Word Building and Sight Words with Single Sounds d, a, i and m for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 4
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Language Domain
Previous Lesson: Pupils have been introduced to other single letter sounds and letter recognition.
Topic: SINGLE SOUNDS D, A, I AND M: WORD BUILDING AND SIGHT WORDS
Subject Matter: SINGLE SOUNDS: d, a, i, m SIGHT WORDS: I Go Car.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the single sounds /d/, /a/, /i/, and /m/ when seen.
• Say the sounds /d/, /a/, /i/, and /m/ correctly.
• Blend two and three sounds to form simple words (e.g., ad, am, dam, mad).
• Recognise and read the sight words “I”, “Go”, “Car”.

Affective Domain

• Show enthusiasm for learning new sounds and words.
• Participate actively in sound blending and word building activities.

Psychomotor Domain

• Point to the correct letter flashcard when its sound is called.
• Use letter cards to build simple two and three-letter words.

Social Domain

• Take turns when participating in group activities.
• Listen attentively to the teacher and peers during the lesson.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Early Childhood Care and Education curriculum guides
• Relevant early-years phonics and literacy workbooks

Instructional Materials

• Chart displaying single sounds d, a, i, m
• Flashcards for letters ‘d’, ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘m’ (uppercase and lowercase)
• Flashcards for sight words: “I”, “Go”, “Car”
• Picture cards of objects starting with d, a, i, m (e.g., drum, ant, igloo, mat)
• Individual letter cards (d, a, i, m) for pupils
• Small whiteboards and markers for pupils (optional)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for Pre-School Level 4 pupils as it builds foundational literacy skills. By learning single sounds, blending them into words, and recognising common sight words, children develop early reading abilities that are essential for future academic success and everyday communication.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise some letters of the alphabet and have been introduced to a few other single letter sounds. They can also identify familiar objects and listen to simple instructions.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Single Sounds d, a, i and m: Word Building and Sight Words

Today we are learning about some new sounds and how to put them together to make words. We will also learn some special words we see often.

Single Sounds: /d/, /a/, /i/, /m/

• /d/: The sound ‘d’ makes, like in ‘drum’ or ‘dog’. (Show letter ‘d’ flashcard and picture of a drum/dog).
• /a/: The sound ‘a’ makes, like in ‘ant’ or ‘apple’. (Show letter ‘a’ flashcard and picture of an ant/apple).
• /i/: The sound ‘i’ makes, like in ‘igloo’ or ‘ink’. (Show letter ‘i’ flashcard and picture of an igloo/ink).
• /m/: The sound ‘m’ makes, like in ‘mat’ or ‘moon’. (Show letter ‘m’ flashcard and picture of a mat/moon).

Let’s say each sound together!

Word Building with d, a, i, m

We can put these sounds together to make new words!

• d-a = da (like in ‘daddy’)
• a-m = am (like “I am happy”)
• d-a-m = dam (a wall built across a river)
• m-a-d = mad (feeling angry)
• d-i-m = dim (not very bright light)

Sight Words: I, Go, Car

These are special words we learn to read quickly without sounding them out.

• I: (Show flashcard for “I”) This word means “me”.
• Go: (Show flashcard for “Go”) This word means to move from one place to another.
• Car: (Show flashcard for “Car”) This is a vehicle we ride in.

Let’s use them in simple sentences:

• I go.
• I go in the car.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display large flashcards of letters ‘d’, ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘m’ (both uppercase and lowercase).
• Show picture cards for each sound (e.g., drum, ant, igloo, mat).
• Write simple words like ‘dam’, ‘mad’, ‘dim’ on the board as they are built.
• Display flashcards for sight words “I”, “Go”, “Car”.

Sounds and Words Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:
D, a, i, m, let’s all say,
Sounds we learn today!
/d/ /d/ /d/, like a drum,
/a/ /a/ /a/, for a yum.
/i/ /i/ /i/, for a pin,
/m/ /m/ /m/, let’s begin!
D, a, i, m, let’s all say,
Words we build today!

Actions:

• “D, a, i, m, let’s all say”: Point to letter cards as named.
• “Sounds we learn today!”: Cup hands around ears, listening.
• “/d/ /d/ /d/, like a drum”: Pretend to beat a drum.
• “/a/ /a/ /a/, for a yum”: Rub tummy.
• “/i/ /i/ /i/, for a pin”: Pretend to prick finger gently.
• “/m/ /m/ /m/, let’s begin!”: Rub tummy again, then clap hands.
• “D, a, i, m, let’s all say”: Point to letter cards again.
• “Words we build today!”: Make building motion with hands.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme after introducing the sounds and again after practicing word building to reinforce the sounds and the concept of combining them into words.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video to hear these sounds and see how words are made!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_fB2W3t_gI

Teacher will pause the video to allow pupils to repeat sounds and words shown.

Key Words

• Sound – The noise a letter makes.
• Blend – To put sounds together to make a word.
• Word – Letters put together that have a meaning.
• Sight word – A word we learn to read quickly.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Review

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and leads a quick review of previously learned sounds or letters through a short song or flashcard drill. The teacher then introduces the topic for the day: learning new sounds /d/, /a/, /i/, /m/, building words, and learning sight words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, participate in the review activity, and listen to the teacher’s introduction.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and ready for the new lesson, connecting it to prior knowledge.

Step 2: Introduction of Single Sounds (d, a, i, m)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Oral Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the chart of single sounds d, a, i, m. The teacher introduces each sound one by one using flashcards and associated picture cards (e.g., ‘d’ for drum, ‘a’ for ant). The teacher models the correct pronunciation of each sound, emphasizing the mouth shape and sound production. Pupils are encouraged to repeat each sound several times.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the chart and flashcards, listen carefully to the teacher, and repeat each sound clearly after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils identify and correctly pronounce the single sounds /d/, /a/, /i/, /m/.

Step 3: Sound Blending and Word Building (Teacher-led)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to blend two sounds (e.g., d-a = da, a-m = am) using letter flashcards. Then, the teacher shows how to blend three sounds to form simple words like ‘dam’, ‘mad’, ‘dim’ by arranging the letter flashcards on the board and sounding them out slowly, then quickly. The teacher encourages pupils to blend along.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the teacher blend sounds, listen to the words being formed, and try to blend the sounds orally with the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the concept of blending sounds to form words.

Step 4: Practice Word Building (Pupil Activity)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Practical Application/Individual Work

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes individual letter cards (d, a, i, m) to each pupil or small groups. The teacher calls out simple words (e.g., “am”, “ad”, “dam”, “mad”, “dim”) and guides pupils to use their letter cards to build these words on their desks. The teacher walks around to provide support and check pupils’ work.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils use their letter cards to physically build the words called out by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their knowledge of sounds to build simple two and three-letter words.

Step 5: Introduction of Sight Words (I, Go, Car)

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Recognition/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the sight words “I”, “Go”, “Car” using large flashcards. For each word, the teacher says the word clearly, asks pupils to repeat it, and explains its meaning simply. The teacher emphasizes that these words are learned by sight, not by sounding out.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the sight word flashcards, listen to the teacher, and repeat each sight word several times.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise and can say the sight words “I”, “Go”, “Car”.

Step 6: Using Sight Words in Simple Sentences

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Sentence Construction/Oral Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to use the sight words in very simple oral sentences. For example, “I go.”, “I go in the car.” The teacher encourages pupils to create their own simple sentences using the sight words, providing prompts and assistance as needed.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the simple sentences after the teacher and try to form their own sentences using “I”, “Go”, “Car”.

Learning Point: Pupils can use the sight words “I”, “Go”, “Car” in basic oral sentences.

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. “Point to the letter that makes the /d/ sound.”
2. “What sound does this letter ‘a’ make?”
3. “Can you blend these two sounds: /a/ and /m/?” (Teacher shows ‘a’ and ‘m’ flashcards).
4. “Read this word for me.” (Teacher shows ‘dam’ or ‘mad’ written on a card).
5. “What is this sight word?” (Teacher shows flashcard for “I”, “Go”, or “Car”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate (e.g., pointing, saying sounds, blending words, reading sight words).

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson content on single sounds, word building, and sight words.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarisation/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly recaps the sounds and words learned today. The teacher praises pupils for their participation and effort. The teacher can assign a simple homework task, such as tracing the letters d, a, i, m or drawing something that starts with one of the sounds.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the recap and receive their homework instructions.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and are motivated for future lessons.

Lesson Keywords

• d – The letter ‘d’ and its sound /d/.
• a – The letter ‘a’ and its sound /a/.
• i – The letter ‘i’ and its sound /i/.
• m – The letter ‘m’ and its sound /m/.
• I – A sight word meaning “me”.
• Go – A sight word meaning to move.
• Car – A sight word for a vehicle.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle, the teacher will provide larger letter cards, more one-on-one repetition of sounds, hand-over-hand guidance for arranging letters, and focus on only two sounds or two-letter words first. Peer support can also be encouraged.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, the teacher can challenge them to identify other words that start with d, a, i, m, or to blend more complex words if appropriate (e.g., ‘dad’, ‘maid’). They can also be asked to write the sight words on a small whiteboard.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare all flashcards and letter cards in advance, ensuring they are clear and visible to all pupils. When introducing sounds, exaggerate mouth movements to help pupils imitate correctly. Encourage active participation from all pupils, especially during word building with individual letter cards. Repeat the sounds and words frequently throughout the lesson. The rhyme should be sung with enthusiasm to keep pupils engaged. For sight words, focus on immediate recognition rather than sounding out. Observe pupils closely during individual work to identify those needing extra support or those ready for extension activities. Praise effort and correct responses consistently to build confidence.