Recognising Beginning, Middle and Ending Sounds in Unfamiliar Words for Primary 1

Class: Primary 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 6
Age: 6 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Pre-Reading Skills
Focal competence: Blending sounds to form words
Key competencies/values: Collaboration; Respect; Communication; Creativity and Innovation; ICT and Digital Competencies
Skills:

• Blending sounds to form words

Previous Lesson: Writing sentences with capitals and full stops in Handwriting
Topic: Phonological Awareness
Subject Matter: Beginning, middle and ending sounds in unfamiliar simple words, middle, ending sounds in unfamiliar simple words

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the beginning sounds in selected familiar words.
• Identify the middle sounds in selected familiar words.
• Identify the ending sounds in selected familiar words.

Psychomotor Domain

• Repeat words, emphasizing their beginning, middle, and ending 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
• New Oxford Primary English for Nigerian Schools, Primary 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Letter, word and picture cards (e.g., for ‘cat’, ‘ball’, ‘pen’, ‘sun’, ‘mat’, ‘pig’)
• Exercise books and pencils
• Simple objects in the classroom (e.g., a bag, a book, a cup)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because understanding beginning, middle, and ending sounds is a fundamental aspect of phonological awareness, which is crucial for developing early reading skills. By mastering these concepts, pupils build a strong foundation for decoding words, blending sounds, and ultimately becoming fluent readers. It helps them break down words into smaller, manageable parts.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise some letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Phonological Awareness

Recognising Beginning Sounds

The beginning sound is the first sound you hear in a word.

Examples of beginning sounds:

1. In the word “ball”, the beginning sound is /b/.
2. In the word “cat”, the beginning sound is /c/.
3. In the word “dog”, the beginning sound is /d/.
4. In the word “fish”, the beginning sound is /f/.

Recognising Middle Sounds

The middle sound is the sound you hear in the middle of a word. For simple words, this is often a vowel sound.

Examples of middle sounds:

1. In the word “cat”, the middle sound is /a/.
2. In the word “pen”, the middle sound is /e/.
3. In the word “sun”, the middle sound is /u/.
4. In the word “pig”, the middle sound is /i/.

Recognising Ending Sounds

The ending sound is the last sound you hear in a word.

Examples of ending sounds:

1. In the word “mat”, the ending sound is /t/.
2. In the word “fan”, the ending sound is /n/.
3. In the word “cup”, the ending sound is /p/.
4. In the word “bed”, the ending sound is /d/.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Repetition, Modelling

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Recalling/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to recall some letter sounds they know. The teacher then introduces the topic of identifying beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and recall letter sounds. They listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Sound recall and topic introduction.

Step 2: Introducing Beginning Sounds

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays picture cards of simple words (e.g., ‘ball’, ‘cat’, ‘dog’). The teacher says each word clearly, emphasizing and stretching the beginning sound. For example, “b-b-b-ball”, “c-c-c-cat”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen carefully to the teacher’s pronunciation and repeat the words, trying to identify the emphasized beginning sound.

Learning Point: Beginning sound identification.

Step 3: Guided Practice – Beginning Sounds

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows more picture cards or points to simple classroom objects (e.g., ‘book’, ‘table’, ‘chair’). The teacher says the word and asks individual pupils to say the beginning sound. The teacher provides immediate feedback.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns identifying and saying the beginning sounds of the words presented by the teacher.

Learning Point: Beginning sound practice.

Step 4: Introducing Middle Sounds

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays picture cards of simple CVC words (e.g., ‘pen’, ‘sun’, ‘mat’). The teacher says each word, stretching the middle vowel sound. For example, “p-e-e-n”, “s-u-u-n”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen carefully to the teacher and repeat the words, focusing on the middle sound.

Learning Point: Middle sound identification.

Step 5: Guided Practice – Middle Sounds

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses more picture cards (e.g., ‘pig’, ‘bed’, ‘cup’) and asks pupils to identify the middle sound in each word. The teacher corrects and guides as needed.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and say the middle sounds of the words.

Learning Point: Middle sound practice.

Step 6: Introducing Ending Sounds

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays picture cards (e.g., ‘fan’, ‘bus’, ‘dog’). The teacher says each word, emphasizing and stretching the ending sound. For example, “fa-n-n-n”, “bu-s-s-s”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and repeat the words, paying attention to the final sound.

Learning Point: Ending sound identification.

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 is the beginning sound in ‘box’?
2. What is the middle sound in ‘sit’?
3. What is the ending sound in ‘run’?
4. Say a word that starts with /m/.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Sound position 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 beginning, middle, and ending sounds into their notebooks.

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

Learning Point: Sound position notes.

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly reminds pupils about the importance of listening for sounds at the beginning, middle, and end of words to help them read better. The teacher praises their participation.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the teacher’s summary.

Learning Point: Lesson consolidation.

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Identify the missing sounds in the following words:

1. _at (beginning sound)
2. b_g (middle sound)
3. p_n (ending sound)
4. d_g (middle sound)
5. _un (beginning sound)

Lesson Keywords

• Beginning – The first part or sound of a word.
• Middle – The central part or sound of a word.
• Ending – The last part or sound of a word.
• Sound – What you hear when a letter or word is spoken.
• Word – A single unit of language that has meaning.

Differentiation

For pupils who are struggling, the teacher will provide more one-on-one attention, use simpler CVC words, and offer more visual and auditory cues. For faster learners, the teacher can challenge them to identify sounds in slightly longer words or ask them to generate words that begin, have in the middle, or end with specific sounds.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for: Primary 1 beginning middle ending sounds phonics

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, ensure all picture and word cards are prepared and easily accessible. Pronounce words clearly and audibly, exaggerating the target sounds to help pupils distinguish them. Encourage all pupils to participate through repetition and individual responses. During guided practice, circulate around the classroom to observe and provide immediate corrective feedback. Pupils should copy the Board Summary notes during Step 8. Consistently check for understanding throughout the lesson by asking questions and observing pupil responses. For pupils finding it difficult, use familiar names of classmates or common objects around them. For advanced learners, introduce words with consonant blends or digraphs once they grasp the basic concept.