Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before the lesson, prepare flashcards for uppercase ‘C’ and lowercase ‘c’, along with clear picture cards of objects like a cat, chair, crayon, car, and cup. Ensure you have tracing worksheets for the letter ‘C’ and plenty of crayons and pencils available. The central idea is for pupils to recognise the letter ‘C’, identify its /k/ sound, and associate it with familiar objects. Successful learning will be observable when pupils can point to the letter ‘C’, confidently say its sound, and accurately trace or colour the letter.
Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: First Term
Week: 3
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Introduction to letters of the alphabet and simple sounds.
Topic: LETTER C: 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 Cc to Cat, Chair, Crayon. Writing: Tracing, colouring and writing Cc. 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 uppercase ‘C’ and lowercase ‘c’.
- Recognise the /k/ sound associated with the letter ‘C’.
- Name familiar objects that start with the letter ‘C’ (e.g., Cat, Chair, Crayon).
Affective Domain
- Listen attentively to the teacher and peers during discussions.
- Participate actively in singing songs and rhymes.
- Show interest in learning new letters and sounds.
Psychomotor Domain
- Trace and colour the letter ‘C’ (both uppercase and lowercase).
- Attempt to write the letter ‘C’ with guidance.
- Perform simple actions related to songs and rhymes.
Social Domain
- Share simple news or happenings from home and the community.
- Take turns when speaking or participating in activities.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2
- Early Childhood Care and Education resources
Instructional Materials
- Letter C flashcards (uppercase and lowercase)
- Picture cards of a cat, chair, crayon, car, cup, cake
- Tracing worksheets for letter ‘C’
- Crayons and pencils
- Whiteboard/chalkboard and markers/chalk
- Storybook with C words (optional)
- Chart posters showing letter C and associated pictures
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson is crucial for 3-year-olds as it lays a foundational brick in their literacy journey. By learning to recognise the letter ‘C’ and its sound, pupils begin to connect spoken words with written symbols, expanding their vocabulary and developing essential pre-reading and pre-writing skills. This concrete approach helps them understand how letters form the words they hear every day.Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can recognise some basic letters of the alphabet. They can make simple sounds and hold a crayon or pencil. They are also able to talk about familiar objects and experiences.Lesson Content/Board Summary
LETTER C: SOUND RECOGNITION, PICTURE READING AND WRITING
Listening and Speaking: Sharing News
Talking about things that happened at home or in the community. Saying simple sentences like: “I saw a dog at home.” or “My mummy cooked rice.”
Letter C Recognition
C (Uppercase C)
c (Lowercase c)
Sound of Letter C
The letter ‘C’ makes the /k/ sound, like in “Cat”.
Picture Reading: Words Starting with C
- C for Cat (/k/, /k/, Cat)
- C for Chair (/k/, /k/, Chair)
- C for Crayon (/k/, /k/, Crayon)
- C for Car (/k/, /k/, Car)
- C for Cup (/k/, /k/, Cup)
- C for Cake (/k/, /k/, Cake)
Writing Practice: Tracing and Colouring C
Trace the big ‘C’ and small ‘c’.
Colour the letter ‘C’ beautifully.
Key Words
- C – The third letter of the alphabet.
- Cat – A common pet animal.
- Chair – Something we sit on.
- Crayon – A colourful stick for drawing.
- Car – A vehicle for driving.
- Cup – Used for drinking.
- Cake – A sweet baked food.
Letter C Sound Rhyme
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
C, C, C, the letter C,
/k/, /k/, /k/, for Cat you see.
C, C, C, the letter C,
/k/, /k/, /k/, for Chair and me.
Actions: Point to the letter C, make cat ears with hands, pretend to sit on a chair, make a ‘C’ shape with fingers.
Watch and Practise the Letter C Sound
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Begin by inviting pupils to share simple news from home or their community, encouraging short, clear sentences. Introduce the uppercase ‘C’ and lowercase ‘c’ using flashcards, saying their names clearly. Then, introduce the /k/ sound of ‘C’, demonstrating it with a sharp, clear sound. Show each picture card (cat, chair, crayon, car, cup, cake) one by one, saying the word and emphasising the initial /k/ sound. Have pupils repeat each word and sound multiple times.
What to show or demonstrate: Display large flashcards of ‘C’ and ‘c’. Show picture cards for ‘cat’, ‘chair’, ‘crayon’, ‘car’, ‘cup’, ‘cake’. Demonstrate how to trace the letter ‘C’ (starting from the top, curving down and around) on the board, then guide pupils to trace on their worksheets. Show how to hold the crayon/pencil correctly.
How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Letter C Sound Rhyme” several times with the pupils. Encourage them to perform the actions (pointing to C, making cat ears, pretending to sit, making ‘C’ shape with fingers) as they sing. This repetition helps reinforce the sound and letter association.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to learn more ‘C’ words and sounds. Play the video “Learn the Letter C | Let’s Learn About The Alphabet | Phonics Song for Kids | Jack Hartmann”. After watching, ask pupils to repeat the ‘C’ words and sounds they heard in the video. Encourage them to mimic the actions or sounds from the video.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils are correctly identifying ‘C’ and ‘c’, making the /k/ sound, and associating it with the pictures. Check their pencil grip and tracing attempts. Provide individual support and correction as needed, especially for sound pronunciation and letter formation.
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: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and leads them in a familiar welcome song. The teacher then invites pupils to share one piece of news or something interesting that happened at home or in their community, encouraging simple sentences.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and take turns sharing short pieces of news about their home or community.
Learning Point: Pupils feel welcomed, practise listening and speaking, and share personal experiences.
Step 2: Introduction of Letter C
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Visual Recognition
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows flashcards of uppercase ‘C’ and lowercase ‘c’, saying “This is letter C, big C and small c.” The teacher asks pupils to repeat the letter name.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the flashcards and repeat “C, big C, small c” after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils begin to recognise the visual form of the letter C.
Step 3: Sound Recognition of Letter C
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Auditory Discrimination
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the sound of letter ‘C’ as /k/, making the sound clearly. The teacher demonstrates how to make the sound and asks pupils to imitate it.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the /k/ sound and practise making the sound several times.
Learning Point: Pupils learn to associate the letter C with its primary /k/ sound.
Step 4: Picture Association and Word Repetition
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Vocabulary Building/Association
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows picture cards (cat, chair, crayon, car, cup, cake) one by one. For each picture, the teacher says, “C for Cat, /k/, /k/, Cat,” and asks pupils to repeat. The teacher encourages pupils to point to the pictures.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures, repeat the words and sounds, and point to the corresponding pictures.
Learning Point: Pupils connect the letter C and its sound to familiar objects and expand their vocabulary.
Step 5: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Auditory/Kinesthetic Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Letter C Sound Rhyme” with actions. Afterwards, the teacher plays the educational video on “Letter C sound and words” and encourages pupils to watch and listen.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions and watch the video attentively, repeating words and sounds as prompted by the video or teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of letter C, its sound, and associated words through song and visual media.
Step 6: Writing Practice: Tracing and Colouring
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Fine Motor Development/Pre-writing
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes tracing worksheets for letter ‘C’ (uppercase and lowercase) and crayons/pencils. The teacher demonstrates tracing on the board and guides pupils to trace and colour the letters on their worksheets, providing individual help.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils hold their crayons/pencils correctly, trace the letter ‘C’ on their worksheets, and colour them.
Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and practise forming the letter C.
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 C on the flashcard.”
- “What sound does letter C make?”
- “Can you name one thing that starts with the /k/ sound?” (e.g., cat, car)
- “Show me your traced letter C.”
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/Encouragement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and effort. The teacher reminds them to keep practising the letter C sound and words.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to praise and acknowledge the reminder.
Learning Point: Pupils feel accomplished and are encouraged to continue learning.
Lesson Keywords
- C – The third letter of the English alphabet, used for writing.
- Cat – A small, furry animal often kept as a pet.
- Chair – A piece of furniture with a back and four legs, used for sitting.
- Crayon – A stick of coloured wax used for drawing or colouring.
- Car – A road vehicle, usually with four wheels, powered by an engine.
- Cup – A small, round container with a handle, used for drinking.
- Cake – A sweet food baked from a mixture of flour, sugar, eggs, and fat.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils who are struggling, provide larger tracing templates for letter C, offer hand-over-hand guidance during tracing, and repeat the /k/ sound and associated words more frequently. Focus on just two key ‘C’ words for recognition.
- Extension: For fast learners, encourage them to identify other objects in the classroom or at home that start with the /k/ sound. They can also try to draw a simple picture of a ‘C’ word or attempt to write the letter ‘C’ independently without tracing.
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