Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before the lesson, prepare picture cards of objects starting with ‘s’ (Sun, Snake, Star, Spoon, Sock) and large printouts of uppercase ‘S’ and lowercase ‘s’. Ensure you have crayons, pencils, and paper ready for tracing and colouring. The central idea is for pupils to recognise the /s/ sound and associate it with familiar words and the letter ‘Ss’. Observe pupils actively participating in the sound practice, identifying ‘s’ pictures, and attempting to trace the letter.
Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Third Term
Week: 1
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Literacy
Previous Lesson: Identifying familiar objects and sounds
Topic: LETTER S: 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 Ss to Sun, Snake, Star. Writing: Tracing, colouring and writing Ss. 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
- Share simple news about home or community.
- Recognise the sound of the letter ‘S’.
- Identify pictures of objects that start with the /s/ sound (e.g., Sun, Snake, Star).
Affective Domain
- Participate actively in discussions about home and community.
- Show enjoyment while singing and acting out rhymes.
Psychomotor Domain
- Trace the uppercase ‘S’ and lowercase ‘s’ with their fingers and crayons.
- Colour pictures of objects starting with ‘S’.
- Perform simple actions related to a song or rhyme.
Social Domain
- Take turns when sharing news with the class.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2
- Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources
- Early years literacy workbook
Instructional Materials
- Picture cards of Sun, Snake, Star, Spoon, Sock
- Large flash cards of uppercase ‘S’ and lowercase ‘s’
- Chart posters showing ‘Ss’ and related pictures
- Crayons, pencils, plain paper
- Chalk and chalkboard/whiteboard
- Storybook with ‘s’ words
- Learning stamps (optional, for ‘S’ shape)
- Video player/projector (for YouTube video)
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson helps 3-year-olds develop early literacy skills by focusing on the letter ‘S’ and its sound. Learning to recognise sounds and associate them with letters is a foundational step for reading. Sharing news also encourages language development and social interaction, helping children express themselves and listen to others.Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can identify some common objects, make simple sounds, and hold a crayon or pencil. They may have heard stories or songs before.Lesson Content/Board Summary
LETTER S: SOUND RECOGNITION, PICTURE READING AND WRITING
Talking About News and Happenings
- Sharing simple things that happened at home or in the community.
- Examples: “I played with my ball.” “My mummy cooked rice.” “I saw a dog.”
The Letter ‘S’ and its Sound /s/
- Uppercase S
- Lowercase s
- The sound of ‘S’ is like a snake hissing: /s-s-s/.
- Words that start with ‘S’:
- Sun
- Snake
- Star
- Spoon
- Sock
- Sand
Writing the Letter ‘S’
- Start at the top, curve around to the middle, then curve the other way to the bottom.
- Practice tracing ‘S’ and ‘s’ with fingers in the air, then on paper.
- Colouring pictures of ‘S’ words.
Sound Rhyme: “S-S-S Says the Snake”
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Lyrics:
S-s-s says the snake, (hissing sound)
S-s-s for Sun, so bright.
S-s-s for Star, at night,
S-s-s for Spoon, to eat.
S-s-s, oh, what a treat!
S-s-s says the snake, (hissing sound)
S-s-s, for goodness sake!
Actions: Hiss like a snake, point up for sun/star, pretend to eat with a spoon.
Watch and Learn the ‘S’ Sound
Key Words
- Sun – The bright star that gives us light and warmth.
- Snake – A long, legless reptile that makes a hissing sound.
- Star – A shining point of light in the night sky.
- S – The letter we are learning, with the /s/ sound.
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Begin by engaging pupils in a short “news time” where they share simple happenings. Introduce the letter ‘S’ and its sound by making a clear hissing sound like a snake. Show the uppercase and lowercase forms on flashcards. Point to and name the ‘s’ pictures (Sun, Snake, Star) clearly, emphasizing the initial /s/ sound. Guide pupils to repeat the sound and words. For writing, demonstrate the formation of ‘S’ on the board using large strokes. Encourage air tracing before moving to paper.
What to show or demonstrate: Display large flashcards of ‘S’ and ‘s’. Show picture cards of Sun, Snake, Star, Spoon, Sock, etc. Demonstrate the /s/ sound with exaggerated mouth movements. Show how to trace ‘S’ in the air and on the board. Provide pre-drawn ‘Ss’ for tracing and colouring on individual papers.
How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “S-S-S Says the Snake” rhyme several times, encouraging pupils to join in the hissing sound and actions. Repeat it slowly first, then at a normal pace. Use the actions to make it more engaging and help pupils remember the ‘s’ words.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to learn more about the letter ‘S’ and its sound. Play the video once for pupils to watch. After watching, encourage pupils to repeat the /s/ sound and some ‘s’ words they heard in the video. You can replay short sections if needed for practice.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils are able to make the /s/ sound correctly and identify ‘s’ words. Check their pencil grip and tracing attempts. Encourage shy pupils to participate in sharing news and singing.
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: Engagement/Greeting
Teacher’s Activity: Greets pupils warmly. Asks pupils, “Good morning, children! How are you all today? Did anything interesting happen at home or on your way to school?”
Pupils’ Activity: Respond to greetings and share short, simple news or happenings.
Learning Point: Pupils feel welcomed and begin to engage in oral communication.
Step 2: Listening and Speaking – Sharing News
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Facilitation/Listening
Teacher’s Activity: Guides pupils to take turns sharing one piece of news. “Who wants to tell us something that happened at home yesterday?” Encourages listening and simple responses.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils share their news, listening to their friends and waiting for their turn.
Learning Point: Pupils practise speaking, listening, and turn-taking.
Step 3: Introduction of Letter ‘S’ and Sound
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Sound Modelling
Teacher’s Activity: Introduces the letter ‘S’ (uppercase and lowercase flashcards). Makes the /s/ sound like a snake hissing. Shows picture cards of Sun, Snake, Star, saying their names clearly and emphasizing the /s/ sound. “This is letter S. S says /s-s-s/ like a snake! S for Sun, S for Snake, S for Star.”
Pupils’ Activity: Look at the letter and pictures, listen to the sound, and try to make the /s/ sound.
Learning Point: Pupils recognise the letter ‘S’ and its corresponding /s/ sound.
Step 4: Practising ‘S’ Sound and Words
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Repetition/Picture Association
Teacher’s Activity: Holds up ‘s’ picture cards one by one (Sun, Snake, Star, Spoon, Sock). Asks, “What is this? What sound does it start with?” Guides pupils to say the word and the /s/ sound. Leads the class in singing the “S-S-S Says the Snake” rhyme.
Pupils’ Activity: Identify the pictures, say the words, repeat the /s/ sound, and sing along with actions.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce the association between the /s/ sound and ‘s’ words through repetition and song.
Step 5: Writing ‘Ss’ – Air Tracing and Guided Practice
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Modelling/Guidance
Teacher’s Activity: Demonstrates how to form uppercase ‘S’ and lowercase ‘s’ on the board, explaining the curves. Guides pupils to trace ‘S’ in the air with their fingers. Distributes papers with large pre-drawn ‘Ss’ for tracing and pictures for colouring.
Pupils’ Activity: Trace ‘S’ in the air, then trace the pre-drawn ‘Ss’ on their papers with crayons or pencils. Colour the ‘s’ pictures.
Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and begin to practise letter formation.
Step 6: Reinforcement Activity (Video)
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Visual Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: Introduces a short educational video about the letter ‘S’ sound. Plays the video. After the video, asks pupils to name one ‘s’ word they remember from the video.
Pupils’ Activity: Watch the video, listen to the sounds and words, and try to recall an ‘s’ word.
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning of the ‘S’ sound and ‘s’ words through visual and auditory input.
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.
- “What sound does this letter make?” (Shows ‘S’ flashcard).
- “Point to the picture that starts with /s/.” (Shows Sun, Ball, Snake pictures).
- “Can you make the /s/ sound?”
- “Show me how you trace letter ‘S’ 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: Summarisation
Teacher’s Activity: Praises pupils for their participation. Summarises that they learned about letter ‘S’ and its sound. Assigns simple homework, e.g., “Ask Mummy or Daddy to help you find three things at home that start with the /s/ sound.”
Pupils’ Activity: Listen to the summary and homework instruction. Say “Thank you, teacher.”
Learning Point: Pupils review the lesson and are encouraged to continue learning at home.
Lesson Keywords
- Sun – The big, bright light in the sky.
- Snake – An animal that makes a /s/ sound.
- Star – A tiny light we see in the night sky.
- S – The letter we learned today, it says /s/.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils struggling with the /s/ sound, provide more one-on-one repetition, exaggerate mouth movements, and use hand-over-hand guidance for tracing. Use larger pictures and fewer choices for identification tasks.
- Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concept, encourage them to identify other familiar objects in the classroom or at home that start with the /s/ sound. Ask them to draw their own ‘s’ pictures.
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