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

Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Second Term
Week: 9
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Introduction to another letter sound and formation.
Topic: LETTER R: 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 Rr to Rabbit, Rat, Rib. Writing: Tracing, colouring and writing Rr. 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 ‘R’ and lowercase letter ‘r’.
• Recognise the sound of the letter ‘R’ (r-r-r).
• Name objects that start with the ‘r’ sound, such as rabbit, rat, and rib.

Affective Domain

• Listen attentively to stories and rhymes about the letter ‘R’.
• Participate enthusiastically in singing and acting out ‘R’ related songs.
• Show interest in learning new letter sounds and words.

Psychomotor Domain

• Trace the uppercase letter ‘R’ and lowercase letter ‘r’ using their fingers and crayons.
• Colour pictures of objects that begin with the ‘r’ sound.
• Act out simple movements related to ‘R’ words (e.g., hopping like a rabbit).

Social Domain

• Talk about simple news and happenings at home or in the community.
• Share their ideas and responses with the class.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

• Large flashcards of uppercase ‘R’ and lowercase ‘r’
• Picture cards of objects starting with ‘R’ (e.g., rabbit, rat, rib, rose, red car)
• Storybook featuring ‘R’ words
• Chart posters showing letter ‘R’ and associated pictures
• Crayons and pencils
• Tracing sheets for ‘R’ and ‘r’
• Sand tray or sensory bin for tactile tracing
• Small whiteboard or chalk and chalkboard

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 3-year-olds as it introduces them to the letter ‘R’ and its sound, a fundamental step in developing phonological awareness and early literacy skills. By connecting the sound to familiar objects and engaging in practical activities like tracing and picture reading, pupils build a strong foundation for reading and writing, while also enhancing their listening and speaking abilities through sharing personal news.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can already recognise some other letters of the alphabet and their sounds. They are familiar with listening to stories and participating in simple classroom activities.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Letter R: Sound Recognition, Picture Reading and Writing

The letter ‘R’ makes the /r/ sound. It is a short, quick sound, like “r-r-r”. Uppercase R: R Lowercase r: r

Words that start with R:

• Rabbit: A small animal with long ears that hops.
• Rat: A small animal, like a mouse, but bigger.
• Rib: A bone in your chest.
• Red: A bright colour.
• Rose: A beautiful flower.

How to write Letter R:

Uppercase R: 1. Start at the top, draw a straight line down. 2. Go back to the top, draw a curve to the middle. 3. From the middle, draw a slanted line down to the bottom. Lowercase r: 1. Start at the middle, draw a straight line down. 2. Go back to the middle, draw a small curve to the right.

Key Words

• R – The letter we are learning.
• Rabbit – An animal that starts with ‘R’.
• Rat – Another animal that starts with ‘R’.
• Red – A colour that starts with ‘R’.

Sound and Action Rhyme: The R-R-R Sound

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

R, r, r, the letter R,
Makes a sound, near and far.
Rabbit hops and rat runs fast,
R, r, r, sounds that last!
R, r, r, the letter R,
Makes a sound, near and far.

Actions:

• “R, r, r, the letter R”: Point to the letter ‘R’ flashcard.
• “Makes a sound, near and far”: Cup hands to ears, then spread them wide.
• “Rabbit hops”: Hop gently in place.
• “Rat runs fast”: Wiggle fingers quickly.
• “R, r, r, sounds that last!”: Repeat pointing to ‘R’ and making the sound.

Watch and Practise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_l2oV1B0Q4

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: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to share one piece of good news or something interesting that happened at home or in their community over the past day. The teacher listens and encourages simple responses.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher and share brief news or happenings from home or the community.

Learning Point: Pupils practise speaking and listening, connecting to their experiences.

Step 2: Introduction to Letter R Sound

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Sound Recognition/Pronunciation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the letter ‘R’ and its sound, /r/, using a large flashcard. The teacher makes the /r/ sound clearly, demonstrating the mouth position, and asks pupils to repeat it several times. The teacher then shows picture cards of ‘R’ words like rabbit, rat, rib, and red, saying each word and emphasising the initial /r/ sound.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the letter ‘R’ and picture cards, listen to the teacher, and repeat the /r/ sound and the ‘R’ words.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise the letter ‘R’ and associate it with its sound and familiar words.

Step 3: Picture Reading and Word Association

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Association/Vocabulary

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up each ‘R’ picture card again (rabbit, rat, rib, red, rose) and asks pupils to name the object. The teacher then asks, “What sound does (rabbit) start with?” guiding them to say /r/.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils name the objects in the pictures and identify the starting /r/ sound for each word.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce the connection between the /r/ sound and related objects.

Step 4: Rhyme and Movement Activity

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Auditory Learning/Kinesthetic Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “R-R-R Sound” rhyme from the Board Summary, demonstrating the actions for hopping like a rabbit and wiggling like a rat. The teacher encourages all pupils to participate in singing and performing the actions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme and perform the actions, reinforcing the /r/ sound and ‘R’ words through movement.

Learning Point: Pupils enjoy learning through song and movement, strengthening memory of the ‘R’ sound.

Step 5: Tracing and Writing Practice (Tactile)

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Fine Motor Development/Pre-Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to trace the uppercase ‘R’ and lowercase ‘r’ in the sand tray. The teacher then guides pupils to trace the letters with their fingers in the sand, helping them with correct starting points and directionality.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace the uppercase ‘R’ and lowercase ‘r’ with their fingers in the sand tray.

Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and learn the formation of letter ‘R’ through tactile experience.

Step 6: Tracing and Colouring (Paper)

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing/Creativity

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes tracing sheets with large outlines of ‘R’ and ‘r’, along with pictures of ‘R’ words. The teacher guides pupils to trace the letters with crayons and then colour the pictures. The teacher provides individual assistance as needed.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace the uppercase ‘R’ and lowercase ‘r’ on their sheets and colour the accompanying ‘R’ pictures.

Learning Point: Pupils practise letter formation on paper and enhance creativity through colouring.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 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 ‘R’ flashcard)
2. “What sound does this letter make?”
3. “Can you point to something in the classroom that starts with the /r/ sound (e.g., a red object)?”
4. “Show me how you trace the letter ‘R’ 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: Summary/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and effort. The teacher quickly reviews the letter ‘R’ and its sound, reminding them to look for ‘R’ words around them. The teacher leads a final quick chant of “R, r, r!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s praise and participate in the final chant.

Learning Point: Pupils leave with a positive reinforcement of the letter ‘R’ and its sound.

Lesson Keywords

• R – The twenty-second letter of the English alphabet.
• Sound – The specific noise a letter makes, like /r/ for ‘R’.
• Rabbit – A furry animal with long ears that hops.
• Rat – A small rodent, similar to a mouse.
• Red – A primary colour, often associated with stop signs or roses.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils struggling with the sound, provide more one-on-one repetition and exaggerated mouth movements. For tracing, use hand-over-hand guidance or provide larger tracing templates.
• Extension: Encourage pupils who grasp the concept quickly to identify other objects in the classroom or at home that start with the ‘R’ sound. They can also try to draw a simple ‘R’ object like a ‘rose’ or ‘rainbow’.