Daily Lesson Plan -- Lesson 1

Letter Aa

Subject: English | Class: Playgroup | Series: Leeds

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Overview

This lesson introduces the letter "Aa". Learners look at a big orchard picture on page 3 and meet four words that begin with "a": ant, apple, axe and aeroplane. They say the sound chant from the page and the rhyme line "a / a / aeroplane is above the tree". On the second day they find the big "A" and the small "a", say the words again and draw the letter in the air. All talk is oral and playful. Learners are not expected to read or write words.

Learning Outcomes (from the Lesson Planner)

• Introduction to Aa
• Recognition of A used in different words

Key Vocabulary

• ant
• apple
• axe
• aeroplane

Sound Chant (from page 3)

• "a / a / ant"
• "a / a / apple"
• "a / a / axe"

Rhyme Line (from page 3)

• "a / a / aeroplane is above the tree"

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Day 1: Look and Say (30 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 3
• A real apple
• Picture cards (or the book pictures) of ant, apple, axe, aeroplane

Circle Time Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Sit the learners in a circle and sing a hello song together
• Point to the big red "Aa" at the top of page 3 and say "A, a"
• Draw a big "a" in the air with your finger and ask learners to copy you
• Say the sound /a/ as in ant, slowly, three times; learners say it with you

Apple Pass (5 minutes)

• Pass a real apple around the group
• Let every learner hold it and say "apple"
• Ask: "What colour is it?" and accept "red" (or the real colour of your apple)
• Say together: "a / a / apple"

Look and Say (10 minutes)

• Open page 3 and point to each picture with its label:
  • the smiling ant on the path: "ant"
  • the big red apple: "apple"
  • the axe in the tree stump: "axe"
  • the aeroplane in the sky: "aeroplane"
• Learners repeat each word twice
• Play "Point to it": say a word, learners point to the right picture in their book

Sound Chant (8 minutes)

• Read the chant box aloud, tapping your knees on each "a":
  • a / a / ant
  • a / a / apple
  • a / a / axe
• Learners echo each line
• Say it again in a big voice, then a tiny voice

Wrap-Up (2 minutes)

• Hold up the apple and ask: "What does apple start with?" Learners say /a/
• Wave goodbye to the ant: "Bye-bye, ant!"

Differentiation

• Support: Let shy learners point to pictures instead of saying words; say the word with them
• Extension: Ask confident learners to name each picture when you point, without help

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Day 2: Find the Letter (30 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 3
• Letter cards for "A" and "a"
• A real apple

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Show page 3 again. Point and say: ant, apple, axe, aeroplane
• Say the chant together: "a / a / ant, a / a / apple, a / a / axe"

Rhyme Time (6 minutes)

• Read the rhyme line aloud: "a / a / aeroplane is above the tree"
• Learners echo it
• Point to the aeroplane in the sky and then to the tree below it
• Learners fly their arms like an aeroplane and say the line again
• Teacher note: aeroplane begins with the letter "a" but says its name "ay", not /a/ as in ant

Big A and Small a (6 minutes)

• Point to the big red "Aa" on page 3
• Say: "This is big A. This is small a." Learners point to each one
• Hold up the "A" and "a" cards one at a time; learners say "big A" or "small a"

Air and Finger Tracing (7 minutes)

• Big A: two slanting lines down from the top, then a line across the middle
• Small a: start at the top, curve round like a ball, back up, then straight down
• Draw both letters in the air together, slowly
• Learners run a finger over the big "Aa" on page 3

Find It Game (5 minutes)

• Say a word from the page; one learner points to the picture and says "a / a / ..."
• Use: ant, apple, axe, aeroplane
• Clap for every correct answer

Wrap-Up (1 minute)

• Draw "a" in the air one last time and say /a/
• Say the rhyme line together: "a / a / aeroplane is above the tree"

Differentiation

• Support: Hold the learner's finger and trace the big "Aa" on the page together
• Extension: Let confident learners find the letter "a" on the word labels on page 3

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Teaching Tips (from the Lesson Planner)

• Month 1, 1st Week: Introduction to Aa
• Month 1, 1st Week: Recognition of A used in different words
• Month 1, 3rd Week: Revision of Aa, Bb and Cc