Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before the lesson, prepare a variety of alphabet flashcards (Aa-Zz) with corresponding familiar pictures, tracing sheets for large letters, crayons, and a storybook or picture book. The central idea is for pupils to connect letters to sounds and objects, and to engage in oral communication. Ensure a supportive environment for pupils to share news and participate in tracing and singing. Observe pupils’ ability to identify objects, make initial sounds, and follow tracing lines.
Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Third Term
Week: 10
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Literacy
Previous Lesson: Identification of some alphabet letters and their sounds.
Topic: ALPHABET REVIEW AA-ZZ: PICTURE READING, WRITING AND RHYMES
Subject Matter: Listening and Speaking: Talking about news and happenings at home and in the community. Reading: Picture reading and recognition of familiar objects while relating alphabet sounds from Aa-Zz to objects. Writing: Tracing, colouring and writing letters Aa-Zz. Songs, Rhymes and Poems: Singing traditional rhymes, songs and poems and acting out characters.
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Talk about simple news and happenings at home and in their community.
- Identify familiar objects in pictures.
- Relate alphabet sounds from Aa-Zz to familiar objects.
- Recognise some letters of the alphabet (Aa-Zz).
Affective Domain
- Participate actively in sharing news and classroom discussions.
- Show enjoyment while singing alphabet rhymes and songs.
- Listen attentively to the teacher and peers.
Psychomotor Domain
- Trace large letters of the alphabet (Aa-Zz) with their fingers or crayons.
- Colour alphabet letters and associated pictures.
- Act out simple movements or characters from songs.
Social Domain
- Take turns when speaking during news sharing.
- Engage in group activities like singing and picture reading.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2
- Early Childhood Care and Education curriculum resources
- Suitable early-years alphabet workbooks
Instructional Materials
- Alphabet flashcards (Aa-Zz) with pictures
- Picture books and storybooks
- Chart posters of the alphabet
- Tracing sheets for letters Aa-Zz
- Crayons, pencils, chalk
- Whiteboard/Blackboard
- Jigsaw puzzles related to alphabet/pictures
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson is important for 3-year-olds as it reinforces foundational literacy skills through a variety of engaging activities. By connecting letters to familiar objects and sounds, pupils build early phonological awareness. Sharing news also develops their oral language and social communication skills, preparing them for more complex learning.
Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can identify some common objects, say simple words, and may have been introduced to a few letters of the alphabet and their sounds.
Lesson Content/Board Summary
Alphabet Review Aa-Zz: Picture Reading, Writing and Rhymes
1. Talking About News and Happenings
Sharing simple news from home or the community helps us talk and listen. We can talk about:
– What we ate for breakfast.
– Who visited our home.
– Something fun we did with family.
– What we saw on the way to school.
2. Picture Reading and Alphabet Sounds
We see letters all around us! Each letter has a sound, and many things start with that sound.
- A a – /a/ as in apple, ant
- B b – /b/ as in ball, book
- … (continue orally with all letters Aa-Zz, showing pictures) …
- Z z – /z/ as in zebra, zip
We look at pictures and say the names of objects. Then we say the first sound of the object and match it to the letter.
3. Tracing, Colouring and Writing Letters Aa-Zz
We can learn to make letters by tracing them. Tracing helps our hands get ready to write.
- Tracing: Follow the lines of big letters with your finger or a crayon.
- Colouring: Fill in the letters and pictures with different colours.
- Air Writing: Draw the letters in the air with your finger.
4. Alphabet Review Song
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
A, B, C, D, E, F, G,
Letters for you and me!
H, I, J, K, L, M, N,
Let’s sing them again!
O, P, Q, R, S, T, U,
So many letters, it’s true!
V, W, X, Y, Z,
Now we know our ABCs!
Actions: Point to each letter as it is sung (if on a chart), clap hands, or do simple movements for each letter (e.g., “A” for apple, pretend to eat).
5. Watch and Practise Alphabet Sounds
Key Words
- News – something new that has happened.
- Alphabet – all the letters from A to Z.
- Sound – what a letter says.
- Trace – to draw over lines.
- Rhyme – a song with words that sound alike.
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Begin by warmly greeting pupils and inviting them to share one piece of simple news from home, encouraging short sentences. Transition to the alphabet review by showing flashcards for each letter from Aa-Zz, saying the letter name, its sound, and a familiar object starting with that sound. Emphasize the initial sound. For tracing, demonstrate on a large chart or whiteboard first, then guide pupils on their tracing sheets. Encourage them to colour the letters and pictures.
What to show or demonstrate: Display alphabet charts. Show flashcards with uppercase and lowercase letters and corresponding pictures (e.g., Apple for A, Ball for B). Demonstrate finger tracing on the board and then on a tracing sheet. Show how to hold a crayon and colour within lines.
How to use the rhyme/song: Introduce the “Alphabet Review Song” by singing it clearly and slowly. Use the suggested actions or create simple, repetitive actions for each letter or line. Sing the song several times, encouraging pupils to join in and perform the actions.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to review alphabet sounds and pictures. Play the video, encouraging pupils to listen to the sounds and repeat the letter names and associated words. After watching, ask pupils to recall a few letters or objects they saw in the video.
What to watch for: Observe pupils’ willingness to share news, their ability to identify familiar objects, their attempt to make initial sounds, and their fine motor control during tracing and colouring. Provide individual support where needed, especially for tracing.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
- Play-based Learning
- Demonstration
- Guided Practice
- Songs and Rhymes
- Picture Talk
- Question and Answer
- Repetition
- Practical Activity (tracing, colouring)
Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engagement/Greeting
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets pupils warmly and leads a short “Good Morning” song. The teacher then tells pupils they will talk about news, look at letters and pictures, and sing songs.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and sing along.
Learning Point: Pupils are settled and ready for the lesson.
Step 2: Listening and Speaking (News Sharing)
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Oral Language Development
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils, “What is one new thing you did or saw today, or yesterday?” The teacher models by sharing a simple piece of news first (e.g., “I ate yam for breakfast.”). The teacher encourages pupils to share one simple sentence of news, prompting with questions if needed.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns to share one simple piece of news from home or the community.
Learning Point: Pupils practise speaking and listening skills.
Step 3: Picture Reading and Object Recognition
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Visual Recognition/Vocabulary
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays various picture flashcards of familiar objects (e.g., apple, ball, cat, dog). The teacher points to each picture and asks, “What is this?” and encourages pupils to name the object.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and name the familiar objects shown in the pictures.
Learning Point: Pupils recognise familiar objects and expand vocabulary.
Step 4: Relating Alphabet Sounds to Objects (Aa-Zz Review)
Time: 6 minutes
Teaching Skill: Phonics/Sound Association
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows alphabet flashcards (Aa-Zz) one by one. For each letter, the teacher says the letter name, its sound, and then shows a picture of an object starting with that sound (e.g., “This is A, A says /a/, /a/ is for apple”). The teacher encourages pupils to repeat the sound and the object name.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the letter name, its sound, and the associated object name after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils connect letter sounds to familiar objects.
Step 5: Tracing and Colouring Letters Aa-Zz
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Fine Motor Skills/Pre-Writing
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes tracing sheets with large letters (Aa-Zz) and crayons. The teacher demonstrates how to trace a letter with a finger first, then with a crayon. The teacher guides pupils to trace the letters and colour any associated pictures on their sheets.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practise tracing large letters with their fingers, then with crayons, and colour the letters and pictures.
Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and pre-writing abilities.
Step 6: Singing Alphabet Rhymes and Acting Out
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Auditory Learning/Creative Expression
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Alphabet Review Song” from the Board Summary. The teacher encourages pupils to perform the actions for each letter or to clap along.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the alphabet song and perform simple actions, acting out characters or movements.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce alphabet knowledge through song and movement.
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.
- “Can you tell me one thing you did today?”
- “Point to the letter ‘A’ on the chart.”
- “What sound does ‘B’ make?”
- “Show me how you trace a letter.”
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/Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and reminds them that they learned about sharing news, identifying letters and sounds, tracing, and singing alphabet songs. The teacher encourages them to keep practising at home.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and say “Thank you, teacher.”
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and are encouraged for future practice.
Lesson Keywords
- News – things that have happened recently.
- Alphabet – the set of all letters from A to Z.
- Sound – the noise a letter makes.
- Trace – to draw over a line or shape.
- Rhyme – a short poem or song, often with words that sound similar.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils who are struggling, provide larger tracing sheets, hand-over-hand guidance for tracing, more repetition of sounds, and focus on only a few letters at a time. Use very familiar objects for sound association.
- Extension: For pupils who grasp concepts quickly, encourage them to identify other objects that start with a given letter sound. Challenge them to trace letters independently or identify letters out of sequence.
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