Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 4
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Letter Work
Previous Lesson: Blending letter sounds to form simple words.
Topic: Reading and Writing Two-, Three- and Four-Letter Words
Subject Matter: SPEECH WRITING. Weekly focus: Reading and Writing Two-, Three- and Four-Letter Words.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Identify and pronounce simple two-, three-, and four-letter words.
Read simple two-, three-, and four-letter words from flashcards or charts.
Recognise different word patterns like CVC, CVV, VCC, VCV.

Affective Domain

Participate actively in word reading and writing activities.
Show interest in learning new words.
Listen attentively to the teacher’s instructions.

Psychomotor Domain

Trace and copy simple two-, three-, and four-letter words.
Form simple words using moveable alphabets.
Attempt to write simple words independently.

Take turns when forming words with classmates.
Share learning materials respectfully.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
Early Childhood Care and Education resources
A suitable early-years literacy workbook/textbook

Instructional Materials

Moveable alphabets
Flash cards with two-, three-, and four-letter words (e.g., ‘go’, ‘cat’, ‘fish’)
Picture cards corresponding to the words (e.g., picture of a cat for ‘cat’)
Charts displaying word families or word patterns
Writing books/exercise books
Pencils and erasers
Whiteboard or chalkboard and markers/chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for 5-year-olds as it builds foundational literacy skills by teaching them to read and write simple words. Mastering two-, three-, and four-letter words helps children understand that letters combine to form meaningful units, which is essential for developing early reading fluency, comprehension, and written communication. It also boosts their confidence in their ability to read and write.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise and sound out individual letters of the alphabet. They can also blend simple consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) sounds orally and have some experience tracing basic pre-writing patterns.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Reading and Writing Two-, Three- and Four-Letter Words

A word is a group of letters put together to make a meaning.

Two-Letter Words

These words have two letters.
Examples: go, no, up, in, on, it, is, am, an, at, by, my, me, we, he, so.
We say the sounds of the two letters together to read the word.

Three-Letter Words

These words have three letters. Many three-letter words follow simple patterns like CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant).

CVC words: (Consonant – Vowel – Consonant)
- Examples: run, tin, boy, sat, dad, sin, mom, rod, cat, dog, sun, pig, cup, fan.
- We blend the three sounds together to read the word.
CVV words: (Consonant – Vowel – Vowel)
- Examples: zoo, boo, too, toe, sea, bee.
VCC words: (Vowel – Consonant – Consonant)
- Examples: ant, art, end, ill, ass, ash.
VCV words: (Vowel – Consonant – Vowel)
- Examples: use, ago, ate.

CVC Word Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

C-V-C words, oh so fun,
Like ‘cat’ and ‘dog’ and ‘sun’.
Letters blend, a sound we make,
New words we learn, for goodness sake!
C-V-C words, short and sweet,
Reading words, can’t be beat!

Actions: Point to letters as they are named, blend sounds with hand gestures, pretend to read a book.

How to use the rhyme: Sing this rhyme after introducing CVC words to reinforce the concept of blending three sounds to form a word. Encourage pupils to do the actions.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a video to help us read some three-letter words!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3fT-eG-i2Y

Four-Letter Words

These words have four letters.
Examples: fish, hand, book, jump, sing, walk, play, baby, farm.
We sound out the letters and blend them to read the word.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

Display flashcards for each word category (e.g., ‘go’, ‘cat’, ‘fish’).
Write example words clearly on the board, demonstrating letter formation.
Use moveable alphabets to build words letter by letter.
Show picture cards that match the words to aid understanding.

Key Words

Word – Letters put together to make a meaning.
Read – To look at words and understand their meaning.
Write – To make letters and words on paper.
Two-letter – Having two letters.
Three-letter – Having three letters.
Four-letter – Having four letters.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and leads them in singing a familiar alphabet sound song. The teacher then shows flashcards of individual letters and asks pupils to say their sounds. The teacher explains that today they will learn to put these sounds together to read and write words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, sing the alphabet song, and say the sounds of individual letters as prompted.

Learning Point: Pupils recall letter sounds, preparing for word formation.

Step 2: Introducing Two-Letter Words

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Oral Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays flashcards of simple two-letter words (e.g., ‘go’, ‘in’, ‘up’, ‘on’). The teacher points to each letter, says its sound, then blends the sounds to read the word. Pupils repeat after the teacher. The teacher demonstrates air tracing the words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the words after the teacher, and air trace the words.

Learning Point: Pupils learn to pronounce and recognise simple two-letter words.

Step 3: Exploring Three-Letter Words (CVC focus)

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Manipulation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces three-letter words, focusing on CVC patterns (e.g., ‘cat’, ‘sun’, ‘tin’). Using moveable alphabets, the teacher forms a word (e.g., C-A-T), sounds out each letter, then blends them to read ‘cat’. The teacher shows a picture of a cat. Pupils are invited to come forward and form simple CVC words with the moveable alphabets.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the words, identify pictures, and take turns forming CVC words using moveable alphabets.

Learning Point: Pupils understand how three letters combine to form CVC words and practice forming them.

Step 4: Rhyme and Writing Practice (Three-Letter Words)

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the CVC word rhyme. After the rhyme, the teacher writes a few CVC words (e.g., ‘run’, ‘dad’, ‘mom’) on the board, demonstrating correct letter formation. Pupils are guided to trace and copy these words in their writing books.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions, then trace and copy the CVC words in their books.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce CVC word recognition and practice writing them.

Step 5: Introducing Four-Letter Words

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Reading

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces a few simple four-letter words (e.g., ‘fish’, ‘book’, ‘jump’) using flashcards and corresponding pictures. The teacher sounds out the letters and blends them to read the words. Pupils repeat the words. The teacher guides pupils to trace one or two of these words in the air or on their desks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the four-letter words, and trace them in the air or on their desks.

Learning Point: Pupils begin to recognise and pronounce simple four-letter words.

Step 6: Word Formation Game

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Game-based Learning/Problem Solving

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher organises a quick game where pupils use moveable alphabets to form words called out by the teacher (e.g., “Form ‘go’!”, “Form ‘fan’!”, “Form ‘book’!”). The teacher provides assistance as needed and praises effort.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils actively participate in the word formation game, trying to create the requested words with moveable alphabets.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their knowledge of letter sounds to form words in a fun, interactive way.

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.

“Can you read this word?” (Teacher shows a flashcard of ‘in’ or ‘up’).
“What word is this?” (Teacher shows a flashcard of ‘cat’ or ‘sun’).
“Show me how to write ‘go’ in the air.”
“Who can read the word ‘fish’?” (Teacher points to the word on a chart).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate (e.g., reading words, air tracing).

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summary/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their effort in reading and writing words. The teacher reminds them to keep practising. The teacher may assign a simple homework task like tracing a few words at home.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the teacher’s summary and instructions, and respond positively.

Learning Point: Pupils feel encouraged and understand the importance of continued practice.

Lesson Keywords

Word – Letters put together to make a meaning.
Read – To look at words and understand their meaning.
Write – To make letters and words on paper.
Two-letter – Having two letters.
Three-letter – Having three letters.
Four-letter – Having four letters.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who are struggling, provide larger flashcards, focus primarily on two-letter and simple CVC words. Offer hand-over-hand guidance for tracing and writing. Allow them to use picture cues more often. Pair them with a stronger peer during activities.
Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, challenge them to form more words independently using moveable alphabets. Ask them to identify other words that follow the CVC pattern or to try reading simple sentences containing the learned words. Encourage them to find words in a simple storybook.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure all instructional materials like flashcards, picture cards, and moveable alphabets are prepared and easily accessible. Emphasise oral practice and sound blending before moving to writing. Encourage pupils to sound out words even if they make mistakes, as this builds phonemic awareness. Monitor pencil grip and letter formation during writing activities. Make the learning process engaging through games and positive reinforcement. Observe individual pupil participation and effort; praise progress to build confidence. Understanding should be assessed by the child’s ability to correctly read or form the words when prompted.