Reading, Writing and Matching Pictures with Beginning Sound j for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 10
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Letter Work
Previous Lesson: Beginning Sound ‘i’: Reading, Writing and Matching Pictures
Topic: BEGINNING SOUND J: READING, WRITING AND MATCHING PICTURES
Subject Matter: SPEECH WRITING. Weekly focus: Beginning Sound j: Reading, Writing and Matching Pictures.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the letter ‘Jj’ and its beginning sound /j/.
• Pronounce words that begin with the /j/ sound, such as “jet,” “jam,” “jug.”
• Recognise pictures of objects whose names start with the /j/ sound.

Affective Domain

• Show interest in learning new letter sounds and words.
• Participate actively in oral pronunciation and matching activities.

Psychomotor Domain

• Trace and write the uppercase ‘J’ and lowercase ‘j’ correctly.
• Copy simple words beginning with ‘j’ (e.g., “jet,” “jug”) in their notebooks.
• Match pictures to words that start with the /j/ sound.

Social Domain

• Take turns when pronouncing words or showing their work.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4.
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources.

Instructional Materials

• Charts displaying uppercase ‘J’ and lowercase ‘j’.
• Flashcards with pictures of objects starting with ‘j’ (e.g., jet, jam, jug, juice, jelly).
• Word cards for “jet,” “jam,” “jug,” “joy.”
• Picture books featuring words with the /j/ sound.
• Whiteboard or chalkboard, markers/chalk.
• Pupils’ notebooks and pencils.
• MP3 or MP4 player (optional, for sound/video).
• Television (optional, for video display).

Rationale for the Lesson

Learning the beginning sound /j/ is crucial for Pre-School Level 4 pupils as it builds foundational literacy skills. This lesson helps children connect sounds to letters, recognise common words, and develop pre-reading and pre-writing abilities, which are essential for future academic success and effective communication.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise some letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds. They can hold a pencil and make basic strokes. They can also identify and name some common objects.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Beginning Sound ‘j’: Reading, Writing and Matching Pictures

The letter ‘J’ makes the /j/ sound, like in “jet” or “juice.”

How to make the /j/ sound:

• Open your mouth slightly.
• Push a little air out, making a short, quick sound.
• It’s a “bouncy” sound!

Words that start with the /j/ sound:

• Jet (a fast plane)
• Jam (a sweet spread for bread)
• Jug (a container for liquids)
• Joy (a feeling of great happiness)
• Juice (a drink from fruit)
• Jump (to push off the ground with your feet)

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display a large chart with uppercase ‘J’ and lowercase ‘j’.
• Show flashcards for “jet,” “jam,” “jug,” “juice,” “jelly.”
• Write ‘J’ and ‘j’ clearly on the board, demonstrating the correct formation.
• Write simple words like “jet” and “jug” on the board for pupils to copy.

Sound Rhyme: The Jumping ‘J’

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

J, J, J, the letter J,
Makes the /j/ sound, hip hip hooray!
J-j-j-jet, and J-j-j-jam,
J-j-j-jug, what a fun sound I am!
J, J, J, the letter J,
Makes the /j/ sound all through the day!

Actions: Pupils can jump on “J-j-j-jump,” pretend to spread jam, or make a flying motion for “jet.”

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme together, emphasizing the /j/ sound. Repeat several times to help pupils internalise the sound and associate it with the letter ‘J’.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video about the letter ‘J’ and its sound. Pay attention to the words that start with /j/ and try to say them along with the video!

Writing the letter ‘Jj’ and words:

• Uppercase ‘J’: Start at the top, straight line down, then curve left at the bottom. Add a small line across the top.
• Lowercase ‘j’: Start in the middle, straight line down, then curve left at the bottom. Add a dot above it.
• Practice writing words like “jet” and “jug” by copying from the board.

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: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and leads them in a short alphabet song. The teacher then asks pupils to recall some letter sounds they have learned previously.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing the alphabet song, and name some familiar letter sounds.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and ready to learn, connecting to prior knowledge.

Step 2: Introduction of Sound /j/

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Oral Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the letter ‘Jj’ using a chart. The teacher makes the /j/ sound clearly, demonstrating the mouth position. The teacher shows pictures of objects starting with ‘j’ (e.g., jet, jam) and pronounces their names, emphasising the beginning /j/ sound. “This is ‘Jj’, and it makes the /j/ sound, like in ‘jet’!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the letter ‘Jj’, listen to the /j/ sound, and try to imitate the sound with the teacher. They repeat the names of the objects after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils identify the letter ‘Jj’ and associate it with its beginning sound /j/.

Step 3: Oral Practice and Word Association

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Repetition/Picture Talk

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses flashcards for words like “jet,” “jam,” “jug,” “joy,” “juice.” For each card, the teacher says the word, asks pupils to repeat it, and then asks, “What sound do you hear at the beginning?” The teacher encourages pupils to make the /j/ sound. The teacher also leads the “Jumping ‘J'” rhyme.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the words, identify the beginning /j/ sound, and sing along with the rhyme, performing the actions.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their recognition of the /j/ sound in various words and enjoy a fun learning activity.

Step 4: Writing the Letter ‘Jj’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to write uppercase ‘J’ and lowercase ‘j’ on the board, explaining the strokes (e.g., “down and curve,” “dot on top”). The teacher guides pupils to trace ‘Jj’ in the air with their fingers, then on their palms, and finally in their notebooks (if pre-drawn by the teacher or on a worksheet).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstration, trace ‘Jj’ in the air and on their palms, and then attempt to trace or write ‘Jj’ in their notebooks.

Learning Point: Pupils learn the correct formation of the letter ‘Jj’.

Step 5: Writing Beginning ‘j’ Words

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Copying

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes simple ‘j’ words like “jet,” “jug,” and “jam” clearly on the board. The teacher pronounces each word as it is written. The teacher then guides pupils to copy these words into their notebooks, providing individual assistance where needed.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the teacher write the words, pronounce them, and then carefully copy the words into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Pupils practise writing simple words that begin with the /j/ sound.

Step 6: Matching Activity

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Visual Association

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays a chart or flashcards with pictures (e.g., jet, jam, sun, ball) and word cards (jet, jam). The teacher asks pupils to match the word card “jet” to the picture of a jet, and “jam” to the picture of jam. The teacher can also ask pupils to point to all pictures that start with the /j/ sound.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils come forward to match the word cards to the correct pictures or point to the pictures starting with /j/ as instructed.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their knowledge to match words and pictures with the beginning /j/ sound.

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. “What sound does the letter ‘J’ make?”
2. “Can you name one thing that starts with the /j/ sound?” (Show a picture card if needed).
3. “Show me how to write the letter ‘j’ in the air.”
4. “Point to the word ‘jet’ on the board.”

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: Recap/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and effort. The teacher briefly recaps the /j/ sound and some words learned. “You all did a great job learning about the ‘J’ sound today!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the recap and receive praise.

Learning Point: Pupils feel a sense of accomplishment and consolidate their learning.

Lesson Keywords

• J – The tenth letter of the alphabet.
• Sound – The noise that the letter ‘J’ makes, which is /j/.
• Jet – A type of aircraft that flies very fast.
• Jam – A sweet spread made from fruit, often eaten with bread.
• Jug – A container with a handle and a lip, used for holding and pouring liquids.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who are struggling, the teacher can provide more one-on-one guidance, use larger letter and picture cards, offer hand-over-hand assistance for writing, and focus on only 2-3 key ‘j’ words. Repetition of the sound and words will be increased.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, the teacher can challenge them to identify other objects in the classroom or outside that start with the /j/ sound, or encourage them to draw a picture of a ‘j’ word and label it independently. They can also attempt to write more ‘j’ words.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure all instructional materials, especially the charts, flashcards, and writing tools, are prepared and easily accessible. When introducing the /j/ sound, make sure your pronunciation is clear and exaggerated initially to help pupils distinguish it. Encourage active participation by having pupils repeat words and perform actions for the rhyme. Pay close attention to pupils’ pencil grip and letter formation during writing activities, providing gentle corrections and encouragement. For the matching activity, ensure there are clear non-‘j’ sound distractors to truly test their understanding. Observe if pupils can consistently identify the /j/ sound at the beginning of words, which is a key indicator of comprehension.