Daily Lesson Plan -- Lesson 14

Letter Nn

Subject: English | Class: Nursery | Series: Skillford

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Overview

This lesson introduces the letter "Nn". Learners look at the big capital "N" and small "n", say the sound /n/, and meet a nurse reading a newspaper and a boy holding a net in the park. They name the labelled pictures, nest and nuts, and the picture words nurse, newspaper and net. On the second day they trace and write "Nn", capital first and then small, and write the letter "n" at the end of six words: pen, fan, pan, chin, can and ten. All talk is oral and playful. The teacher reads every word aloud; learners only add the letter "n".

Learning Outcomes (from textbook)

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

Key Vocabulary

• nest
• nuts
• nurse
• newspaper
• net

Speech-Bubble Sentence

• "A nurse reads the newspaper, and a boy holds a net."

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Day 1: Look and Say (30 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 39
• A bowl of nuts in their shells (check for nut allergies first)
• A tablet or screen for a short video clip of a bird building its nest
• Twigs, leaves and short lengths of string
• Paper eggs
• Number cards from one to nine
• Picture cards (or the book pictures) of nest, nuts, nurse, newspaper, net

Circle Time Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Sit the learners in a circle and sing a hello song together
• Draw a big "N" in the air with your finger and ask learners to copy you
• Say the sound /n/ with the tongue behind the top teeth, like a little engine: "nnn"
• Ask learners to say /n/ /n/ with you three times

Meet the Letter (4 minutes)

• Open page 39 and point to the big white "N" and the yellow "n"
• Say: "This is capital N. This is small n." Learners point and repeat
• Point to the "N" on the boy's cap and ask: "Can you see another N?"

Look and Say (8 minutes)

• Point to the nurse and say "nurse". Learners repeat
• Point to the newspaper in her hands and say "newspaper". Learners repeat
• Point to the boy's net and say "net". Learners repeat
• Read the sentence in the red box aloud: "A nurse reads the newspaper, and a boy holds a net." Learners echo it, a few words at a time
• Point to the two labelled pictures and say each word; learners repeat twice:
  • nest
  • nuts
• Play "Point to it": say a word, learners point to the right picture in their book

Science: Hard Shells (4 minutes)

• Pass around a bowl of nuts in their shells
• Let learners feel how hard a shell is, then crack one open for them to see
• Say together: "nuts, /n/ /n/ nuts"
• Learners only look and touch; nothing is eaten

Technology: Bird Builder (3 minutes)

• Play a short clip of a bird building its nest
• Ask learners: "What does the bird carry in its beak?"

Engineering: Build a Nest (4 minutes)

• Give out twigs, leaves and short lengths of string
• In small groups, build a nest that will hold one paper egg
• Each group places its paper egg in the nest and says "nest"

Maths: Which Number Is Missing? (1 minute)

• Hand out number cards from one to nine and lay them in order together
• Take one away and ask: "Which number is missing?"

Wrap-Up (1 minute)

• Ask: "What sound does nest start with?" Learners say /n/
• Draw "N" and "n" in the air one last time

Differentiation

• Support: Let shy learners point to pictures instead of saying words; say the word with them
• Extension: Ask confident learners to name three things that begin with /n/ without help

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Day 2: Trace and Write (30 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook pages 39-40
• Pencils
• Crayons (brown, blue)
• A real pen and a picture of a fan (optional)

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Show page 39 again. Point and say: nurse, newspaper, net, nest, nuts
• Say the sentence together: "A nurse reads the newspaper, and a boy holds a net."
• Sing the /n/ sound: "n, n, nest; n, n, nuts"

Finger Tracing (5 minutes)

• Open page 40 and point to the big outlined "N" and "n"
• Show the capital stroke: start at the top, go straight down; go back to the top, slant down to the bottom; then go straight up
• Show the small stroke: start at the middle, go straight down; go back up, make one hump and go down
• Learners run a finger along "N" first, then "n"

Trace and Write (8 minutes)

• Hand out pencils and check the grip
• Row 1: point to the solid "Nn" model, then trace each dotted "Nn" together
• Row 2: learners trace the dotted "Nn" letters, capital first, then small
• Row 3: learners try to write "Nn" on their own on the empty lines, with your hand over their hand if needed
• Praise every try: "One neat hump on your n!"

Write 'n' at the End (7 minutes)

• Read the instruction aloud: "Write 'n' at the end of each word."
• Point to each box and read what it says, then say the whole word with an /n/ at the end:
  • pe → pen
  • fa → fan
  • pa → pan
  • chi → chin
  • ca → can
  • te → ten
• Ask learners to listen: "Can you hear /n/ at the end?"
• Learners write a small "n" on the line after each box
• Point to your chin and hold up ten fingers to help them remember chin and ten

Arts: Colour the Nest (4 minutes)

• Colour the nest at the top of page 40: brown for the nest and blue for the eggs
• As they work, ask: "What is this?" Learners say "nest"

Wrap-Up (1 minute)

• Ask each learner to name one /n/ word
• Draw "N" and "n" in the air one last time

Differentiation

• Support: Use a thick crayon for tracing; hold the learner's hand for the first row; write a dotted "n" on the lines for them to trace
• Extension: Ask confident learners to say the whole word after they write the "n"

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Teaching Tips (from textbook)

• Guide learners to trace and write Nn, starting with a capital letter first, followed by a small letter.
• Use the STEAM strip on page 39 for the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths activities.