Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before this lesson, prepare flash cards for lowercase letters f, g, h, i, j, along with pictures of familiar objects starting with these sounds (e.g., fish, goat, hen, insect, jug). Ensure you have a simple storybook that clearly illustrates honesty. The central idea for pupils is to recognise the lowercase forms and sounds of f-j, and to understand the importance of being honest. Successful learning will be observed when pupils can correctly identify the letters, make their sounds, and articulate a simple positive action related to honesty.

Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: First Term
Week: 2
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Letter Work
Previous Lesson: Recognising and Naming Lowercase Letters a-e
Topic: Lowercase Letter Sounds f-j with Honesty Stories and Songs
Subject Matter: SPEECH Simple instruction (values) Alphabets Simple stories and songs that portray honesty and transparency. Learning letter sounds and letters in lowercase: f – j. Weekly focus: Lowercase Letter Sounds f-j with Honesty Stories and Songs.

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

Identify and recognise lowercase letters f, g, h, i, j.
Produce the correct sounds for lowercase letters f, g, h, i, j.
Name familiar objects that start with the sounds of f, g, h, i, j.
Understand the meaning of honesty from a simple story.

Affective Domain

Listen attentively to stories and songs.
Participate enthusiastically in singing and sound-making activities.
Show willingness to discuss the value of honesty.

Psychomotor Domain

Trace lowercase letters f, g, h, i, j in the air and on paper.
Demonstrate actions related to the sounds and songs.

Engage in simple discussions about being honest and transparent.
Take turns during group activities.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3
Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources

Instructional Materials

Flash cards with lowercase letters f, g, h, i, j
Picture cards of objects starting with f, g, h, i, j (e.g., fish, goat, hen, insect, jug)
Movable alphabets (lowercase f-j)
Simple storybook illustrating honesty
Whiteboard/chalkboard and markers/chalk
Crayons and drawing paper/notebooks

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 4-year-olds as it builds foundational literacy skills by introducing new letter sounds and their corresponding lowercase forms, which are crucial for reading and writing. Integrating honesty stories and songs helps to develop essential social and emotional values, teaching children the importance of truthfulness and transparency in their daily interactions, linking character development with early language acquisition.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise some uppercase and lowercase letters, make simple sounds, listen to short stories, and sing familiar songs. They have also been introduced to basic classroom rules and good habits.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Lowercase Letter Sounds f-j with Honesty Stories and Songs

Today, we will learn new letter sounds and talk about being honest!

Learning Lowercase Letter Sounds: f, g, h, i, j

Letter f:
- Looks like: f
- Sound: /f/ as in fish, fan, frog. (Make a soft blowing sound, like air escaping a deflated ball.)
Letter g:
- Looks like: g
- Sound: /g/ as in goat, girl, green. (Make a short, sharp sound at the back of the throat.)
Letter h:
- Looks like: h
- Sound: /h/ as in hen, hat, house. (Make a soft breathy sound, like you are hot.)
Letter i:
- Looks like: i
- Sound: /i/ as in insect, igloo, in. (Make a short, quick sound, like a tiny squeak.)
Letter j:
- Looks like: j
- Sound: /j/ as in jug, juice, jump. (Make a soft, bouncy sound.)

Honesty Story: The Lost Crayon

One sunny morning, a little boy named Emeka was playing in the classroom. He saw a bright red crayon on the floor. It was not his crayon. Emeka thought, “Should I keep it? Or should I give it back?” He remembered what his Mummy said about being honest. So, Emeka picked up the crayon and gave it to his teacher. “Teacher,” he said, “I found this red crayon on the floor. It’s not mine.” The teacher smiled and said, “Thank you, Emeka! You are a very honest boy. Someone will be happy to get their crayon back.” Emeka felt happy and proud.

What did Emeka do? He was honest.
Why is it good to be honest? It makes people trust you and feel happy.

Honesty Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Honest, honest, every day,
Tell the truth in every way.
If you find what’s not your own,
Give it back, let it be known.
Honest, honest, true and kind,
Honest friends are best to find.

Actions:

“Honest, honest, every day”: Point to self, then sweep hands forward.
“Tell the truth in every way”: Bring hand to mouth, then spread arms wide.
“If you find what’s not your own”: Look down, then shake head.
“Give it back, let it be known”: Hold out hands as if giving, then point up.
“Honest, honest, true and kind”: Point to self, then hug self.
“Honest friends are best to find”: Hold hands with a friend or mime holding hands.

Watch and Practise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj2F2TjM_yI

Key Words

f – the sound /f/
g – the sound /g/
h – the sound /h/
i – the sound /i/
j – the sound /j/
Honesty – telling the truth and being fair.
Transparent – being open and clear, like telling the truth.

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Introduce each lowercase letter (f, g, h, i, j) one by one. Write it clearly on the board or show its flash card. Emphasise the correct sound, making it clear and repetitive. Use the example words provided, asking pupils to repeat after you. For the honesty story, read it expressively, pausing to ask simple questions like “What did Emeka find?” or “What did he do next?”. Discuss the meaning of honesty in simple terms.

What to show or demonstrate: Show the flash cards for each letter and corresponding picture cards. Demonstrate the sound for each letter clearly. Model air tracing for each letter (starting point and direction). For the honesty story, use facial expressions and gestures to convey the emotions. For the song, demonstrate the actions clearly.

How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Honesty Song” together with the pupils. Repeat it 2-3 times, encouraging them to join in with the lyrics and actions. Discuss how the song reminds us to be truthful.

How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to hear the letter sounds again. Play the video, encouraging pupils to listen and repeat the sounds and words as they appear. After watching, ask pupils to recall some of the words or sounds they heard in the video.

What to watch for: Observe if pupils are correctly producing the sounds, identifying the letters, and participating in the discussions about honesty. Watch for any confusion between similar-sounding letters or difficulty in understanding the honesty concept.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning
Demonstration
Guided Practice
Songs and Rhymes
Storytelling
Picture Talk
Question and Answer
Repetition
Practical Activity (tracing)

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Greeting/Recap

Teacher’s Activity: Greet pupils warmly. Recap the previous lesson by asking pupils to name some lowercase letters (a-e) and their sounds. Briefly remind them about good habits like sharing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, name letters and sounds, and recall good habits.

Learning Point: Pupils recall previous learning and prepare for the new lesson.

Step 2: Introduce Lowercase ‘f’ and ‘g’ Sounds

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: Introduce lowercase ‘f’. Show the flash card and write ‘f’ on the board. Say the /f/ sound clearly and give examples (fish, fan). Ask pupils to repeat the sound and air-trace ‘f’. Repeat the process for lowercase ‘g’, its /g/ sound, and examples (goat, girl).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the letter ‘f’ and ‘g’, repeat the sounds, say example words, and air-trace the letters.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise ‘f’ and ‘g’ and make their sounds.

Step 3: Introduce Lowercase ‘h’ and ‘i’ Sounds

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: Introduce lowercase ‘h’. Show the flash card and write ‘h’. Say the /h/ sound and give examples (hen, hat). Guide pupils to repeat the sound and air-trace ‘h’. Repeat for lowercase ‘i’, its /i/ sound, and examples (insect, igloo).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe ‘h’ and ‘i’, repeat sounds, say example words, and air-trace.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise ‘h’ and ‘i’ and make their sounds.

Step 4: Introduce Lowercase ‘j’ Sound

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: Introduce lowercase ‘j’. Show the flash card and write ‘j’. Say the /j/ sound and give examples (jug, juice). Ask pupils to repeat the sound and air-trace ‘j’.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe ‘j’, repeat the sound, say example words, and air-trace.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise ‘j’ and make its sound.

Step 5: Honesty Story and Discussion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Storytelling/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: Tell the “Lost Crayon” story. Ask simple questions about Emeka’s actions and why it was good to be honest. Explain that being honest means telling the truth and being fair.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the story, answer questions, and discuss what honesty means.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the concept of honesty through a story.

Step 6: Honesty Song and Letter Sound Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Singing/Review

Teacher’s Activity: Lead pupils in singing the “Honesty Song” with actions. After the song, quickly review all the lowercase letters (f-j) by showing flash cards and asking pupils to make the sounds.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the song with actions and practice making the sounds for f-j.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce the value of honesty and consolidate letter sounds.

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.

Show a flash card of ‘f’ and ask, “What letter is this?” and “What sound does it make?”
Show a picture of a goat and ask, “What letter sound does ‘goat’ start with?”
Ask pupils to air-trace the letter ‘j’.
Ask, “What did Emeka do in the story that was good?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarising/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: Summarise the lesson by reminding pupils about the new letter sounds (f-j) and the importance of being honest. Praise pupils for their participation and good listening. Encourage them to practice the sounds and always tell the truth.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and receive encouragement.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate learning and feel encouraged.

Lesson Keywords

f – the sound /f/ as in fish.
g – the sound /g/ as in goat.
h – the sound /h/ as in hen.
i – the sound /i/ as in insect.
j – the sound /j/ as in jug.
Honesty – telling the truth and being fair.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils struggling with sounds, provide more one-on-one repetition, use larger picture cards, and guide their hand for air tracing. Focus on only 2-3 letters at a time if needed.
Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concepts, ask them to identify other familiar objects that start with the learned sounds. Encourage them to draw an object for each letter or create a simple sentence using an honesty word.