Letter X Practice Sound, Pictures and Writing for Pre-School Level 2

Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Third Term
Week: 7
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Literacy
Previous Lesson: Recognition and writing of previous letters (e.g., Ww)
Topic: LETTER X: RECOGNITION, PICTURE READING AND WRITING PRACTICE
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 Xx to Xmas, X-ray, Xylophone. Writing: Tracing, colouring and writing Xx. 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

• Recognise and identify the uppercase letter ‘X’ and lowercase letter ‘x’.
• Identify pictures of objects like a xylophone, X-ray, and Xmas.
• Relate the letter Xx to its associated pictures and sounds.

Affective Domain

• Participate actively in discussions about home and community news.
• Show enthusiasm while singing rhymes and watching the video.

Psychomotor Domain

• Trace the shape of uppercase ‘X’ and lowercase ‘x’ with their fingers and on paper.
• Colour pictures associated with the letter Xx.
• Act out simple characters or actions related to songs and rhymes.

Social Domain

• Share simple news and happenings from their home or community.
• Take turns during discussions and activities.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources

Instructional Materials

• Flashcards of uppercase ‘X’ and lowercase ‘x’
• Picture cards or charts showing a xylophone, an X-ray, and a Christmas tree (for Xmas)
• Storybooks or picture books with words containing ‘X’ (e.g., fox, box)
• Crayons, pencils, and plain paper
• Whiteboard or chalkboard and chalk
• Learning stamps (if available)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson introduces pupils to the letter ‘X’, helping them build foundational literacy skills. Recognising letters and associating them with sounds and pictures is crucial for early reading and writing development. It also encourages communication and social interaction through sharing personal experiences.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise some other letters of the alphabet, have practised pre-writing patterns like slanting lines, and can talk about familiar objects and events around them.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

LETTER X: RECOGNITION, PICTURE READING AND WRITING PRACTICE

The Letter Xx

The letter ‘X’ is the twenty-fourth letter of the English alphabet. It has an uppercase form (X) and a lowercase form (x).

• Uppercase X: Made with two slanting lines that cross in the middle.
• Lowercase x: Looks like a smaller version of the uppercase X, also made with two slanting lines that cross.

Sound and Picture Association for Xx

The letter ‘X’ often makes a /ks/ sound, like in the middle of words such as “fox” or “box”. When ‘X’ starts a word, it can sometimes sound like ‘Z’ (as in xylophone) or ‘ks’ (as in X-ray). For young children, the focus is on associating the letter X with these familiar pictures.

• Xylophone: A musical instrument with wooden bars that you hit to make sounds. (Show picture)
• X-ray: A special picture that shows the bones inside your body. (Show picture)
• Xmas: Another way to say Christmas, a special holiday. (Show picture of a Christmas tree)

Tracing and Writing Xx

We can trace the letter Xx by making two slanting lines that cross.

• For X: Start at the top left, draw a slanting line down to the bottom right. Then, start at the top right, draw another slanting line down to the bottom left, crossing the first line in the middle.
• For x: Do the same, but make the lines smaller.

Key Words

• X – The twenty-fourth letter of the alphabet.
• x – The smaller form of the letter X.
• Xylophone – A musical instrument.
• X-ray – A picture of bones inside the body.
• Xmas – Short for Christmas.

Letter Xx Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

X, X, letter X,
Makes a sound like /ks/, /ks/, /ks/.
Xylophone and X-ray too,
Xmas fun for me and you.
X, X, letter X,
Let’s trace it, let’s trace it, let’s trace it through!

Actions: For “X, X, letter X”, make an ‘X’ shape with arms. For “/ks/, /ks/, /ks/”, make a sound like air escaping. For “Xylophone”, pretend to play an instrument. For “X-ray”, point to chest. For “Xmas fun”, clap hands. For “trace it”, trace X in the air.

Watch and Practise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8l0_0_J_1g

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/Communication

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and invites them to share any interesting news or happenings from their home or community. The teacher listens and encourages participation.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher and share simple news or stories about their day or family.

Learning Point: Pupils feel comfortable and practise oral communication skills.

Step 2: Letter Recognition

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Recognition/Introduction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the letter ‘X’ and ‘x’ using large flashcards. The teacher says “This is uppercase X” and “This is lowercase x” clearly, asking pupils to repeat.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the flashcards and repeat the names of the letters ‘X’ and ‘x’ after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise the visual forms of uppercase and lowercase ‘X’.

Step 3: Sound and Picture Association

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Association/Auditory Discrimination

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows picture cards of a xylophone, an X-ray, and a Christmas tree (for Xmas). For each picture, the teacher says the word, emphasizing the letter ‘X’ association (e.g., “X for Xylophone”). The teacher asks pupils to repeat the words and point to the letter X on the flashcard.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures, repeat the words, and attempt to make the associated sounds or point to the letter X.

Learning Point: Pupils connect the letter ‘X’ with familiar objects and their sounds.

Step 4: Rhyme/Song Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Musicality/Memory

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Letter Xx Rhyme” with actions. The teacher sings slowly and encourages pupils to join in, demonstrating the actions for each line.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme along with the teacher and perform the simple actions, reinforcing the letter and its associated words.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce letter recognition and associated words through song and movement.

Step 5: Video Observation and Practice

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Multimedia Engagement/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays the educational video about the letter X. After the video, the teacher asks pupils to recall some of the ‘X’ words or sounds they heard and encourages them to repeat them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video, listen to the sounds and words, and then repeat words or sounds as prompted by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils gain further exposure to the letter ‘X’ and its sounds/words from a different medium.

Step 6: Writing Practice (Tracing and Colouring)

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Fine Motor Skills/Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to trace uppercase ‘X’ and lowercase ‘x’ in the air and then on a worksheet or paper. The teacher guides pupils to trace the letters with their fingers first, then with pencils or crayons. Pupils can also colour pictures of X-related objects.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practise tracing ‘X’ and ‘x’ in the air, then on their paper. They also colour the provided X-related pictures.

Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and begin to form the letter ‘X’.

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. “Point to the letter X.” (Teacher shows flashcards of X and other letters).
2. “What is this picture?” (Teacher shows pictures of xylophone, X-ray, Xmas).
3. “Can you trace the letter X in the air?”
4. “Sing the Letter Xx rhyme.”

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 the pupils for their participation and good work. The teacher reminds them that they learned about the letter X today.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s praise and pack up their materials.

Learning Point: Pupils feel a sense of accomplishment and recall the main lesson focus.

Lesson Keywords

• X – The twenty-fourth letter of the alphabet.
• x – The smaller form of the letter X.
• Xylophone – A musical instrument.
• X-ray – A picture of bones inside the body.
• Xmas – Short for Christmas.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle with letter recognition, provide larger flashcards and more one-on-one verbal repetition. Use hand-over-hand guidance for tracing. Focus mainly on identifying the letter ‘X’ rather than perfect tracing.
• Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concept, encourage them to identify other objects in the classroom that have the /ks/ sound (e.g., box, fox if pictures are available). Ask them to draw their own simple picture that starts with or contains the letter X.