Reading Blends, Digraphs and Trigraphs in Simple Words for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 1
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Language Domain
Previous Lesson:
Topic: Reading Blends, Digraphs and Trigraphs in Simple Words
Subject Matter: Reading: Blends, Digraphs, Trigraphs. Sight Words: Shirt, Clock, Hair.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify common consonant blends (e.g., bl, st, tr) in simple words.
• Recognise common digraphs (e.g., sh, ch, th) in simple words.
• Identify common trigraphs (e.g., igh, air) in simple words.
• Read simple words containing blends, digraphs, and trigraphs.
• Spell and read the sight words: shirt, clock, hair.

Affective Domain

• Show interest in learning new reading sounds.
• Participate actively in reading and word-building activities.
• Show confidence when attempting to read new words.

Psychomotor Domain

• Point to blends, digraphs, and trigraphs in words.
• Build simple words using letter cards for blends, digraphs, and trigraphs.
• Formulate very short, simple sentences orally using sight words.

Social Domain

• Take turns during shared reading activities.
• Work cooperatively with peers during guided practice.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources
• Simple phonics reading books for kindergarten

Instructional Materials

• Charts displaying consonant blends, digraphs, and trigraphs with example words and pictures.
• Flashcards with individual letters.
• Flashcards with common blends (bl, st, tr, gr, cl, fl), digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck), and trigraphs (igh, air).
• Word cards for simple words containing these sounds (e.g., blue, stop, tree, ship, chair, thin, light, hair).
• Picture cards matching the words.
• A simple decodable reader with short passages.
• Whiteboard/chalkboard and markers/chalk.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for Pre-School Level 4 pupils as it builds foundational reading skills by teaching them how to decode words beyond single letter sounds. Understanding blends, digraphs, and trigraphs helps children read more complex words, improving their fluency and comprehension, which are essential steps towards becoming confident readers.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils should be able to recognise individual letter sounds and read simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words like ‘cat’, ‘dog’, ‘sun’. They should also have some familiarity with basic sight words.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Reading Blends, Digraphs and Trigraphs in Simple Words

1. Consonant Blends:

• A blend is when two or three consonants are together, and you can hear the sound of each letter. They blend together smoothly.
• Examples:
  • bl as in blue, black
  • st as in stop, star
  • tr as in tree, train
  • gr as in grape, green

2. Digraphs:

• A digraph is when two letters come together to make one new sound. You don’t hear the individual sounds, but a completely new sound.
• Examples:
  • sh as in ship, fish
  • ch as in chair, lunch
  • th as in thin, mouth
  • wh as in whale, what
  • ck as in duck, rock (often at the end of words)

3. Trigraphs:

• A trigraph is when three letters come together to make one new sound.
• Examples:
  • igh as in light, night
  • air as in hair, chair
  • ear as in bear, pear

4. Sight Words:

• These are words we learn to recognise quickly by looking at them, without sounding them out.
• Shirt: “I wear a clean shirt.” (Note: contains ‘sh’ digraph)
• Clock: “The clock tells time.” (Note: contains ‘ck’ digraph)
• Hair: “My hair is black.” (Note: contains ‘air’ trigraph)

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video to see how blends, digraphs, and trigraphs sound in words!

Reading Sounds Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Two letters together, make a sound,
Like ‘sh’ in ship, all around.
‘Ch’ in chair, ‘th’ in thin,
Reading words, let’s begin!
Three letters together, a sound so clear,
Like ‘igh’ in light, banish fear.
‘Air’ in hair, we learn to say,
Reading words every day!

Actions: Point to mouth for sounds, mime reading a book, point to hair for ‘air’, make a light motion for ‘igh’.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme slowly, pointing to the blend/digraph/trigraph on a chart or flashcard as it is mentioned. Encourage pupils to repeat the sounds and words.

Key Words

• Blend – Two or three consonant letters together where you can hear each sound.
• Digraph – Two letters that make one new sound.
• Trigraph – Three letters that make one new sound.
• Sight Word – A word recognised instantly without sounding it out.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display charts with blends (bl, st, tr), digraphs (sh, ch, th, ck), and trigraphs (igh, air).
• Write example words clearly on the board, underlining or highlighting the blend/digraph/trigraph.
• Show picture cards for words like “ship,” “chair,” “light,” “hair,” “clock,” “shirt.”
• Demonstrate how to blend sounds to read words like “bl-ue” or “sh-ip.”

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Word Building, Question and Answer, Repetition, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Review

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and reviews individual letter sounds (e.g., ‘s’, ‘h’, ‘c’, ‘k’, ‘t’, ‘r’). The teacher then introduces the idea that sometimes letters work together to make special sounds, like “friends holding hands.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, repeat individual letter sounds, and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Pupils recall individual letter sounds and are prepared for the new topic.

Step 2: Introducing Consonant Blends

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what consonant blends are (two consonant friends whose sounds you can still hear). The teacher shows flashcards for blends like ‘bl’, ‘st’, ‘tr’, ‘gr’, saying their sounds and showing example words (e.g., “bl-ue,” “st-op,” “tr-ee”). Pupils repeat the sounds and words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the blend sounds, and say the example words after the teacher. They point to the blends on the flashcards.

Learning Point: Pupils understand and identify consonant blends and their sounds.

Step 3: Introducing Digraphs

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what digraphs are (two letters making one new sound). The teacher shows flashcards for digraphs like ‘sh’, ‘ch’, ‘th’, ‘ck’, saying their sounds and showing example words (e.g., “sh-ip,” “ch-air,” “th-in,” “du-ck”). Pupils repeat the sounds and words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the digraph sounds, and say the example words after the teacher. They point to the digraphs on the flashcards.

Learning Point: Pupils understand and identify digraphs and their sounds.

Step 4: Introducing Trigraphs and Sight Words

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what trigraphs are (three letters making one new sound). The teacher shows flashcards for trigraphs like ‘igh’, ‘air’, saying their sounds and showing example words (e.g., “l-igh-t,” “h-air”). The teacher then introduces the sight words “shirt,” “clock,” “hair,” highlighting the digraphs/trigraphs within them and asking pupils to repeat and spell them.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, repeat the trigraph sounds and sight words, and attempt to spell the sight words orally. They identify the special sounds in the sight words.

Learning Point: Pupils understand and identify trigraphs and begin to recognise sight words.

Step 5: Guided Reading Practice with Simple Words and Sentences

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Reading

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses word cards and a simple decodable reader. The teacher guides pupils to read words containing the taught blends, digraphs, and trigraphs. The teacher then leads pupils to read very short, simple sentences from the reader, pointing to words as they read. The teacher also guides pupils to make simple sentences using the sight words (e.g., “I have a new shirt.”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils read words and short sentences with teacher guidance. They attempt to form simple sentences using the sight words.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their knowledge to read simple words and sentences.

Step 6: Rhyme and Word Building Activity

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Activity

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Reading Sounds Rhyme” (from the Board Summary). The teacher then gives pupils letter cards (including blend/digraph/trigraph cards) and asks them to build simple words like “ship,” “tree,” “light,” “clock” on their desks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions. They use letter cards to build words as instructed by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding through song and hands-on word building.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

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

1. “Point to the ‘sh’ sound on the chart.”
2. “What sound do ‘t’ and ‘r’ make together?” (tr)
3. “Read this word: ‘light’.”
4. “Spell the word ‘clock’ for me.”
5. “Make a short sentence using the word ‘hair’.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate (e.g., pointing, reading, spelling, forming a sentence).

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson content.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summary/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the lesson by reminding pupils about blends, digraphs, and trigraphs and how they help us read. The teacher praises pupils for their effort and encourages them to keep practising reading. The teacher may assign a simple homework task like identifying words with these sounds in a book at home.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and receive encouragement.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and are motivated to continue reading.

Lesson Keywords

• Blend – When two or three consonants come together, and you can hear each sound, like ‘bl’ in blue.
• Digraph – Two letters that make one new sound, like ‘sh’ in ship.
• Trigraph – Three letters that make one new sound, like ‘igh’ in light.
• Sight Word – A word you learn to recognise quickly by looking at it, like ‘shirt’.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who are struggling, provide more one-on-one repetition of sounds and words. Use larger flashcards and more picture cues. Focus on only one blend, digraph, or trigraph at a time before moving to the next. Use hand-over-hand guidance for pointing to sounds.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, encourage them to identify other words with the taught blends, digraphs, or trigraphs. Ask them to create slightly longer sentences using the sight words or try to read a slightly more challenging sentence from the decodable reader.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure all charts, flashcards, word cards, and a simple decodable reader are prepared and easily accessible. The key to this lesson is repetition and visual aids. Introduce each concept (blends, digraphs, trigraphs) clearly and separately before combining them. Emphasise the sound each combination makes, not just the letters. For sight words, encourage pupils to look at the whole word and say it, while also pointing out the special sound combinations within them (e.g., ‘sh’ in shirt, ‘ck’ in clock, ‘air’ in hair). Observe pupils closely during guided practice to identify those needing extra support. Understanding should be assessed through their ability to correctly identify the sounds, read the words, and use the sight words orally. Keep the pace lively and engaging, using the rhyme and word-building activity to maintain interest.