Nursery Rhymes and Stories for Simple Word Reading and Writing for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 5
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Letter Work
Previous Lesson: Reading and Writing Two-, Three- and Four-Letter Words for Pre-School Level 4
Topic: Nursery Rhymes and Stories for Simple Word Reading and Writing
Subject Matter: Speech Writing. Weekly focus: Nursery Rhymes and Stories for Simple Word Reading and Writing.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Listen attentively to nursery rhymes and stories.
• Identify simple words heard in rhymes and stories.
• Pronounce simple words correctly.

Affective Domain

• Show enjoyment while listening to and reciting rhymes.
• Participate actively in class discussions about stories and words.
• Develop an interest in reading and writing simple words.

Psychomotor Domain

• Recite nursery rhymes with actions.
• Copy simple words from the board into their notebooks.

Social Domain

• Ask and answer simple questions about rhymes and stories.
• Interact with the teacher and peers during learning activities.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources

Instructional Materials

• MP3 player
• MP4 player
• Writing books and pencils
• Rhyme books/charts with nursery rhymes
• Picture cards of simple words from rhymes and stories
• Whiteboard/Chalkboard and markers/chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for 5-year-old pupils as it builds foundational literacy skills by connecting spoken language (speech) with written words. Engaging with nursery rhymes and stories helps children develop phonological awareness, expand their vocabulary, and recognise simple words, which are essential steps towards becoming confident readers and writers. It also fosters a love for language and storytelling.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can listen to short stories, recognise some letters of the alphabet, and say simple words. They also enjoy singing and repeating rhymes.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Nursery Rhymes and Stories for Simple Word Reading and Writing

Nursery rhymes are short, fun songs or poems for children, often with rhyming words. Stories are tales that tell us about people, animals, or things.

We listen to rhymes and stories to learn new words and sounds. When we hear words, we can also learn to read and write them. This is called “Speech Writing” – writing down the words we say and hear.

Let’s Listen and Learn Words!

We will listen to a nursery rhyme and a short story. From them, we will pick out simple words. We will say the words, and then we will write them.

Example Nursery Rhyme: “Little Star”

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:

Little star, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

Actions: Pupils can twinkle fingers like a star, point up high, and make a diamond shape with their hands.

How to use the rhyme: Recite the rhyme slowly, encouraging pupils to join in. Ask them to listen for words like “star,” “up,” “high,” and “you.”

Key Words

• Star – a bright light in the sky at night.
• Up – towards a higher place.
• High – far above the ground.
• You – referring to another person.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display a chart of the “Little Star” rhyme.
• Show picture cards for words like “star,” “up,” “high.”
• Write the simple words clearly on the board for pupils to copy.

Watch and Listen to a Nursery Rhyme

Let’s watch a video of a popular nursery rhyme to help us listen for words and sing along.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Storytelling, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Repetition, Practical Activity, Audio-Visual Aids.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Motivation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them if they like listening to songs and stories. The teacher introduces the topic by explaining that today they will listen to rhymes and stories and learn to read and write some words from them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, express their interest in songs and stories, and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the lesson’s focus on rhymes, stories, and words.

Step 2: Listening to Nursery Rhymes

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Auditory Learning/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses the MP3/MP4 player to play a familiar nursery rhyme (e.g., “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or the “Little Star” rhyme from the Board Summary). The teacher encourages pupils to listen carefully and quietly.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the nursery rhyme being played, trying to recognise the words and tune.

Learning Point: Pupils develop listening skills and become familiar with the rhyme.

Step 3: Reciting and Discussing Rhymes

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Oral Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher recites the rhyme slowly, line by line, encouraging pupils to repeat after her. The teacher then leads a short discussion, asking simple questions like, “What is the rhyme about?” or “What words did you hear?” The teacher highlights simple words like “star,” “up,” “high,” and “you” from the rhyme, showing picture cards for each.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils recite the rhyme with the teacher, answer simple questions, and identify the highlighted words from picture cards.

Learning Point: Pupils practise oral recitation, comprehension, and word identification.

Step 4: Listening to a Story

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Storytelling/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher tells a very short, simple story (e.g., about a little bird or a friendly dog). The teacher uses expressive voice and gestures to keep pupils engaged.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively to the story, following the narrative.

Learning Point: Pupils develop listening comprehension and imagination.

Step 5: Discussing the Story and Identifying Words

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Word Recognition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils simple questions about the story, such as “Who was in the story?” or “What happened?” The teacher then culls one or two simple words from the story (e.g., “bird,” “dog,” “run”) and pronounces them clearly, showing corresponding picture cards.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer questions about the story and repeat the new words pronounced by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate story comprehension and practise pronouncing new words.

Step 6: Simple Word Reading and Writing Practice

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Writing Guidance/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes the selected simple words (e.g., “star,” “up,” “high,” “dog”) clearly on the board. The teacher guides pupils to pronounce each word again, trace it in the air with their fingers, and then copy the words neatly into their writing books.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils pronounce the words, air-trace them, and carefully copy the words into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Pupils practise simple word reading and guided writing.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

1. “Can you recite the ‘Little Star’ rhyme?”
2. “Point to the word ‘star’ on the board.”
3. “Say the word I am pointing to (e.g., ‘up’).”
4. “Show me your book with the words you copied.”

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: Summarising/Praise

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and effort in listening, reciting, and writing. The teacher reminds them that listening to rhymes and stories helps them learn many new words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the teacher’s concluding remarks and tidy up their materials.

Learning Point: Pupils feel encouraged and understand the importance of the lesson.

Lesson Keywords

• Rhyme – a short poem or song with words that have similar sounds at the end.
• Story – a tale or account of events, either real or imagined.
• Word – a single unit of language that has meaning.
• Read – to look at and understand the meaning of written words.
• Write – to form letters or words on a surface.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle with writing, the teacher can provide pre-written words for tracing, use larger print, or guide their hand for tracing. More oral repetition of words can also be provided.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, the teacher can challenge them to identify more words from the rhyme/story, or try to use the learned words in a very simple oral sentence.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure your MP3/MP4 player is charged and the audio/video files for the chosen nursery rhyme and a short story are ready. Prepare clear picture cards for the simple words you intend to extract. When teaching “Speech Writing,” emphasize the connection between the spoken word and its written form. Encourage pupils to sound out the words as they write them. For the writing activity, ensure pupils have proper pencil grip and sitting posture. Circulate around the classroom to provide individual support and praise. Observe if pupils are able to identify words by sight and if their copying skills are developing. Remember that neatness is less important than the effort to form letters and words correctly for this age group.