Daily Lesson Plan -- Lesson 20

Trigraphs

Subject: English | Class: Prep | Series: Skillford

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Overview

In this lesson children learn that a trigraph is three letters that together make one sound. They meet five trigraphs: "are", "air", "dge", "eer" and "igh". They read a picture word for each one and then write the missing trigraph in four words.

Learning Objectives

• Know that a trigraph is three letters that together make one sound
• Read the five trigraphs: are, air, dge, eer, igh
• Read the picture words: square, pair, fridge, deer, flight
• Write the missing trigraph in a word

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Day 1: Trigraphs (40 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 35, five cards: "are", "air", "dge", "eer", "igh", pencils

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Hold up three fingers. Say "igh" as one sound. Children copy: three letters, one sound.

Main Activity (25 minutes)

• Read the rule: "A trigraph is three letters that together make one sound. These five are the ones you will meet most often."
• Read the five trigraphs: are, air, dge, eer, igh. Children repeat each one.
• Read the instruction: "Say each word aloud and listen for its trigraph."
• Read each picture word. Children repeat and name its trigraph:
  • are - square
  • air - pair
  • dge - fridge
  • eer - deer
  • igh - flight
• Read the Activity instruction: "Say each picture, then write the trigraph that is missing."
• Look at each picture, say the word, and write the missing trigraph:
  1. deer: d(eer)
  2. flight: fl(igh)t
  3. chair: ch(air)
  4. bridge: bri(dge)

Wrap-Up (10 minutes)

• Follow the Teacher's Note: write the words with trigraphs on the board. Say each word slowly, so learners can hear where the three letters stop being separate. Ask them to point at the trigraph before they write anything down.

Differentiation

• Support: Practise only "air", "eer" and "igh" with the pictures
• Extension: Children say another word with "air" or "igh"

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Teaching Tips

• Three letters, one sound
• Say the word slowly, then point at the trigraph before writing
• Use the five trigraph cards to match each trigraph to its picture word