Sounds /a/-/m/ and Tracing Letter a for Pre-School Level 1

Class: Pre-School Level 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 6
Age: 2 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Simple letter and sound recognition.
Topic: Sounds /a/-/m/ and Tracing Letter a
Subject Matter: Speech: Sounds: /a/ – /m/ Sounding and recognition of sounds.; Writing: Tracing Letter – a; Rhyme: I have 10 fingers. Weekly focus: Sounds /a/-/m/ and Tracing Letter a.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify and pronounce the sounds /a/, /b/, /c/, /d/, /e/, /f/, /g/, /h/, /i/, /j/, /k/, /l/, /m/ when shown pictures.
• Recognise objects that start with the sounds /a/-/m/.

Affective Domain

• Participate actively in repeating sounds and singing rhymes.
• Show interest in tracing the letter ‘a’.

Psychomotor Domain

• Trace the letter ‘a’ in the air, with their finger, and on paper.
• Point to objects that begin with specific sounds.

Social Domain

• Take turns repeating sounds and identifying objects.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 1.
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources.
• Suitable early-years phonics and letter tracing workbooks.

Instructional Materials

• Flashcards with pictures for sounds /a/ through /m/ (e.g., apple, ball, cat, dog, egg, fish, goat, hat, ink, jug, kite, lion, mango).
• Real objects for some sounds (e.g., apple, ball, toy cat).
• Large tracing sheets for letter ‘a’ (lowercase).
• Crayons.
• MP4 Player (for video/audio).
• Rhyme book (for “I have 10 fingers”).

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 2-year-olds as it introduces foundational literacy skills. Learning letter sounds helps them connect spoken words to written letters, building a base for future reading. Tracing letter ‘a’ develops fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, preparing them for writing. These activities encourage listening, speaking, and early recognition, which are crucial for cognitive development.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise and name some familiar objects, repeat simple words, and follow short instructions.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Sounds /a/-/m/ and Tracing Letter a

1. Sound /a/
The sound /a/ is like in “apple” or “ant”.
We open our mouth wide and say /a/! /a/! /a/!

2. Tracing Letter ‘a’
The letter ‘a’ looks like this: a
We make a round shape, then a little stick down.
Start from the top, go round, then a short line down.

3. Other Sounds /b/ – /m/
/b/ as in ball, banana
/c/ as in cat, car
/d/ as in dog, duck
/e/ as in egg, elephant
/f/ as in fish, fan
/g/ as in goat, girl
/h/ as in hat, hen
/i/ as in ink, igloo
/j/ as in jug, jam
/k/ as in kite, key
/l/ as in lion, lamp
/m/ as in mango, monkey

Key Words

• Sound – What we hear when we say a letter.
• Trace – To draw over a line or shape.
• Letter ‘a’ – The first letter of the alphabet.

Sound and Trace Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:
A, a, /a/, /a/, /a/,
Apple, ant, we say /a/.
Make a round, then a stick,
Letter ‘a’ is quick, quick, quick!
A, a, /a/, /a/, /a/,
Learning sounds is fun, hooray!

Actions: Point to an apple picture, pretend to eat an apple, make a round shape in the air, then a short stick down.

Movement Song: I Have 10 Fingers

Tune: Traditional

Lyrics:
I have ten fingers, and they all belong to me.
I can make them do things, would you like to see?
I can shut them up tight, I can open them wide.
I can put them together, I can make them all hide.
I can make them jump high, I can make them jump low.
I can fold them quietly, and hold them just so.

Actions: Follow the words with finger and hand movements (e.g., show ten fingers, close fists, open hands, put palms together, hide hands behind back, jump fingers up, jump fingers down, fold hands).

Watch and Learn: Tracing Letter ‘a’ and Sound

This video helps us see and hear the sound for letter ‘a’ and how to trace it.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets pupils and starts with a familiar greeting song. The teacher shows a picture of an apple and asks, “What is this?” and “What sound does it start with?”.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and try to name the apple and make the /a/ sound.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and recall prior knowledge of familiar objects and sounds.

Step 2: Presentation of Sound /a/ and Tracing Letter ‘a’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the sound /a/ using an apple flashcard/real apple. “This is an apple, it starts with the /a/ sound. /a/, /a/, /a/.” The teacher then introduces the letter ‘a’ and demonstrates how to trace it in the air with a big arm movement: “round and down with a little stick.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the /a/ sound, point to the apple, and imitate the teacher’s air tracing movement for ‘a’.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise the sound /a/ and the shape of letter ‘a’.

Step 3: Guided Practice of Sound /a/ and Tracing ‘a’

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to trace letter ‘a’ with their fingers on the table or in a sand tray. The teacher also shows other pictures starting with /a/ (e.g., ant) and asks pupils to say the sound.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace ‘a’ with their fingers and repeat the /a/ sound for other example words.

Learning Point: Pupils practise making the /a/ sound and the tracing motion for ‘a’.

Step 4: Introduction of Sounds /b/ – /e/

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Direct Instruction/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher quickly introduces sounds /b/, /c/, /d/, /e/ using flashcards (e.g., ball, cat, dog, egg). For each, the teacher says the sound and the word, then pupils repeat. “This is a ball, /b/, /b/, /b/.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the flashcards, listen, and repeat each sound and word after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils begin to recognise and pronounce new sounds /b/-/e/.

Step 5: Introduction of Sounds /f/ – /m/ and Rhyme

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Oral Practice/Song Integration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher continues introducing sounds /f/ through /m/ with flashcards (e.g., fish, goat, hat, ink, jug, kite, lion, mango), following the same repetition method. The teacher then leads pupils in singing the “Sound and Trace Rhyme” and “I Have 10 Fingers” with actions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the sounds and words. They sing the rhymes and perform the actions.

Learning Point: Pupils practise a wider range of sounds and enjoy learning through song and movement.

Step 6: Tracing Letter ‘a’ on Paper

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Fine Motor Development

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes large tracing sheets for letter ‘a’ and crayons. The teacher guides pupils to hold their crayons correctly and trace the letter ‘a’ on their sheets, providing individual support as needed.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils attempt to trace the letter ‘a’ on their sheets using crayons.

Learning Point: Pupils develop fine motor skills and practise forming the letter ‘a’.

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. Show the apple flashcard: “What sound does this start with?”
2. Show the ball flashcard: “What sound is this?”
3. Ask pupils to show how they trace the letter ‘a’ in the air.
4. Point to various flashcards and ask pupils to make the beginning 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: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summary/Closure

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and effort in learning new sounds and tracing ‘a’. The teacher reminds them to keep practising the sounds and tracing at home. The teacher leads a closing song.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to praise, listen to the reminder, and sing the closing song.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and feel encouraged.

Lesson Keywords

• A – The first letter of the alphabet.
• Sound – The noise a letter makes when we say it.
• Trace – To draw over lines or shapes.
• Apple – A fruit that starts with the /a/ sound.
• Ball – A toy that starts with the /b/ sound.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils struggling with sounds, use larger, more distinct pictures or real objects. Provide hand-over-hand guidance for tracing ‘a’. Focus on only a few sounds at a time, with more repetition.
• Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concepts, encourage them to identify other familiar objects in the classroom or at home that start with the sounds /a/-/m/. Ask them to try tracing ‘a’ independently on a blank piece of paper.