Tracing and Writing Sounds P, G, Y, Q, I for Pre-School Level 3

Class: Pre-School Level 3

Term: Second Term

Week: 8

Age: 4 years

Duration: 30 minutes

Subject: Handwriting

Curriculum Theme: Handwriting

Previous Lesson: Tracing and writing other simple letter patterns and strokes.

Topic: Tracing and Writing Sounds P, G, Y, Q, I

Subject Matter: Tracing and writing sounds p, g, y, q, i.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the lowercase letters p, g, y, q, i.
• Recognise the sound each letter makes.
• Say simple words that start with these sounds.

Affective Domain

• Show interest in learning to trace and write new letters.
• Participate actively in tracing activities.

Psychomotor Domain

• Hold a pencil correctly.
• Trace the lowercase letters p, g, y, q, i following correct stroke order.
• Attempt to copy the letters independently.

Social Domain

• Share instructional materials like crayons and paper.
• Take turns during classroom activities.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3
• Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources
• Approved Early Years Handwriting Workbook

Instructional Materials

• Handwriting workbooks
• Tracing books
• Pencils
• Crayons
• Plain paper
• Flashcards with lowercase letters p, g, y, q, i
• Picture cards of objects starting with these sounds (e.g., pen, goat, yam, queen, ink)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for 4-year-olds as it develops their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and pre-writing abilities. Learning to trace and recognise these letters and their sounds lays a foundational step for early literacy, helping children connect sounds to written symbols and preparing them for reading and more complex writing tasks.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can hold a pencil, make simple vertical and horizontal strokes, and recognise some basic shapes. They may have also traced other simple letters or pre-writing patterns.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Tracing and Writing Sounds p, g, y, q, i

Today, we will learn to trace and write some new letter sounds! We will look at how to form each letter carefully.

Letter p

• Sound: /p/ (as in ‘pen’)
• Formation: Start at the top, draw a straight line down. Go back up to the middle and make a curve to the right.

Letter g

• Sound: /g/ (as in ‘goat’)
• Formation: Start in the middle, make a ‘c’ shape, go up to meet the start, then draw a straight line down with a small curve to the left at the bottom.

Letter y

• Sound: /y/ (as in ‘yam’)
• Formation: Start at the top, make a short slanting line down to the middle. Then, from the top right, make a longer slanting line down past the middle line.

Letter q

• Sound: /q/ (as in ‘queen’)
• Formation: Start in the middle, make a ‘c’ shape, go up to meet the start, then draw a straight line down with a small slant to the right at the bottom.

Letter i

• Sound: /i/ (as in ‘ink’)
• Formation: Start in the middle, draw a short straight line down. Add a small dot above the line.

Key Words

• p – a letter that makes the /p/ sound, like in ‘pen’.
• g – a letter that makes the /g/ sound, like in ‘goat’.
• y – a letter that makes the /y/ sound, like in ‘yam’.
• q – a letter that makes the /q/ sound, like in ‘queen’.
• i – a letter that makes the /i/ sound, like in ‘ink’.

Our Tracing Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Pencil in our hand so tight,
Making letters, what a sight!
Down and round for ‘p’ we go,
‘g’ and ‘y’ begin to grow.
‘q’ and ‘i’ we trace with care,
Learning letters everywhere!

Actions: Pretend to hold a pencil and make tracing motions in the air for each letter as it is sung.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

• Demonstration
• Guided Practice
• Repetition
• Play-based Learning
• Songs and Rhymes
• Picture Talk
• Practical Activity

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: Greets pupils and sings a familiar warm-up song. Asks pupils if they remember how to hold their pencils and make simple lines. Introduces that they will learn to trace new letter sounds today.

Pupils’ Activity: Respond to greetings, sing along, and show how they hold their pencils. Listen attentively.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and prepared for the lesson, recalling basic pre-writing skills.

Step 2: Presentation of Letter ‘p’

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Introduction/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: Shows the flashcard for lowercase ‘p’. Says the sound /p/ and an example word like “pen.” Demonstrates air tracing ‘p’ with a finger, explaining the strokes (“down, then round”). Guides pupils to air trace with her.

Pupils’ Activity: Look at the letter ‘p’, listen to its sound and example word. Air trace the letter ‘p’ with their fingers, following the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise letter ‘p’, its sound, and begin to understand its formation.

Step 3: Presentation of Letters ‘g’ and ‘y’

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: Repeats the process for letter ‘g’ (sound /g/, e.g., “goat”) and then for letter ‘y’ (sound /y/, e.g., “yam”). Demonstrates air tracing for each, giving clear stroke instructions. Guides pupils to air trace each letter multiple times.

Pupils’ Activity: Observe letters ‘g’ and ‘y’, listen to their sounds and example words. Air trace ‘g’ and ‘y’ with their fingers, repeating the sounds.

Learning Point: Pupils learn to recognise and air trace letters ‘g’ and ‘y’ and associate them with their sounds.

Step 4: Presentation of Letters ‘q’ and ‘i’

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: Continues the process for letter ‘q’ (sound /q/, e.g., “queen”) and then for letter ‘i’ (sound /i/, e.g., “ink”). Demonstrates air tracing for each, providing clear stroke instructions. Guides pupils to air trace each letter multiple times.

Pupils’ Activity: Observe letters ‘q’ and ‘i’, listen to their sounds and example words. Air trace ‘q’ and ‘i’ with their fingers, repeating the sounds.

Learning Point: Pupils learn to recognise and air trace letters ‘q’ and ‘i’ and associate them with their sounds.

Step 5: Guided Tracing Practice

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Support

Teacher’s Activity: Distributes handwriting workbooks or tracing books and pencils. Guides pupils to trace the letters p, g, y, q, i in their books. Circulates to provide individual support, correcting pencil grip and stroke order as needed.

Pupils’ Activity: Open their workbooks/tracing books. Hold their pencils correctly and carefully trace the letters p, g, y, q, i, following the dotted lines or guides.

Learning Point: Pupils practise tracing the letters, developing fine motor skills and letter formation.

Step 6: Reinforcement Activity (Tracing Song)

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: Leads the class in singing “Our Tracing Song” again, encouraging pupils to make the air tracing actions for each letter. Asks pupils to point to each letter on flashcards as its sound is mentioned.

Pupils’ Activity: Sing the song with actions. Point to the correct letter flashcards when prompted by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce letter recognition and formation through song and active participation.

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. “Can you show me the letter ‘p’?” (Teacher holds up flashcards).
2. “What sound does this letter make?” (Teacher points to ‘g’).
3. “Trace the letter ‘y’ in the air for me.”
4. “Which letter makes the /i/ sound?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate (pointing, saying sounds, air tracing).

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson by identifying, sounding out, and air tracing the target letters.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summary/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: Praises pupils for their hard work and participation. Reminds them to keep practising their letters. Ends the lesson with a positive closing remark.

Pupils’ Activity: Listen to the teacher’s praise and encouragement. Pack up their materials.

Learning Point: Pupils feel encouraged and motivated to continue learning.

Lesson Keywords

• p – a letter formed with a straight line down and a curve.
• g – a letter formed with a ‘c’ shape, then a line down with a hook.
• y – a letter formed with two slanting lines, one longer than the other.
• q – a letter formed with a circle and a line slanting down.
• i – a letter formed with a short straight line and a dot.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils struggling with pencil grip or stroke order, provide hand-over-hand tracing assistance. Use larger tracing templates or provide fewer letters to focus on at a time. Offer more verbal cues and repetition of sounds and actions.
• Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the tracing, encourage them to try copying the letters independently on plain paper without tracing lines. Ask them to draw a simple picture of an object that starts with one of the sounds (e.g., a pen for ‘p’).