Reading and Building Words with Trigraphs are and air for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 5
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Language Domain
Previous Lesson: Pupils identified and read words with common digraphs.
Topic: TRIGRAPHS ARE AND AIR: READING AND BUILDING WORDS
Subject Matter: Trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’: Reading and Building Words

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’ in words.
• Read simple words containing the trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’.
• Form new words using the trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’ with letter cards.

Affective Domain

• Show enthusiasm for learning new sounds and words.
• Participate actively in reading and word-building activities.

Psychomotor Domain

• Point to the trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’ on flashcards and charts.
• Arrange letter cards to build words with ‘are’ and ‘air’.

Social Domain

• Take turns when reading words and building words in groups.
• Work cooperatively with peers during word-building tasks.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

• Chart displaying trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’ and example words
• Flashcards with trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’
• Flashcards with words containing ‘are’ (e.g., bare, care, rare, mare)
• Flashcards with words containing ‘air’ (e.g., hair, fair, pair, chair)
• Individual letter cards (e.g., b, c, r, m, h, f, p, ch)
• Small whiteboard or chalkboard with markers/chalk
• MP3 or MP4 player for sound/video
• Paper and pencils for drawing/tracing

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for Pre-School Level 4 pupils as it introduces them to trigraphs, which are foundational for developing stronger phonics skills and reading fluency. Understanding ‘are’ and ‘air’ helps children decode more complex words, expanding their vocabulary and preparing them for more advanced reading.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise individual letter sounds, blend two-letter sounds, and read simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. They are also familiar with identifying and reading words with common digraphs.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

TRIGRAPHS ARE AND AIR: READING AND BUILDING WORDS

A trigraph is a group of three letters that make one sound.

Today, we will learn about two trigraphs: are and air.

Trigraph ‘are’

• The letters ‘a’, ‘r’, ‘e’ together make the sound /air/ (like in ‘care’).
• Examples:
  • c + are = care
  • b + are = bare
  • r + are = rare
  • m + are = mare

Trigraph ‘air’

• The letters ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘r’ together make the sound /air/ (like in ‘chair’).
• Examples:
  • h + air = hair
  • f + air = fair
  • p + air = pair
  • ch + air = chair

How to Read and Build Words with Trigraphs

1. Look at the word.
2. Identify the trigraph (e.g., ‘are’ or ‘air’).
3. Sound out the beginning letter(s).
4. Blend the beginning sound with the trigraph sound.
5. To build words, put a beginning letter card in front of the ‘are’ or ‘air’ trigraph card.

Key Words

• Trigraph – three letters that make one sound.
• Are – a trigraph sound, as in ‘care’.
• Air – a trigraph sound, as in ‘hair’.
• Word – a single unit of language.
• Read – to look at and understand written words.
• Build – to put letters together to make a word.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display a chart showing ‘are’ and ‘air’ trigraphs with clear pictures (e.g., a bear for ‘bare’, a person with hair for ‘hair’).
• Write the trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’ clearly on the board.
• Write example words like “care” and “hair“, circling the trigraphs.
• Demonstrate building words using large letter cards.

Trigraph Sound Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

‘Are’ and ‘air’, they make one sound,
Three letters together, all around.
C-are, b-are, r-are, so clear,
H-air, f-air, p-air, we hear.
‘Are’ and ‘air’, we learn to say,
Reading new words every day!

Actions: Pupils point to their ears when they hear “hear”, clap when they hear “say”, and pretend to read a book when they hear “reading new words”.

How to use the rhyme: Sing this rhyme after introducing both trigraphs to help pupils remember their sounds and some example words. Repeat it a few times for reinforcement.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video to hear the sounds of ‘are’ and ‘air’ and see more words!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J912X4u8D-k

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Demonstration, Guided Practice, Repetition, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Manipulation of Objects, Play-based Learning.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and quickly reviews previous knowledge of digraphs by asking pupils to identify a few common digraphs (e.g., ‘sh’, ‘ch’) and words. The teacher then introduces the new topic: “Today, we are going to learn about special sounds made by three letters together. These are called trigraphs!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, identify digraphs, and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Pupils recall previous knowledge and are prepared for the new lesson.

Step 2: Introduction to Trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that a trigraph is three letters that make one sound. Using flashcards, the teacher introduces the trigraph ‘are’ and says its sound /air/ (as in ‘care’). The teacher then introduces the trigraph ‘air’ and says its sound /air/ (as in ‘hair’). The teacher plays the Trigraph Sound Rhyme.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the trigraph sounds after the teacher, and sing along with the rhyme.

Learning Point: Pupils understand what a trigraph is and recognise the sounds of ‘are’ and ‘air’.

Step 3: Reading Words with ‘are’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays flashcards with words containing ‘are’ (e.g., bare, care, rare, mare). The teacher models reading each word, emphasizing the ‘are’ sound, and then guides pupils to read them together and individually. The teacher points to the ‘are’ trigraph in each word.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the words, read them individually, and point to the ‘are’ trigraph in each word as guided by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils practise reading words with the ‘are’ trigraph.

Step 4: Reading Words with ‘air’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays flashcards with words containing ‘air’ (e.g., hair, fair, pair, chair). Similar to Step 3, the teacher models reading each word, emphasizing the ‘air’ sound, and then guides pupils to read them together and individually. The teacher points to the ‘air’ trigraph in each word.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the words, read them individually, and point to the ‘air’ trigraph in each word as guided by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils practise reading words with the ‘air’ trigraph.

Step 5: Building Words with Trigraphs

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Practical Application/Manipulation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes letter cards (individual letters and ‘are’/’air’ trigraph cards) to pupils or groups. The teacher calls out a word (e.g., “care”) and guides pupils to arrange their letter cards to form the word. The teacher repeats this for several words with ‘are’ and ‘air’ (e.g., “hair”, “bare”, “pair”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils actively arrange letter cards to build the words called out by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their knowledge to build words using the trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’.

Step 6: Simple Sentence Making and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Visual Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to make simple oral sentences using the words they have read or built (e.g., “I have long hair.”, “Take care.”). The teacher then plays the educational video on trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’ for visual and auditory reinforcement, encouraging pupils to repeat sounds and words from the video.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils attempt to make simple sentences orally and watch the video, repeating sounds and words.

Learning Point: Pupils practise using trigraph words in context and reinforce learning through multimedia.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4–5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

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

1. “What sound do ‘a-r-e’ make together?”
2. “What sound do ‘a-i-r’ make together?”
3. Show me the word ‘care’ from these flashcards.
4. Build the word ‘hair’ using your letter cards.
5. Name one word that has the ‘are’ sound.
6. Name one word that has the ‘air’ sound.

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: Summarisation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their hard work and participation. The teacher briefly recaps that they learned about trigraphs ‘are’ and ‘air’ and how to read and build words with them. The teacher encourages them to look for these sounds in books and around them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the summary.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and are encouraged to continue practising.

Lesson Keywords

• Trigraph – a group of three letters that make a single sound.
• Are – the sound made by the letters ‘a-r-e’ in words like ‘care’.
• Air – the sound made by the letters ‘a-i-r’ in words like ‘hair’.
• Read – to understand the meaning of written words.
• Build – to put letters together to form a word.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who are struggling, provide larger flashcards with clearer pictures. Offer more one-on-one guided practice for reading and building words. Allow them to trace the trigraphs in sand or on a tray with rice before writing. Use fewer words for them to focus on.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, challenge them to identify other words with ‘are’ and ‘air’ not covered in the lesson. Encourage them to write simple sentences using the words they have built. They can also try to write the words independently on paper.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare all flashcards and letter cards in advance. Ensure the MP3/MP4 player is charged and the video link is working. The main idea children must grasp is that three specific letters (‘are’ or ‘air’) combine to make one distinct sound. Emphasize the sound through clear pronunciation and repetition. When pupils are building words, ensure they understand that the trigraph acts as one unit. Encourage active participation from all pupils, especially during the word-building activity. For shy pupils, offer individual encouragement and allow them to point or show rather than speak initially. Observe how pupils identify the trigraphs in words and how accurately they blend sounds to read. Their ability to correctly build words with letter cards will be a strong indicator of understanding.