Daily Lesson Plan -- Lesson 4

Letter Dd

Subject: English | Class: Nursery | Series: Skillford

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Overview

This lesson introduces the capital "D" and the small "d" and the sound /d/. Learners look at a picture of a duck and a dog playing a drum together, and name the doctor and the dolphin. On the second day they trace and write "Dd", capital first, then small, and tick the pictures that begin with /d/. Talk stays oral and playful. Learners are not expected to read words.

Learning Outcomes (from textbook)

• Point to 'Dd' and say the sound /d/.
• Name three things that begin with the sound /d/.
• Trace and write 'Dd', capital first, then small.

Key Vocabulary

• doctor
• dolphin
• duck
• dog
• drum
• dice

Speech-Bubble Sentence

• "The duck and the dog are playing the drum together."

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Day 1: Look and Say (30 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 10
• A tub of water and some rubber ducks
• A computer keyboard and screen
• Playdough and pencils
• Picture cards (or the book pictures) of doctor, dolphin, duck, dog, drum

Circle Time Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Sit the learners in a circle and sing a hello song together
• Draw a big "D" in the air, then a small "d", and ask learners to copy you
• Say the sound /d/: tap your tongue behind your top teeth, short and quick
• Learners pat their knees like a drum and say /d/ /d/ /d/

Little Explorers (5 minutes)

• Fill a tub with water and float some rubber ducks
• Let learners push them under and watch them bob back up
• Say together: "duck, /d/ /d/ duck"

Look and Say (10 minutes)

• Open page 10 and point to the big "Dd". Say: "This is big D. This is small d."
• Point to the doctor and say "doctor". Learners repeat
• Point to the dolphin and say "dolphin". Learners repeat
• Point to the duck, the dog and the drum in the big picture and name each one; learners repeat twice
• Read the sentence in the red box aloud: "The duck and the dog are playing the drum together." Learners echo it while tapping a pretend drum
• Play "Point to it": say a word, learners point to the right picture in their book
• Ask: "Can you tell me three things that begin with /d/?"

Little Innovators (4 minutes)

• Let each learner find the D key on the keyboard and press it once
• Watch the letter appear on the screen
• Each learner says /d/ as they press the key

Little Builders (5 minutes)

• Give out playdough and roll a thick drum
• Two pencils from the pot make the beaters
• Learners tap their drums and say "/d/ /d/ drum"

Wrap-Up (1 minute)

• Ask: "What sound does dog start with?" Learners say /d/
• Wave goodbye to the duck and the dog

Differentiation

• Support: Let shy learners point to pictures instead of saying words; say the word with them
• Extension: Ask confident learners to name three /d/ things on their own and say the whole sentence

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Day 2: Trace and Write (30 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook pages 10-11
• One dice for each learner
• Yellow crayons
• Pencils

Warm-Up (4 minutes)

• Show page 10 again. Point and say: doctor, dolphin, duck, dog, drum
• Say the sentence together: "The duck and the dog are playing the drum together."
• Tap a drum beat on the table: "/d/ /d/ /d/"

Little Thinkers (5 minutes)

• Give each learner a dice
• Roll it and count the dots on top
• Roll again and say which roll was more
• Say together: "/d/ /d/ dice, /d/ /d/ dots"

Finger Tracing (5 minutes)

• Open page 11 and point to the big outline "Dd"
• Show the capital "D": start at the top and go straight down; go back to the top and make a big curve round to the bottom
• Show the small "d": curve round like a "c", go up tall to the top, then come straight down
• Learners run a finger round the big "D", then the big "d"

Trace and Write (8 minutes)

• Hand out pencils and check the grip (pinch the pencil, rest it on the middle finger)
• Remind learners: capital "D" first, then small "d"
• Row 1: point to the solid "Dd" model, then trace the four dotted pairs
• Row 2: trace all five dotted pairs
• Bottom row: learners try to write "Dd" on their own, with your hand over their hand if needed
• Praise every try: "Lovely tall d!"

Tick the /d/ Pictures (4 minutes)

• Read the instruction: "Tick the pictures that begin with the sound /d/."
• Name each picture together: dolphin, cake, dice, cow, duck
• Ask after each one: "Does it begin with /d/?"
• Learners tick the circle under the dolphin, the dice and the duck

Little Artists (3 minutes)

• Learners trace the dotted duck at the top of page 11 and colour it yellow too
• Ask: "What is this? What sound does it begin with?"

Wrap-Up (1 minute)

• Draw "D" and "d" in the air one last time and say /d/
• Tell learners that next time they will practise A, B, C and D together

Differentiation

• Support: Use a thick crayon for tracing; hold the learner's hand for the first row
• Extension: Let confident learners write "Dd" on the board and name another /d/ word from page 10

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Teaching Tips (from textbook)

• Guide learners to trace and write Dd, starting with a capital letter first, followed by a small letter.