Recognising rhyming words and extending word families in Phonemic Awareness for Primary 1

Class: Primary 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 3
Age: 6 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Pre-Reading Skills
Focal competence: Singing songs and reciting rhymes for language and literacy development
Key competencies/values: Creativity and Innovation; Communication; Critical Thinking; ICT and Digital Competencies
Skills:

• Singing songs taught
• Identifying letter sounds in songs and rhymes
• Building rhyming word families

Previous Lesson: Review of letter formation and spacing in Handwriting
Topic: Phonemic Awareness (Songs And Rhymes)
Subject Matter: Recognising rhyming words, extending word families

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify rhyming words in selected songs or rhymes.

Social Domain

• Use appropriate body language when introducing self or others.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

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

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Approved publisher-neutral text
• Letter, word and picture cards (e.g., for cat/hat, run/sun, fan/man)
• Exercise books and pencils
• Pupils’ textbooks
• Chart showing rhyming words and word families

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for building foundational literacy skills. Recognising rhyming words and understanding word families helps pupils develop phonemic awareness, which is crucial for reading and spelling. It also enhances their vocabulary and ability to manipulate sounds in words, preparing them for more complex language tasks.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils have been introduced to letter sounds and can recognise some simple words.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Phonemic Awareness (Songs And Rhymes)

What are Rhyming Words?

Rhyming words are words that have the same ending sound. They often sound musical when said together.

Examples of Rhyming Words

1. Cat and Hat
2. Run and Sun
3. Fan and Man
4. Bed and Red
5. Car and Star

What are Word Families?

Word families are groups of words that share the same ending pattern or sound. They help us learn many words easily.

Examples of Word Families

Some common word families include:

1. -at family: cat, hat, mat, sat
2. -an family: fan, man, can, ran
3. -en family: pen, hen, ten, men
4. -og family: dog, log, fog, jog
5. -un family: sun, run, fun, bun

Extending Word Families

We can create new words in a word family by changing the beginning sound while keeping the ending sound the same. For example, from the ‘-at’ family, if we have ‘cat’ and ‘hat’, we can add ‘mat’ and ‘sat’.

Listening for Rhyming Words

Listening carefully helps us decide if two words rhyme. If the ending sounds are the same, the words rhyme.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Explanation, Repetition, Singing, Storytelling

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Storytelling/Warm-up

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils, leads them in a short song or rhyme (e.g., “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”), and then asks them to introduce themselves and a friend using appropriate body language (e.g., pointing, smiling). The teacher then introduces the topic of rhyming words and word families.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing along, introduce themselves and a friend, and listen attentively.

Learning Point: Introduction to rhyming

Step 2: Recognising Rhyming Words

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays picture cards of rhyming words (e.g., cat/hat, run/sun). The teacher says each pair of words, emphasising the ending sounds, and asks pupils to repeat after them. The teacher models how to identify the rhyming sound.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the cards, listen to the words, and repeat the rhyming pairs.

Learning Point: Identification of rhyming sounds

Step 3: Guided Practice on Rhyming Words

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Questioning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher says a word and then says two other words, asking pupils to identify which one rhymes with the first word (e.g., “Which word rhymes with ‘dog’? Is it ‘cat’ or ‘log’?”). The teacher provides individual feedback.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and orally identify the rhyming words.

Learning Point: Practice identifying rhymes

Step 4: Introducing Word Families

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what a word family is using the ‘-at’ family as an example (cat, hat, mat, sat). The teacher writes these words on the board or uses word cards, highlighting the common ending sound.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanation and observe the words in the ‘-at’ family.

Learning Point: Concept of word families

Step 5: Extending Word Families

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Creation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces another word family, e.g., the ‘-an’ family (fan, man). The teacher then asks pupils to suggest other words that belong to this family by changing the beginning sound (e.g., can, ran). The teacher writes the suggested words on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils suggest new words for the word family.

Learning Point: Generating new words

Step 6: Reinforcing Word Families

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Group Activity

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher divides pupils into small groups and gives each group a word family (e.g., -en, -og, -un). Each group tries to list as many words as they can for their assigned family. The teacher monitors and assists.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils work in groups to list words for their assigned word family.

Learning Point: Group word family practice

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. Say two words that rhyme.
2. What is a word family?
3. Give two words from the ‘-at’ family.
4. When you introduce a friend, how should your body language be?

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Assessment of understanding

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 rhyming words and word families into their notebooks.

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

Learning Point: Recording lesson content

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarises the importance of rhyming words and word families in helping them read and spell better. The teacher encourages pupils to look for rhyming words in songs and stories.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and reflect on the lesson.

Learning Point: Summary of key concepts

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Complete the following tasks in your exercise book:

1. Draw a picture of a ‘cat’ and a ‘hat’.
2. List three words that rhyme with ‘bed’.
3. Write two words from the ‘-op’ word family (e.g., top, mop).
4. Ask your parents to help you find a short rhyme or song and identify two rhyming words from it.

Lesson Keywords

• Rhyming words – Words that have the same ending sound.
• Word families – Groups of words that share the same ending pattern or sound.
• Phonemic awareness – The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
• Songs – Musical pieces with words.
• Rhymes – Short poems or verses with words that have similar ending sounds.

Differentiation

For weaker learners: Provide more one-on-one support, use larger and more distinct picture cards, and focus on only one or two rhyming pairs/word families at a time. Allow them to repeat words multiple times.
For faster learners: Challenge them to create their own rhyming pairs or to identify rhyming words in a short story read aloud. Encourage them to think of more words for different word families.

Suggested Lesson Videos

YouTube search for “rhyming words for kids primary 1 nigeria”
YouTube search for “word families for kids primary 1 nigeria”

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have a variety of clear picture and word cards for rhyming pairs (e.g., cat/hat, run/sun) and for demonstrating word families (e.g., -at, -an). Start with engaging songs or rhymes to capture pupils’ attention and introduce the concept of rhyming in a fun way. Model the recognition of rhyming words clearly, emphasizing the ending sounds, and allow ample time for pupils to repeat and practice. When introducing word families, use visual aids to show how words share a common ending. Guide pupils through creating new words in a family. During the group activity, circulate to provide support and encourage participation. Remind pupils to copy the Board Summary neatly during the note-taking stage. Pay attention to pupils who might struggle with hearing the distinct ending sounds and offer additional auditory practice. For those who grasp the concepts quickly, encourage them to generate more complex rhyming patterns or larger word families.