Sounds with Legs g, p, j, q and y Identify and Copy for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 6
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Handwriting
Curriculum Theme: Handwriting
Previous Lesson: Read and Copy Two-Letter Words of, me, my, we
Topic: Sounds with Legs g, p, j, q and y: Identify and Copy
Subject Matter: Identify and Copy the Sounds with Legs: ( g, p, j, q, y ). Weekly focus: Sounds with Legs g, p, j, q and y: Identify and Copy.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the lowercase letters g, p, j, q, and y as “sounds with legs.”
• Recognise the unique feature of these letters (going below the line).

Affective Domain

• Show enthusiasm for learning to write new letters.
• Demonstrate carefulness when forming and copying the letters.

Psychomotor Domain

• Form the letters g, p, j, q, and y correctly in the air and on paper.
• Copy the letters g, p, j, q, and y neatly in their handwriting books.

Social Domain

• Participate actively in classroom activities and group practice.
• Listen attentively to teacher’s instructions.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Early Childhood Care and Education Handwriting resources
• Pupils’ Handwriting book

Instructional Materials

• Flashcards with large lowercase letters g, p, j, q, y
• Chart showing the correct formation of letters g, p, j, q, y
• Whiteboard or chalkboard
• Markers or chalk
• Handwriting books
• Pencils
• Erasers
• Writing paper

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for developing fine motor skills and correct letter formation in young children. Learning “sounds with legs” helps pupils understand line placement in writing, which is fundamental for legible handwriting. It also reinforces letter recognition and prepares them for more complex writing tasks.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify some letters of the alphabet, hold a pencil correctly, and have practised basic pre-writing strokes and tracing simple letters. They understand the concept of writing on a line.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Sounds with Legs g, p, j, q and y: Identify and Copy

Some letters have parts that go below the writing line. We call these “sounds with legs” because their ‘legs’ go down, like when you stand on your legs!

Letters with Legs

• g: Looks like a ‘c’ then goes down with a loop. (e.g., goat)
• p: Straight line down, then a curve at the top. (e.g., pen)
• j: Straight line down with a hook, then a dot on top. (e.g., jug)
• q: Looks like an ‘o’ then a straight line down with a small hook. (e.g., queen)
• y: Two slanting lines, one short, one long that goes down. (e.g., yam)

These letters are special because their bottom parts (their ‘legs’) dip below the main writing line. It’s important to make them go down so they look correct!

Key Words

• g – a letter with a leg that loops down.
• p – a letter with a leg that goes straight down.
• j – a letter with a leg that hooks down.
• q – a letter with a leg that goes straight down.
• y – a letter with a leg that slants down.
• Legs – the part of these letters that goes below the writing line.
• Form – to make or create the shape of a letter.
• Copy – to write something exactly as it is shown.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

The teacher will display large flashcards of lowercase ‘g’, ‘p’, ‘j’, ‘q’, ‘y’.

On the board, the teacher will draw a clear writing line and demonstrate the formation of each letter, showing how the “leg” goes below the line.

• For ‘g’: Start like a ‘c’, close it, then draw a line straight down and loop it left.
• For ‘p’: Draw a straight line down, then go back to the middle and draw a curve to the right.
• For ‘j’: Draw a straight line down with a hook to the left, then add a dot above.
• For ‘q’: Start like an ‘o’, then draw a straight line down with a small hook to the right.
• For ‘y’: Draw a short slanting line from the top right to the middle, then a longer slanting line from the top left that goes below the line.

Our “Legs Down” Letter Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

G, p, j, q, y, oh my!
Letters with legs, they go down low.
Below the line, watch them grow,
G, p, j, q, y, you know!
Down, down, down, they like to go,
Making our writing neat and slow.

Actions: Pupils point downwards with their fingers when singing “down, down, down.” They can air-trace each letter as it is sung.

How to use the rhyme: Sing this song after introducing the letters and during guided practice to reinforce the idea of letters going below the line. Encourage pupils to air-trace the letters as they sing.

Video Demonstration

The teacher can show a short educational video demonstrating the formation of these specific letters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3G66N028zE

This video demonstrates the formation of lowercase g, j, p, q, and y, highlighting their descenders (legs).

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Warm-up

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly. The teacher asks pupils to show how they hold their pencils and reminds them of good sitting posture. The teacher then asks pupils to identify some familiar letters they already know.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, demonstrate pencil grip and sitting posture, and identify familiar letters.

Learning Point: Pupils are settled, ready to learn, and recall prior knowledge of letters.

Step 2: Presentation – Identifying “Sounds with Legs”

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Visual Aid

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the concept of “sounds with legs.” “Today, we will learn about some special letters that have ‘legs’ and go below the writing line! Look at these letters.” The teacher displays flashcards of ‘g’, ‘p’, ‘j’, ‘q’, ‘y’ and points out the “legs” of each letter. The teacher says each letter sound and name.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, observe the flashcards, and repeat the letter names and sounds after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils identify and recognise the target letters as “sounds with legs.”

Step 3: Demonstration – Forming the Letters

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher draws clear writing lines on the board. The teacher demonstrates the correct formation of each letter (g, p, j, q, y) one by one, emphasizing the starting point, direction, and how the “leg” goes below the line. The teacher uses verbal cues like “round and down,” “straight line, then a curve.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch carefully as the teacher demonstrates, paying attention to the movement and line placement.

Learning Point: Pupils observe and understand the correct stroke order and line placement for each letter.

Step 4: Guided Practice – Air Tracing and Finger Tracing

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to air-trace each letter several times, following the teacher’s movements. Then, pupils finger-trace the letters on their desks or on large letter cut-outs. The teacher walks around, providing individual support and correction.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils actively air-trace and finger-trace the letters g, p, j, q, y, repeating the movements and sounds.

Learning Point: Pupils practise the motor movements required for forming the letters correctly.

Step 5: Reinforcement – “Legs Down” Letter Song and Game

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Our ‘Legs Down’ Letter Song” (provided in the Board Summary) with actions. The teacher then plays a quick “Spot the Leg” game, pointing to different letters on a chart and asking pupils to clap if it has a leg that goes down.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the song with actions and participate in the “Spot the Leg” game, identifying letters with descenders.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their recognition and understanding of “sounds with legs” through a fun activity.

Step 6: Application – Copying the Letters

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Supervision

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher instructs pupils to open their handwriting books or take out their writing paper. The teacher writes the letters g, p, j, q, y clearly on the board as a guide. The teacher supervises as pupils carefully copy the letters in their books, reminding them to make the “legs” go below the line.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils hold their pencils correctly and carefully copy the letters g, p, j, q, y into their books.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their learning to form and copy the letters independently.

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. “Can you point to a letter on the board that has a ‘leg’ going down?”
2. “Say the sound of this letter (teacher points to ‘g’).”
3. “Show me how you would write the letter ‘p’ in the air.”
4. The teacher collects and quickly reviews pupils’ copied work for neatness and correct formation of g, p, j, q, y.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate, showing their copied work.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson by identifying, forming, and copying the target letters.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summarization/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their hard work and for learning to write the special “sounds with legs.” The teacher reminds them to keep practising. “You all did a great job today learning about letters with legs!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and feel encouraged.

Learning Point: Pupils leave the lesson feeling successful and motivated to continue practising handwriting.

Lesson Keywords

• g – A letter whose tail goes below the line.
• p – A letter with a straight line that goes below the line.
• j – A letter with a hook that goes below the line and a dot above.
• q – A letter with a straight line that goes below the line.
• y – A letter with a slanting line that goes below the line.
• Legs – The parts of letters that extend below the main writing line.
• Form – To make the shape of a letter.
• Copy – To write a letter by looking at an example.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who are struggling, the teacher can provide larger letter cut-outs for tracing, use hand-over-hand guidance for pencil grip and stroke formation, and offer more one-on-one verbal cues. They can focus on one or two letters at a time before moving to all five.
• Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concept, the teacher can challenge them to write a simple word that starts with one of the “leg” letters (e.g., “go”, “pen”, “jam”) or identify other words containing these letters from a picture chart.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have large, clear flashcards of the letters g, p, j, q, y. Practise drawing these letters clearly on the board, emphasizing the “legs” that go below the line. The main idea children must grasp is that these specific letters do not sit entirely on the line like ‘a’ or ‘c’, but have a part that descends. Pay close attention to pencil grip and sitting posture throughout the writing activity. When pupils are copying, walk around to observe their individual progress and provide immediate, gentle correction. Encourage neatness and effort over speed. Observable actions showing understanding include correctly pointing to the “leg” part of the letters, air-tracing the letters with the correct movement, and forming the letters in their books with the descenders going below the line. Repeat the rhyme as often as needed to reinforce the concept.