Phonemic Awareness: letter sounds G-L and matching letters to sounds for Primary 1

Class: Primary One
Term: First Term
Week: 2
Age: 6 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Pre-Reading Skills
Focal competence: Pronouncing letter sounds appropriately while reading and speaking
Key competencies/values: Communication; ICT and Digital Competencies; Collaboration; Respect
Skills:

• Identifying sounds
• Blending sounds
• Segmenting sounds in words

Previous Lesson: Letter Writing: Pre-writing strokes and
Topic: Phonemic Awareness (Identifying Sounds)
Subject Matter: letter sounds G-L and matching letters to sounds, Selected letter sounds G-L, matching letters to sounds

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Pronounce the target sounds correctly in familiar words.
• Identify the beginning sounds of familiar words.

Psychomotor Domain

• Match the target sounds to their corresponding letters.
• Segment simple words into individual sounds.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Approved Primary 1 English Studies Textbook
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Word building materials (e.g. magnetic letters, letter tiles)
• Letter, word and picture cards (e.g., goat, hen, igloo, jam, kite, leg)
• Exercise books and pencils
• Whiteboard/Chalkboard and markers/chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important as it lays a fundamental groundwork for reading and spelling by developing phonemic awareness. Understanding letter sounds and being able to match them to letters helps pupils decode words and build their early literacy skills. This skill is crucial for fluent reading and confident communication.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils should be able to recognise some basic letters of the alphabet and have an understanding that letters represent sounds.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Phonemic Awareness: Letter Sounds G-L and Matching Letters to Sounds

Understanding Letter Sounds

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and play with individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Learning letter sounds helps us read and write words.

Letter Sounds and Examples

1. Letter G: The sound for ‘G’ is /g/.

Examples: goat, girl, green

2. Letter H: The sound for ‘H’ is /h/.

Examples: hen, hat, house

3. Letter I: The short sound for ‘I’ is /i/.

Examples: igloo, ink, in

4. Letter J: The sound for ‘J’ is /j/.

Examples: jam, jug, jeep

5. Letter K: The sound for ‘K’ is /k/.

Examples: kite, key, king

6. Letter L: The sound for ‘L’ is /l/.

Examples: leg, lion, lamp

Matching Letters to Sounds

Matching letters to sounds means connecting the written letter with the sound it makes. For example, when you hear the /g/ sound, you know it belongs to the letter ‘G’.

1. The sound /g/ matches the letter G.
2. The sound /h/ matches the letter H.
3. The sound /i/ matches the letter I.
4. The sound /j/ matches the letter J.
5. The sound /k/ matches the letter K.
6. The sound /l/ matches the letter L.

Identifying Beginning Sounds

Identifying beginning sounds means saying a word and finding the very first sound you hear. This helps us to know which letter the word starts with.

1. In the word “goat”, the beginning sound is /g/.
2. In the word “hen”, the beginning sound is /h/.
3. In the word “igloo”, the beginning sound is /i/.
4. In the word “jam”, the beginning sound is /j/.
5. In the word “kite”, the beginning sound is /k/.
6. In the word “leg”, the beginning sound is /l/.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Explanation, Repetition, Individual Practice, Pair Work.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating Prior Knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and reviews some previously learned letter sounds (e.g., A-F) by showing letter cards and asking pupils to say their sounds and give examples of words. The teacher then introduces the new topic: “Today, we will learn new letter sounds from G to L and match them to their letters.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, recall previous letter sounds, and listen attentively to the new topic.

Learning Point: Prior letter sound recall

Step 2: Introducing Letter G and its Sound

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the letter ‘G’ card and pronounces its sound /g/ clearly. The teacher then shows picture cards of words starting with ‘G’ (e.g., goat, girl) and asks pupils to repeat the sound and the words after her.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the letter ‘G’, listen to the sound /g/, and repeat the sound and example words.

Learning Point: Letter G sound and examples

Step 3: Introducing Letters H and I and their Sounds

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the letter ‘H’ card and pronounces its sound /h/, showing examples like ‘hen’, ‘hat’. Then, the teacher displays the letter ‘I’ card and pronounces its short sound /i/, showing examples like ‘igloo’, ‘ink’. Pupils are guided to repeat the sounds and words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe letters ‘H’ and ‘I’, listen to their sounds, and repeat the sounds and example words.

Learning Point: Sounds of H and I

Step 4: Introducing Letters J and K and their Sounds

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Repetition/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents the letter ‘J’ card, pronounces /j/ with examples like ‘jam’, ‘jug’. Next, the teacher presents the letter ‘K’ card, pronounces /k/ with examples like ‘kite’, ‘key’. The teacher encourages pupils to repeat the sounds and words, paying attention to correct pronunciation.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe letters ‘J’ and ‘K’, and repeat the sounds and example words with the teacher.

Learning Point: Sounds of J and K

Step 5: Introducing Letter L and Sound-to-Letter Matching

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Matching/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the letter ‘L’ and its sound /l/ using examples like ‘leg’, ‘lion’. After this, the teacher mixes the letter cards G-L and pronounces a sound, asking pupils to point to the correct letter card. The teacher also shows picture cards and asks pupils to identify the beginning sound and match it to the letter.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the sound /l/ and its examples. They then actively participate in matching sounds to letters and identifying beginning sounds from picture cards.

Learning Point: Letter L sound and matching

Step 6: Segmenting Sounds in Words

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Sound Segmentation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher says a simple word (e.g., “leg”, “jam”, “hen”) and demonstrates how to segment it into individual sounds (/l/-/e/-/g/). The teacher then guides pupils to segment other simple words using the target sounds G-L, using magnetic letters or letter tiles if available.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the teacher’s demonstration and practice segmenting simple words into individual sounds.

Learning Point: Word sound segmentation

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What sound does the letter ‘G’ make?
2. Say a word that starts with the /h/ sound.
3. Which letter makes the /j/ sound?
4. Segment the word “kit” into its sounds.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pronunciation and sound identification

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to copy the essential Board Summary notes on letter sounds G-L and matching examples into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson content

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly reminds pupils of the importance of knowing letter sounds for reading and praises them for their participation. The teacher encourages them to practice the sounds at home.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the teacher’s concluding remarks.

Learning Point: Lesson summary and encouragement

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework / Practice Exercise

Instruction: Complete the following tasks in your exercise book:

1. Draw a picture of something that starts with the /g/ sound.
2. Write down two words that start with the /l/ sound.
3. Say the word “jug” and write down the letter that makes the first sound.
4. Ask an adult to say a word like “hen” or “ink” and try to segment it into sounds.
5. Practice saying the sounds for letters G, H, I, J, K, L.

Lesson Keywords

• Phonemic Awareness – The ability to hear and work with individual sounds in spoken words.
• Letter Sound – The sound that a letter makes.
• Segmenting – Breaking a word into its individual sounds.
• Matching – Connecting a sound to its correct letter.
• Beginning Sound – The first sound heard in a word.

Differentiation

For weaker learners: Provide extra one-on-one attention, use larger letter and picture cards, and allow more repetition. Focus on one or two sounds at a time before moving to others. Use tactile materials like sand trays to trace letters while saying their sounds.

For faster learners: Challenge them to identify words with the target sounds in a short story or to think of more words that start with each sound. Encourage them to blend simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words using the learned sounds.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search on YouTube for: “Primary 1 letter sounds G-L phonics” or “phonemic awareness for kids G-L”

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, ensure all instructional materials, especially letter, word, and picture cards for G-L, are ready and easily accessible. Arrange the classroom to allow for clear visibility of the cards and for pupils to participate in group activities. Begin by reviewing familiar sounds to build confidence. Model each new sound clearly and encourage pupils to repeat after you, paying attention to their pronunciation. Use a variety of examples from the picture cards to make the concept concrete. During sound-to-letter matching, ensure all pupils get a chance to participate. For segmenting sounds, demonstrate slowly and clearly, then guide pupils to try. Observe pupils closely for any difficulty in distinguishing sounds or matching them to letters, providing immediate corrective feedback. The Board Summary should be neatly written on the board for pupils to copy during the note-taking step. Encourage pupils to practice the sounds and words at home to reinforce learning.