Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before the lesson, prepare picture cards of objects starting with the letter ‘T’ (e.g., tree, train, tiger, table, toy) and ensure you have tracing sheets or sand trays ready for pupils to practise writing ‘Tt’. The central idea is for pupils to recognise the sound /t/ and associate it with familiar objects, as well as begin to trace the letter ‘Tt’. Observe pupils actively participating in discussions, identifying ‘T’ objects, and making attempts to trace the letter.
Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Third Term
Week: 2
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Literacy
Previous Lesson: Recognising and identifying letters of the alphabet and their sounds.
Topic: LETTER T: 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 Tt to Tree, Train, Tiger. Writing: Tracing, colouring and writing Tt. 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 letter ‘T’ in both uppercase (T) and lowercase (t) forms.
- Recognise the sound /t/ associated with the letter ‘T’.
- Name objects that start with the /t/ sound, such as ‘tree’, ‘train’, and ‘tiger’.
Affective Domain
- Participate actively in discussions about happenings at home and in the community.
- Show enthusiasm when singing songs and acting out characters.
- Listen attentively to the teacher and peers during activities.
Psychomotor Domain
- Point to pictures of objects starting with the letter ‘T’.
- Trace the letter ‘T’ and ‘t’ on tracing sheets or in sand.
- Make movements or actions related to ‘T’ words (e.g., pretending to be a tiger).
Social Domain
- Share simple news about their home and community with the class.
- 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 (ECCE) resources
Instructional Materials
- Flash cards of uppercase ‘T’ and lowercase ‘t’
- Picture cards of ‘tree’, ‘train’, ‘tiger’, ‘table’, ‘toy’
- Chart posters showing the letter ‘T’ and related pictures
- Tracing sheets for ‘T’ and ‘t’
- Crayons and pencils
- Sand tray or whiteboard for tracing
- Story book with pictures of ‘T’ words
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson is crucial for 3-year-olds as it introduces them to a fundamental letter of the alphabet, ‘T’, and its sound. Recognising letter sounds helps build early literacy skills, enabling children to connect spoken words with written symbols. Learning to trace the letter ‘T’ also develops fine motor skills essential for future writing.Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can identify some letters of the alphabet and their sounds. They can also recognise and name some common objects and engage in simple conversations.Lesson Content/Board Summary
LETTER T: SOUND RECOGNITION, PICTURE READING AND WRITING
Listening and Speaking: Sharing News
We talk about what happened at home and in our community. We listen to our friends.
The Letter Tt and its Sound
- Uppercase T: T
- Lowercase t: t
- Sound: The letter T makes the /t/ sound (like in “tap” or “top”).
Picture Reading: Objects with the /t/ Sound
Look at the pictures and say the words. Listen for the /t/ sound at the beginning.
- Tree
- Train
- Tiger
- Table
- Toy
Sound Rhyme: “Tiny Tiger”
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Tiny tiger, big and bold,
Makes a /t/, /t/ sound, we’re told.
Train goes choo-choo, /t/, /t/, /t/,
Tree stands tall for all to see.
Tiny tiger, big and bold,
Makes a /t/, /t/ sound, we’re told.
Actions: For “Tiny tiger”, make claw hands. For “/t/, /t/ sound”, tap fingers together. For “Train goes choo-choo”, make train arm movements. For “Tree stands tall”, stretch arms up high.
Watch the Sound and Repeat
Writing: Tracing and Colouring Tt
We trace the big ‘T’ and the small ‘t’. We colour pictures that start with ‘T’.
- How to trace T: Straight line down, then a line across the top.
- How to trace t: Straight line down, then a small line across the middle.
Key Words
- Talk – to say words to someone.
- Sound – what we hear.
- Trace – to draw over lines or letters.
- Picture – a drawing or photo.
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Begin by greeting pupils and encouraging them to share brief news from home or their community to foster listening and speaking skills. Introduce the letter ‘T’ and its sound /t/ clearly. Use flashcards to show uppercase ‘T’ and lowercase ‘t’. Emphasize the /t/ sound by making it distinct and asking pupils to repeat it. Show picture cards of ‘T’ words one by one, saying the word and having pupils repeat it, focusing on the initial /t/ sound. Guide them to trace the letters in the air or on a sand tray before moving to paper.
What to show or demonstrate: Display large flashcards of ‘T’ and ‘t’. Show clear picture cards of a tree, train, tiger, table, and toy. Demonstrate how to make the /t/ sound (a short, sharp burst of air). Show how to trace the letter ‘T’ (down, then across the top) and ‘t’ (down, then across the middle) using a finger in the air or on a sand tray.
How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Tiny Tiger” rhyme several times, encouraging pupils to join in and perform the actions. Exaggerate the /t/ sound within the rhyme to reinforce recognition. Repeat the rhyme as a transition between activities.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to learn about the letter ‘T’ and its sound. Play the video, encouraging pupils to watch and listen carefully. After watching, ask pupils to name some ‘T’ words they heard in the video and practise making the /t/ sound as demonstrated.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils can correctly identify the ‘T’ sound in words and if they can differentiate between uppercase and lowercase ‘T’. Check for correct pencil grip and tracing direction during writing activities. Provide individual support for those struggling with the sound or letter formation.
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: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engagement/Conversation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets pupils warmly and asks them to share one interesting thing that happened at home or in their community over the past day. The teacher listens and encourages participation.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher and share brief news or happenings from their home or community.
Learning Point: Pupils practise listening and speaking skills in a friendly environment.
Step 2: Introduction of Letter Tt and its Sound
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Letter Recognition/Phonics
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the letter ‘T’ (uppercase and lowercase) using flashcards. The teacher makes the /t/ sound clearly and asks pupils to repeat it several times. “This is big T and small t. It makes the /t/ sound. Say /t/, /t/, /t/.”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the flashcards and repeat the /t/ sound after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils recognise the letter Tt and its associated sound /t/.
Step 3: Picture Reading and Sound Association
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Picture Association/Vocabulary
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows picture cards of ‘tree’, ‘train’, ‘tiger’, ‘table’, and ‘toy’. For each picture, the teacher says the word, emphasizing the initial /t/ sound, and asks pupils to repeat the word and the sound. “This is a tree. /t/, /t/, tree.”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures, repeat the words, and make the /t/ sound.
Learning Point: Pupils relate the /t/ sound to familiar objects.
Step 4: Rhyme Reinforcement
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Rhyme/Movement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Tiny Tiger” rhyme, demonstrating the actions. The teacher encourages pupils to sing along and perform the actions, focusing on the /t/ sound.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with the teacher and perform the actions.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce the /t/ sound through song and movement.
Step 5: Video Observation and Practice
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Multimedia Learning/Auditory Practice
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces a short educational video about the letter ‘T’ and its sound. After the video, the teacher asks pupils to recall some ‘T’ words from the video and practise making the /t/ sound.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video, listen, and then recall ‘T’ words and practise the /t/ sound.
Learning Point: Pupils deepen their understanding of the letter ‘T’ and its sound through visual and auditory input.
Step 6: Tracing and Writing Tt
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Fine Motor Skills/Pre-writing
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to trace the uppercase ‘T’ and lowercase ‘t’ on tracing sheets or in a sand tray. The teacher demonstrates the correct strokes and encourages pupils to colour pictures of ‘T’ objects. “Let’s trace big T and small t. Down, then across. Good job!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace the letters ‘T’ and ‘t’ and colour related pictures.
Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and begin to form the letter ‘T’.
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.
- “What letter did we learn today?” (Show Tt flashcard)
- “What sound does this letter make?”
- “Point to the picture that starts with the /t/ sound.” (Show mixed pictures including ‘tree’, ‘ball’, ‘cat’)
- “Can you trace the letter ‘T’ 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 pupils for their participation and reminds them about the letter ‘T’ and its /t/ sound. “Well done, everyone! We learned about the letter T and its /t/ sound today. Keep practising!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and say “Thank you, teacher.”
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and feel encouraged.
Lesson Keywords
- Letter T – The twentieth letter of the English alphabet.
- Sound /t/ – The sound that the letter T makes.
- Tree – A tall plant with a trunk and branches.
- Train – A vehicle that runs on railway tracks.
- Tiger – A large, striped wild cat.
- Trace – To draw over a line or letter.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils struggling with the /t/ sound, provide extra one-on-one repetition and hand-over-hand guidance for tracing. Use larger tracing sheets or a sand tray for easier formation. Focus only on identifying ‘T’ objects rather than naming them.
- Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concept, encourage them to identify other objects in the classroom or at home that start with the /t/ sound. Provide a simple worksheet where they can circle all the ‘T’s they find among other letters.
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