Tracing and Writing Letters i, j and k for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 5
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Handwriting
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Pupils identified and traced previous letters of the alphabet.
Topic: TRACING AND WRITING LETTERS I, J AND K
Subject Matter: TRACING AND WRITING LETTERS: I, j, k. Weekly focus: Tracing and Writing Letters i, j and k.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the sounds /i/, /j/, and /k/.
• Recognise uppercase letter ‘I’ and lowercase letters ‘j’ and ‘k’.
• Recall the correct formation strokes for letters I, j, and k.

Affective Domain

• Show interest in learning to trace and write new letters.
• Listen attentively to teacher’s instructions and demonstrations.
• Participate enthusiastically in letter sound and formation activities.

Psychomotor Domain

• Grip their pencil correctly using the tripod fingers.
• Trace letters I, j, and k accurately on worksheets.
• Write letters I, j, and k independently with correct formation.

Social Domain

• Share learning materials like crayons and worksheets with peers.
• Take turns during group tracing activities.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

• Handwriting book and pencil
• Chart showing uppercase ‘I’ and lowercase ‘j’, ‘k’ with corresponding pictures (e.g., ‘I’ for Igloo, ‘j’ for Jug, ‘k’ for Kite)
• Letter flashcards for I, j, k
• Worksheets with dotted letters I, j, k for tracing
• Whiteboard/chalkboard and markers/chalk
• Sand tray or shaving cream (optional for tactile tracing)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for 5-year-old pupils as it develops their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, which are foundational for writing. Learning to recognise and form letters I, j, and k helps them build early literacy skills, enabling them to identify these letters in words and begin to write simple words, preparing them for more advanced reading and writing tasks in primary school.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can hold a pencil, make simple vertical and horizontal strokes, and have been introduced to tracing and writing some other letters of the alphabet.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

TRACING AND WRITING LETTERS I, J AND K

1. Correct Pencil Grip: The Tripod Grip

• Hold the pencil with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger.
• Your thumb and index finger hold the pencil, and the middle finger rests underneath for support.
• This grip helps you control the pencil better for neat writing.

2. Letter I (Uppercase)

• Sound: The letter ‘I’ can make the short sound /i/ as in ‘igloo’ or the long sound /ai/ as in ‘ice cream’. Today we focus on the short /i/ sound.
• Formation:
  1. Start at the top, draw a straight line down.
  2. Go back to the top, draw a short line across.
  3. Go to the bottom, draw another short line across.
• Example: I for Igloo, I for Insect.

3. Letter j (Lowercase)

• Sound: The letter ‘j’ makes the /j/ sound as in ‘jug’ or ‘jam’.
• Formation:
  1. Start from the middle line, draw a straight line down, and curve to the left at the bottom.
  2. Lift your pencil and put a dot above the line.
• Example: j for Jug, j for Jam.

4. Letter k (Lowercase)

• Sound: The letter ‘k’ makes the /k/ sound as in ‘kite’ or ‘king’.
• Formation:
  1. Start from the top line, draw a straight line down.
  2. Go to the middle line, draw a slant line down to the middle of the first line.
  3. From that middle point, draw another slant line down to the bottom line.
• Example: k for Kite, k for King.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Demonstrate the tripod pencil grip clearly.
• Draw large uppercase ‘I’ on the board, showing the three strokes.
• Draw large lowercase ‘j’ on the board, showing the line, curve, and dot.
• Draw large lowercase ‘k’ on the board, showing the vertical line and two slant lines.
• Show flashcards with pictures for Igloo, Insect, Jug, Jam, Kite, King.

Letter Formation Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:

Little ‘I’ goes straight line down,
Across the top, across the ground.
Little ‘j’ goes down and curve,
A little dot, it has a swerve.
Little ‘k’ goes straight line tall,
Then two slants, standing tall!

Actions:

• For ‘I’: Make a straight line down with a finger, then two horizontal lines.
• For ‘j’: Make a line down and curve with a finger, then tap for the dot.
• For ‘k’: Make a straight line down, then two ‘kicking’ slant movements.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme slowly, demonstrating the letter formation in the air with your finger as you sing each line. Encourage pupils to copy your actions and sing along.

Watch and Practise

The teacher will show a short video demonstrating how to form letters I, j, and k correctly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s71c267B-0Q

Key Words

• I – The ninth letter of the alphabet, can be uppercase.
• j – The tenth letter of the alphabet, usually lowercase.
• k – The eleventh letter of the alphabet, usually lowercase.
• Grip – How you hold your pencil.
• Trace – To draw over a dotted or faint line.
• Write – To form letters on paper.
• Sound – The noise a letter makes (e.g., /i/, /j/, /k/).

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, 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 previous letters learned by asking them to identify a few letters on flashcards. The teacher then introduces the new topic: Tracing and Writing Letters I, j, and k.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, identify previous letters, and listen to the introduction of the new topic.

Learning Point: Pupils recall prior knowledge and are prepared for the new lesson.

Step 2: Pencil Grip and Letter ‘I’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Instruction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates the correct tripod pencil grip, ensuring pupils hold their pencils properly. The teacher then introduces uppercase ‘I’, says its sound /i/, shows its flashcard, and demonstrates its formation on the board using large strokes. The teacher provides example words like ‘Igloo’ and ‘Insect’ with pictures.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practise holding their pencils correctly. They listen to the sound of ‘I’, observe the teacher’s demonstration, and repeat the sound and example words.

Learning Point: Pupils learn the correct pencil grip and recognise the sound and formation of letter ‘I’.

Step 3: Tracing Letter ‘I’

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to trace letter ‘I’ in the air with their fingers, then on their palms, and finally on their worksheets with dotted lines. The teacher walks around, providing individual assistance and correcting grips or strokes.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils trace letter ‘I’ in the air, on their palms, and then on their worksheets using their pencils, following the teacher’s guidance.

Learning Point: Pupils practise the motor skills required to form letter ‘I’.

Step 4: Letter ‘j’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces lowercase ‘j’, says its sound /j/, shows its flashcard, and demonstrates its formation on the board. The teacher provides example words like ‘Jug’ and ‘Jam’ with pictures. The teacher then guides pupils through air tracing and finger tracing of ‘j’ before they trace on their worksheets.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the sound of ‘j’, observe the formation, repeat example words, and then trace ‘j’ in the air, with their fingers, and on their worksheets.

Learning Point: Pupils learn the sound and formation of letter ‘j’ and practise tracing it.

Step 5: Letter ‘k’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces lowercase ‘k’, says its sound /k/, shows its flashcard, and demonstrates its formation on the board. The teacher provides example words like ‘Kite’ and ‘King’ with pictures. The teacher then guides pupils through air tracing and finger tracing of ‘k’ before they trace on their worksheets.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the sound of ‘k’, observe the formation, repeat example words, and then trace ‘k’ in the air, with their fingers, and on their worksheets.

Learning Point: Pupils learn the sound and formation of letter ‘k’ and practise tracing it.

Step 6: Practice and Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activity/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the class in singing the “Letter Formation Rhyme” while demonstrating the actions. The teacher then asks pupils to independently write letters I, j, and k on a fresh part of their worksheet or in their handwriting books.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions. They then attempt to write letters I, j, and k independently, applying what they have learned.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of letter sounds and formation through song and independent practice.

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 me your tripod grip.”
2. “What sound does this letter make?” (Teacher points to ‘I’, ‘j’, or ‘k’ on the chart).
3. “Trace letter ‘j’ in the air for me.”
4. “Show me your handwriting book where you wrote letter ‘k’.”

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: Summarisation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their effort and good work. The teacher reminds them to keep practising their letters. The teacher assigns a simple homework task, such as tracing letters I, j, k at home.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the teacher’s concluding remarks and receive their homework.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate learning and are encouraged to continue practising.

Lesson Keywords

• I – The letter that looks like a tall stick with a line on top and bottom.
• j – The letter that looks like a hook with a dot on top.
• k – The letter that looks like a stick with two little ‘kicks’ in the middle.
• Grip – How you hold something, like your pencil.
• Trace – To draw over lines that are already there.
• Write – To make letters and words on paper.
• Sound – What you hear when you say a letter.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils struggling with pencil grip or formation, the teacher can provide hand-over-hand guidance, use larger dotted letters for tracing, or allow them to trace letters in a sand tray or with shaving cream for a tactile experience. More verbal cues and repetition of strokes will also be provided.
• Extension: For pupils who quickly master tracing and writing, the teacher can challenge them to identify other words that start with I, j, or k, or to write simple two-letter words using these letters (e.g., “it”). They can also be asked to find these letters in a simple storybook.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have all instructional materials ready, especially clear charts of letters I, j, k with example pictures, and sufficient worksheets. Pay close attention to pupils’ pencil grip from the start; consistent correction will help avoid bad habits. Emphasise the starting point and direction of each stroke for correct letter formation. Many preschoolers might reverse letters or struggle with the slant lines of ‘k’; demonstrate slowly and provide ample guided practice. Repetition of the sounds and the rhyme throughout the lesson will aid memorisation. Observe pupils’ individual work closely during the tracing and writing activities to identify those needing extra support or those ready for extension. Praise effort and progress, not just perfection, to build confidence. Understanding is best observed when a child can correctly identify the letter, say its sound, and attempt to form it, even if imperfectly.