise books
Pencils and crayons

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for developing pupils’ early literacy skills by focusing on foundational phonics. Mastering the identification and pronunciation of single sounds helps children decode words, build a strong reading base, and confidently recognise common sight words, which are essential for early reading fluency.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise and pronounce some basic alphabet letters and have been introduced to other single sounds in previous lessons.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Identification and Pronunciation of Single Sounds d, a, i and m

Today, we will learn and practise four special sounds: /d/, /a/, /i/, and /m/!

Sound /d/

Letter: D d
Sound: /d/ (like in “dog”)
Action: Pretend to hit a drum, saying “d-d-d”.
Words: dog, day, den, lid, bed, dad

Sound /a/

Letter: A a
Sound: /a/ (like in “ant”)
Action: Wiggle fingers like ants crawling on your arm, saying “a-a-a”.
Words: ant, pan, nap, fan, lad, cap, rat, bag

Sound /i/

Letter: I i
Sound: /i/ (like in “ink”)
Action: Wiggle fingers like a mouse, saying “i-i-i”.
Words: pin, ink, fin, pit, dim, lip, fig

Sound /m/

Letter: M m
Sound: /m/ (like in “man”)
Action: Rub your tummy like you’ve eaten something delicious, saying “m-m-m”.
Words: man, bam, film, come, mom, gum, Jim

Sound and Word Chant

Tune: “Are You Sleeping, Brother John?”

Sound /d/, sound /d/,
Dog and dad,
Dog and dad.
Listen to the sound,
All around, all around.

Sound /a/, sound /a/,
Ant and cap,
Ant and cap.
Hear the /a/ sound,
All around, all around.

Sound /i/, sound /i/,
Ink and pin,
Ink and pin.
Hear the /i/ sound,
All around, all around.

Sound /m/, sound /m/,
Man and mom,
Man and mom.
Hear the /m/ sound,
All around, all around.

Actions: For each sound, perform the action described above (drum for /d/, ants for /a/, mouse for /i/, tummy rub for /m/). Point to the corresponding letter and picture on the chart as you sing.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the chant slowly, repeating each sound and word clearly. Encourage pupils to do the actions and point to the letters/pictures with you. This reinforces auditory and visual recognition.

Sight Words: I, Go, Car

I: This word means “me”. (Show flashcard, say “I”)
Go: This word means “move”. (Show flashcard, say “Go”)
Car: This word is a vehicle. (Show flashcard, say “Car”)

We need to learn these words by heart because they appear very often when we read.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video to see and hear these sounds and words again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-yL5s71_V8

Key Words

d – the sound like in “dog”.
a – the sound like in “ant”.
i – the sound like in “ink”.
m – the sound like in “man”.
I – a word meaning “me”.
Go – a word meaning “move”.
Car – a type of vehicle.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

Large letters Dd, Aa, Ii, Mm on the whiteboard or chart.
Simple pictures for each sound (e.g., a dog, an ant, an ink bottle, a man).
Flashcards for each target letter and sight word.
Demonstrate tracing the letters in the air.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils, reviews previous sounds briefly, and introduces the new sounds (d, a, i, m) by showing the letter flashcards and saying, “Today, we have four new friends to meet! Listen carefully to their sounds.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, listen attentively, and try to guess the sounds from the flashcards.

Learning Point: Pupils are prepared and engaged for the new lesson.

Step 2: Identification and Pronunciation of Sound /d/

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows the ‘Dd’ flashcard and a picture of a dog. “This is letter D, and it makes the sound /d/ like in ‘dog’. Listen: /d/, /d/, dog.” The teacher demonstrates the sound and the drum action, then asks pupils to repeat.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the flashcard and picture, listen to the teacher, repeat the sound /d/ several times, and practise the drum action.

Learning Point: Pupils identify and pronounce the /d/ sound and associate it with the letter ‘D’ and example words.

Step 3: Identification and Pronunciation of Sounds /a/, /i/, /m/

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher repeats Step 2 for sounds /a/ (ant action), /i/ (mouse action), and /m/ (tummy rub action), using flashcards and pictures for each. The teacher leads pupils in repeating each sound and its associated action and example words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the letters A, I, M, pronounce their sounds /a/, /i/, /m/, perform the actions, and repeat example words after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils correctly identify and pronounce sounds /a/, /i/, /m/ and link them to letters and pictures.

Step 4: Sound and Word Reinforcement (Chant & Blending)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Interactive/Blending

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Sound and Word Chant” from the Board Summary, encouraging actions and pointing. The teacher then guides pupils to blend sounds to form simple words like “d-a-d” (dad), “m-a-n” (man), “p-i-n” (pin) using the sounds learned.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the chant with actions, listen to the blending, and attempt to blend sounds to form simple words with teacher’s help.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce sound recognition through song and begin to understand sound blending.

Step 5: Sight Words Introduction and Practice

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Direct Instruction/Recognition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the sight words “I”, “Go”, “Car” using flashcards. “These words are special, we learn them by looking at them!” The teacher says each word clearly and asks pupils to repeat. The teacher shows the flashcards randomly for quick recognition.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the sight word flashcards, repeat the words after the teacher, and try to recognise them quickly when shown.

Learning Point: Pupils identify and begin to memorise the sight words “I”, “Go”, “Car”.

Step 6: Guided Writing Practice

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing/Tracing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to trace letters ‘d’, ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘m’ on the whiteboard, explaining the stroke order. The teacher then guides pupils to trace the letters and some simple words (e.g., dad, man) in their slates or books.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace the letters ‘d’, ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘m’ and simple words in the air, then in their slates/books with pencils, following the teacher’s guidance.

Learning Point: Pupils practise forming the letters and simple words containing the target sounds.

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.

“Point to the letter that makes the /d/ sound.” (Show Dd, Aa, Ii, Mm flashcards)
“What sound does this letter make?” (Show ‘A’ flashcard)
“Say a word that starts with the /m/ sound.”
“Show me the word ‘Go’ from these flashcards.” (Show I, Go, Car flashcards)

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: Summarising/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and summarises the sounds and sight words learned. “Great job today, everyone! We learned the sounds /d/, /a/, /i/, /m/ and the words ‘I’, ‘Go’, ‘Car’. Keep practising!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, respond with “Thank you, teacher,” and pack up their materials.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Lesson Keywords

d – the sound /d/ as in “dog”.
a – the sound /a/ as in “ant”.
i – the sound /i/ as in “ink”.
m – the sound /m/ as in “man”.
I – a sight word meaning “me”.
Go – a sight word meaning “move”.
Car – a sight word for a vehicle.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils struggling to identify sounds, use larger flashcards and more exaggerated mouth movements when pronouncing. Provide hand-over-hand guidance for tracing letters. Offer fewer choices when asking them to point to a sound or word.
Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the sounds, ask them to think of more words starting with or containing the target sounds. Encourage them to try writing more simple CVC words using the learned sounds (e.g., “lid”, “map”, “sit”).

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare all flashcards and picture charts in advance. Ensure the classroom is set up to allow easy viewing of the whiteboard and charts. When introducing each sound, clearly articulate the sound and demonstrate the associated action. Emphasise the difference between the letter name and the letter sound. Repeat the sounds and words frequently throughout the lesson. For tracing activities, ensure pupils hold their pencils correctly and start their letters from the correct point. Observe pupils during group activities and individual writing to identify those needing extra support or extension. Praise effort and participation to build confidence. Observable understanding will include pupils correctly pointing to letters/words, repeating sounds clearly, and making an attempt to trace or write the letters.