Letter N Sound, Words and Writing for Pre-School Level 2

Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Second Term
Week: 5
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Recognition of other alphabet letters and their sounds.
Topic: LETTER N: 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 Nn to Nail, Net, Needle. Writing: Tracing, colouring and writing Nn. 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 ‘N’ and lowercase letter ‘n’.
• Make the /n/ sound correctly.
• Name familiar objects that start with the /n/ sound, such as nail, net, and needle.
• Recall and share simple news or happenings from their home.

Affective Domain

• Listen attentively when others are sharing news.
• Participate enthusiastically in singing rhymes and acting out characters.
• Show interest in learning new letters and sounds.

Psychomotor Domain

• Trace the uppercase ‘N’ and lowercase ‘n’ with their fingers or pencils.
• Colour pictures of objects starting with ‘Nn’.
• Act out simple movements or characters from a song or rhyme.

Social Domain

• Take turns to share news from home.
• Engage in group activities like singing and tracing.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources
• Suitable early-years literacy workbooks

Instructional Materials

• Picture cards of ‘Nn’ words (Nail, Net, Needle, Nose, Nest)
• Flashcards of uppercase ‘N’ and lowercase ‘n’
• Chart posters showing ‘Nn’ and related pictures
• Tracing sheets for ‘N’ and ‘n’
• Crayons and pencils
• Sand trays or finger paint for tactile writing
• Story book or picture book for visual aids

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for 3-year-olds as it introduces them to a new letter of the alphabet, ‘Nn’, and its corresponding sound. Recognising letters and sounds forms the foundation for early literacy skills. Additionally, encouraging pupils to share news from home fosters their oral communication skills, builds confidence, and connects school learning with their personal experiences, enhancing their social-emotional development.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise some other letters of the alphabet and their sounds. They are able to communicate simple ideas and talk about familiar things at home.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Letter N: Sound Recognition, Picture Reading and Writing

The Letter Nn

• Uppercase N: N
• Lowercase n: n

The Sound of Nn

• The letter Nn makes the /n/ sound.
• To make the /n/ sound, the tongue touches the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth, and the sound comes out through the nose.

Words Starting with Nn

• Nail (Show picture of a nail)
• Net (Show picture of a fishing net or butterfly net)
• Needle (Show picture of a sewing needle)
• Nose (Point to your nose)
• Nest (Show picture of a bird’s nest)

Talking About News

• Sharing simple happenings at home or in the community.
• Examples: “I played with my ball,” “My mummy cooked rice,” “I saw a dog.”

Writing the Letter Nn

• Uppercase N: Start at the top, draw a straight line down. Go back to the top, draw a slanted line down to the right. Go back to the top of the slanted line, draw a straight line up.
• Lowercase n: Start in the middle, draw a straight line down. Go back to the middle, draw a curve up and over to the right, then a straight line down.

Nn Sound Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:

Nn says /n/, /n/, /n/
Like a little buzzing hen.
Nn for Nail, Nn for Net,
Nn for Needle, don’t forget!
Nn says /n/, /n/, /n/
Let’s say Nn again!

Actions:

• Nn says /n/, /n/, /n/ (Make the /n/ sound, point to your nose)
• Like a little buzzing hen. (Wiggle fingers like a buzzing sound)
• Nn for Nail, Nn for Net, (Point to finger for nail, make a wide gesture for net)
• Nn for Needle, don’t forget! (Pretend to sew with a finger)
• Nn says /n/, /n/, /n/ (Make the /n/ sound again, point to your nose)
• Let’s say Nn again! (Clap hands)

Watch and Learn the Letter N

Key Words

• Nn – The letter we are learning.
• Nail – A small piece of metal used for fastening things.
• Net – A material made of woven string or rope with holes, used for catching things.
• Needle – A thin, sharp metal tool used for sewing.
• News – Information about recent events.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

• Play-based Learning
• Demonstration
• Guided Practice
• Songs and Rhymes
• Picture Talk
• Question and Answer
• Repetition
• Practical Activity (Tracing, Colouring)

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets pupils and leads a short warm-up song. The teacher then briefly reviews previously learned letters and their sounds by showing flashcards.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, sing along, and identify previously learned letters and sounds.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and recall prior knowledge.

Step 2: Oral Communication – Sharing News

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Listening and Speaking/Facilitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils, “What news do you have from home today? What did you do this morning or yesterday?” The teacher encourages a few pupils to share simple happenings, ensuring everyone gets a chance to listen.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the teacher and take turns to share simple news or happenings from their home or community.

Learning Point: Pupils practise listening and speaking skills, building confidence.

Step 3: Introduction of Letter Nn and Sound

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Pronunciation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the letter ‘Nn’ using flashcards (uppercase N and lowercase n). The teacher clearly pronounces the /n/ sound, demonstrating how the tongue touches the roof of the mouth and the sound comes out through the nose. Pupils are asked to repeat the sound.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the flashcards, listen to the teacher, and repeat the /n/ sound.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise the letter ‘Nn’ and learn its correct sound.

Step 4: Word Association and Repetition

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Picture Talk/Vocabulary Building

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows picture cards of objects starting with ‘Nn’ (Nail, Net, Needle, Nose, Nest). For each picture, the teacher says the word, emphasises the /n/ sound, and asks pupils to repeat the word. The teacher also points to their nose and asks pupils to point to theirs.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the picture cards, repeat the ‘Nn’ words after the teacher, and point to their noses.

Learning Point: Pupils associate the /n/ sound with familiar objects and expand their vocabulary.

Step 5: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Creative Expression/Audio-Visual Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Nn Sound Rhyme” with actions. After the rhyme, the teacher introduces and plays the educational video about the letter ‘Nn’ and its sound. The teacher encourages pupils to watch and listen.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions and watch the video attentively.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their learning of the ‘Nn’ sound and words through song and visual media.

Step 6: Writing/Tracing Nn

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Fine Motor Skills/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to trace uppercase ‘N’ and lowercase ‘n’ on the board or in a sand tray. The teacher then distributes tracing sheets or provides sand trays and guides pupils to trace the letters with their fingers or pencils. The teacher also guides them to colour pictures of ‘Nn’ words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils follow the teacher’s demonstration, trace ‘N’ and ‘n’ on their sheets or in sand trays, and colour the ‘Nn’ pictures.

Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and practise forming the letter ‘Nn’.

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 flashcard of Nn)
2. “What sound does this letter make?”
3. “Can you name one thing that starts with the /n/ sound?” (Show pictures of Nail, Net, Needle, etc., and other letters for discrimination)
4. “Show me how you trace the letter ‘N’ in the air.”

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: Reinforcement/Closure

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and effort. The teacher reminds them to keep practising the /n/ sound and looking for ‘Nn’ words around them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the teacher and say “Thank you, teacher.”

Learning Point: Pupils feel encouraged and motivated to continue learning.

Lesson Keywords

• Nn – The letter that makes the /n/ sound.
• Sound – What we hear when we say a letter.
• Nail – A small, sharp piece of metal.
• Net – Used to catch fish or butterflies.
• Needle – Used for sewing.
• News – Things that happen.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who find it difficult, provide larger tracing templates, use hand-over-hand guidance for tracing, or give extra oral repetition of the /n/ sound and words. Focus on recognising the letter and sound before moving to writing.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, encourage them to identify other objects in the classroom that start with the /n/ sound. Ask them to draw their own picture of an ‘Nn’ word or try to form the letter ‘Nn’ independently on a blank sheet.