Letter B, Sound Recognition and Picture Reading for Pre-School Level 2

Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: First Term
Week: 2
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Listening to and identifying familiar sounds, recognising some objects in the classroom.
Topic: Letter B: Sound Recognition, Picture Reading and Writing
Subject Matter: Listening and Speaking: Talking about news and happenings at home and in the community. Reading: Picture reading, recognising familiar objects and relating the sound of Bb to Ball, Bat, Book. Writing: Tracing, colouring and writing Bb. Songs, Rhymes and Poems: Singing traditional rhymes, songs and poems and acting out characters.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the uppercase letter ‘B’ and lowercase letter ‘b’.
• Recognise the /b/ sound at the beginning of familiar words.
• Relate the /b/ sound to pictures of objects like ball, bat, and book.
• Name at least two objects that start with the /b/ sound.

Affective Domain

• Participate actively in discussions about happenings at home and in the community.
• Show interest in learning new letters and sounds.
• Enjoy singing and acting out the ‘B’ sound rhyme.

Psychomotor Domain

• Trace the uppercase ‘B’ and lowercase ‘b’ with their fingers or crayons.
• Colour pictures of objects starting with ‘B’.
• Act out simple movements related to ‘B’ words (e.g., bouncing a ball).

Social Domain

• Share simple news about their home or community with their classmates.
• Listen attentively when others are speaking.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2.
• Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources.

Instructional Materials

• Flashcards of uppercase ‘B’ and lowercase ‘b’.
• Picture cards or real objects: ball, bat, book, banana, bear, butterfly.
• Chart posters showing ‘B’ and ‘b’ with associated pictures.
• Crayons and pencils.
• Worksheets with large outlines of ‘B’, ‘b’, and ‘B’ words for tracing and colouring.
• Storybook with pictures of ‘B’ words.
• A small ball for demonstration.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 3-year-olds as it introduces them to foundational literacy skills: letter recognition and phonological awareness (hearing sounds in words). Learning to identify the letter ‘B’ and its sound helps build early reading readiness. Sharing news also fosters communication, listening skills, and a sense of community, connecting classroom learning to their daily lives.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can listen to stories, identify some common objects and colours, and participate in simple songs and rhymes. They have also been introduced to the concept of sharing information about themselves.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Letter B: Sound Recognition, Picture Reading and Writing

Talking about News and Happenings

We share what happened at home or in our community. We listen to our friends and take turns talking.

• “I played with my ball yesterday.”
• “My mummy bought a big banana.”

Letter B and its Sound

The letter ‘B’ makes the /b/ sound, like in “ball” or “book”.

• Uppercase B: B (Show a large ‘B’ on a chart)
• Lowercase b: b (Show a large ‘b’ on a chart)

To make the /b/ sound, close your lips together and then push them apart quickly, making a short, burst of sound: /b/, /b/, /b/.

Picture Reading and Object Association

Look at the pictures and say the words. Listen for the /b/ sound.

• Ball – (Show a picture or real ball)
• Bat – (Show a picture of a bat)
• Book – (Show a picture or real book)
• Banana – (Show a picture or real banana)
• Bear – (Show a picture of a bear)
• Butterfly – (Show a picture of a butterfly)

Tracing and Colouring Letter B

We will trace the big ‘B’ and small ‘b’ with our fingers and then with crayons. We will also colour pictures that start with ‘B’.

The ‘B’ Sound Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

B, B, B, the letter B,
Makes the sound /b/, /b/, /b/.
Ball and bat and big brown bear,
Banana, book, are everywhere.
B, B, B, the letter B,
Makes the sound /b/, /b/, /b/.

Actions:

• Point to a big ‘B’ and small ‘b’.
• Make the /b/ sound with lips.
• Pretend to bounce a ball.
• Swing an imaginary bat.
• Hug an imaginary bear.
• Pretend to peel a banana.
• Open and close hands like a book.

Watch and Practise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT8wNl1Yh5w

Let’s watch a fun video about the letter ‘B’ and sing along!

Key Words

• Ball – A round toy for playing.
• Bat – A stick used for hitting a ball in a game.
• Book – Pages with pictures and words that we read.
• Letter B – The second letter of the alphabet.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Social Interaction

Teacher’s Activity: Greet pupils warmly. Initiate a short “news time” by asking a few pupils to share one interesting thing that happened at home or in their community (e.g., “Who wants to tell us something nice that happened yesterday?”). The teacher models simple sharing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher. A few pupils take turns to share simple news or happenings from home or the community.

Learning Point: Pupils practise speaking and listening skills, and connect with their peers.

Step 2: Presentation of Letter B and its Sound

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Introduction/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: Introduce the letter ‘B’ (uppercase and lowercase) using flashcards. Demonstrate how to make the /b/ sound by closing and opening lips quickly. Say “B says /b/, /b/, /b/.” Ask pupils to repeat the sound.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the flashcards, listen to the teacher, and try to repeat the /b/ sound.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise the visual form of ‘B’ and learn its associated sound.

Step 3: Guided Practice – Object Association

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Association/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: Show picture cards or real objects (ball, bat, book, banana, bear). For each item, say the word clearly, emphasizing the initial /b/ sound. Ask pupils, “What is this? Does it start with /b/?” Have pupils repeat the word after the teacher.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the objects, say “Yes!” if it starts with /b/, and repeat the words after the teacher, focusing on the initial sound.

Learning Point: Pupils associate the /b/ sound with familiar objects and pictures.

Step 4: Reinforcement – The ‘B’ Sound Rhyme

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Rhyme/Movement

Teacher’s Activity: Introduce the “B, B, B, the letter B” rhyme. Sing it slowly, demonstrating the actions for each ‘B’ word (e.g., bouncing a ball, opening a book). Encourage pupils to join in with the singing and actions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the rhyme, join in singing, and perform the actions as demonstrated by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce the /b/ sound and ‘B’ words through song and movement.

Step 5: Application – Tracing and Colouring

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Fine Motor/Pre-writing

Teacher’s Activity: Distribute worksheets with large outlines of uppercase ‘B’ and lowercase ‘b’, and pictures of ‘B’ words (e.g., a ball). Guide pupils to first trace the letters with their fingers, then with crayons. Encourage them to colour the ‘B’ pictures.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace the letters ‘B’ and ‘b’ on their worksheets and colour the pictures that start with ‘B’.

Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and practise pre-writing strokes for the letter ‘B’.

Step 6: Video Reinforcement

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Learning/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: Introduce the “Letter B Song” video. Play the video and encourage pupils to watch and sing along to reinforce their learning of the letter ‘B’ and its sound.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video, listen to the song, and try to sing along or make the /b/ sound.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their understanding of the letter ‘B’ through an engaging visual and auditory medium.

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.

1. “What letter did we learn today?” (Show flashcards of B and other letters).
2. “What sound does letter B make?”
3. “Can you point to a picture that starts with the /b/ sound?” (Show a mix of ‘B’ and non-‘B’ pictures).
4. “Say a word that starts with /b/.”

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: Closure

Teacher’s Activity: Congratulate pupils on their hard work. Briefly recap that they learned about the letter ‘B’ and its sound. Encourage them to look for ‘B’ words at home. Lead a short “Goodbye” song.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the recap and participate in the goodbye song.

Learning Point: Pupils leave the lesson with a sense of accomplishment and a reminder of the day’s learning.

Lesson Keywords

• Letter B – The second letter of the English alphabet.
• Sound /b/ – The noise made by the letter B, like at the start of “ball”.
• Ball – A round object used for playing.
• Book – Something we read with pages and pictures.
• Trace – To draw over lines or letters that are already there.
• Colour – To fill in an outline with crayons or pencils.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who are struggling, provide larger flashcards of ‘B’ and ‘b’. Offer hand-over-hand guidance for tracing. Focus on identifying just one or two ‘B’ words. Use more repetition and one-on-one pronunciation practice.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, encourage them to identify other objects in the classroom or at home that start with the /b/ sound. Ask them to draw their own ‘B’ words on a blank paper.