Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure each pupil has a writing book, a sharpened pencil, and an eraser. Prepare your whiteboard or chalkboard by writing out the words ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, and ‘or’ clearly in large, traceable letters. The central idea is for pupils to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination by tracing and attempting to copy these simple two-letter words. Observe pupils’ pencil grip and the direction of their strokes as they attempt to form the letters.

Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Third Term
Week: 7
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Handwriting
Curriculum Theme: Handwriting
Previous Lesson: Pre-writing patterns and simple strokes
Topic: Writing Practice with on, ox, of and or
Subject Matter: Two-Letter Words: Writing and Reading ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, ‘or’

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Identify the words ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, and ‘or’ when shown.
Say the words ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, and ‘or’ correctly.

Affective Domain

Show interest in writing simple words.
Listen attentively to the teacher’s instructions.

Psychomotor Domain

Hold a pencil correctly.
Trace the words ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, and ‘or’ in their writing books.
Attempt to copy the words ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, and ‘or’ with guidance.

Participate in guided writing activities.
Share writing materials when necessary.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2
Early Childhood Care and Education resources
Suitable early-years handwriting workbook

Instructional Materials

Writing Book
Pencil
Eraser
Whiteboard/Chalkboard
Markers/Chalk
Picture cards showing objects related to the words (e.g., cat *on* mat, *ox* picture)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for 3-year-olds as it introduces them to forming simple words, which is a foundational step for early literacy. Practising these two-letter words helps develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and pre-reading abilities, preparing them for more complex writing and reading tasks in the future. It connects to their daily experience by helping them recognise simple words they might encounter.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils have some experience with holding a pencil, making simple strokes (e.g., vertical, horizontal, curved lines), and tracing basic pre-writing patterns. They can also recognise and name some letters of the alphabet.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Writing Practice with on, ox, of and or

Today, we are learning to write and say some short, simple words. These words have only two letters!

The Words We Will Practice:

on: (o-n) – like a book on the table.
ox: (o-x) – a big animal like a cow.
of: (o-f) – part of something, like a slice of bread.
or: (o-r) – giving a choice, like “apple or orange”.

How to Write the Words:

Remember to hold your pencil correctly and start your letters in the right place.

on: Start ‘o’ from the top, go round. Then for ‘n’, start from the top, go down, then up and over.
ox: Start ‘o’ from the top, go round. Then for ‘x’, start from the top-left, slant down to the right. Then top-right, slant down to the left.
of: Start ‘o’ from the top, go round. Then for ‘f’, start from the top, go down with a curve at the bottom, then a short line across the middle.
or: Start ‘o’ from the top, go round. Then for ‘r’, start from the top, go down, then up and a small curve to the right.

Writing Practice Rhyme

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Pencil in my hand so tight,
Making letters, what a sight.
‘O’ and ‘n’ make ‘on’,
Let’s write them till the day is done!
‘O’ and ‘x’ make ‘ox’,
Like a big strong box.
‘O’ and ‘f’ make ‘of’,
Writing words with love!
‘O’ and ‘r’ make ‘or’,
Let’s write them more and more!

Actions: Hold pencil, air trace the letters, then trace in the book.

Watch and Practise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_S6p1T_6Xw

Key Words

on – a word meaning placed directly above something.
ox – a large animal, a type of cattle.
of – a word used to show belonging or a part of something.
or – a word used to show a choice between two or more things.

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Begin by showing picture cards or real objects to illustrate the meaning of each word (‘on’ – a book on a table; ‘ox’ – a picture of an ox; ‘of’ – a part of a whole; ‘or’ – asking “Do you want a red crayon or a blue crayon?”). Say each word clearly and have pupils repeat it. Then, write each word largely on the board, demonstrating the correct stroke order and starting points for ‘o’, ‘n’, ‘x’, ‘f’, ‘r’.

What to show or demonstrate: Demonstrate clearly how to form each letter (‘o’, ‘n’, ‘x’, ‘f’, ‘r’) individually, then how to join them to form ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, ‘or’. Use a large, clear handwriting style on the board. Emphasize starting from the top and moving downwards or around.

How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Writing Practice Rhyme” together several times. Encourage pupils to perform the actions, especially air-tracing the letters as they sing. This helps them internalise the letter shapes and sounds in a fun, active way.

How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to see how to write the words. Play the video, asking pupils to watch carefully how the words are formed. After watching, encourage them to air-trace the words again, mimicking the video’s demonstration. Discuss what they observed about how the letters are written.

What to watch for: Observe pupils’ pencil grip and posture. Look for correct starting points and direction of strokes. Provide immediate, gentle correction and encouragement. Some pupils may struggle with forming ‘x’, ‘f’, or ‘r’ correctly; focus on the ‘o’ and ‘n’ first.

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, leads a finger play activity to warm up their hands and fingers (e.g., “Open, shut them”), and reminds them of the importance of holding pencils correctly.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, participate in the finger play, and listen to instructions.

Learning Point: Pupils prepare their hands for writing and recall good pencil-holding habits.

Step 2: Presentation of Words

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Introducing new concepts/Visual aids

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the words ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, and ‘or’ one by one. For each word, the teacher shows a picture card or real object to explain its meaning, says the word clearly, and asks pupils to repeat it. The teacher then writes each word largely on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures/objects, listen to the teacher, and repeat the words ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, ‘or’ several times.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise and say the target two-letter words and understand their simple meanings.

Step 3: Teacher Demonstration of Writing

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Instruction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to write each word (‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, ‘or’) on the board, explaining the correct starting point and stroke direction for each letter. The teacher performs this slowly and clearly, repeating for each word.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the teacher carefully, observing the formation of each letter and word. They may air-trace along with the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils observe the correct way to form the letters and words.

Step 4: Guided Tracing Practice

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided practice/Supervision

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils to open their writing books to a page with pre-drawn tracing lines for ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, ‘or’ (or guides them to trace over teacher-drawn examples if books are blank). The teacher walks around, providing individual guidance and correcting pencil grip or stroke direction as needed.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils hold their pencils and carefully trace the words ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, and ‘or’ in their writing books, following the teacher’s guidance.

Learning Point: Pupils practise forming the words with support and develop fine motor control.

Step 5: Rhyme and Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Integration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Writing Practice Rhyme” again, encouraging them to air-trace the words. The teacher then plays the short educational video on writing two-letter words, asking pupils to watch how the words are formed.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions, then watch the video attentively, observing the writing demonstrations.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of word formation through song and visual demonstration.

Step 6: Independent Copying Attempt

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Observation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils to attempt to copy the words ‘on’, ‘ox’, ‘of’, and ‘or’ on a new line in their writing books, below the traced examples. The teacher continues to supervise and offer encouragement.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils attempt to copy the words independently in their writing books, trying to replicate the strokes they have traced.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their learning to independently form the words.

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.

“Can you point to the word ‘on’ on the board?”
“Say the word that looks like ‘o’ and ‘x’.”
“Show me your writing book where you wrote ‘of’.”
“Which word means a choice, like ‘apple ____ orange’?”

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: Summarising/Praise

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their effort and good work in writing the words. The teacher reminds them to keep practising and to always hold their pencils correctly. Pupils are asked to tidy up their materials.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to praise, tidy up their books and pencils, and prepare for the next activity.

Learning Point: Pupils feel encouraged and remember the importance of practice.

Lesson Keywords

on – above.
ox – a large farm animal.
of – belonging to.
or – a choice.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who are struggling, the teacher can provide larger pre-drawn words for tracing, offer hand-over-hand guidance, or focus on only one or two words first. Extra oral repetition of the words and their sounds can also help.
Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the writing, the teacher can encourage them to write the words multiple times, identify the words in simple picture books, or try to use the words orally in very short phrases (e.g., “ball on box”).