Daily Lesson Plan -- Lesson 23

Letter w

Subject: English | Class: Playgroup | Series: Skillford

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Overview

This lesson introduces the letter "w". Learners look at a big picture of a girl sitting near a well with watermelons all around her, and say the words well and watermelon. They meet two more words that begin with "w": window and whale. On the second day they finger-trace and pencil-trace the letter "w" and colour the watermelon picture. All talk is oral and playful. Learners are not expected to read or write words.

Learning Outcomes (from textbook)

• Recognise the letter "w" and say its sound
• Learn simple words that begin with the letter "w"
• Trace the letter "w"

Key Vocabulary

• well
• watermelon
• window
• whale

Speech-Bubble Sentence

• "The girl is sitting near the well and watermelons."

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Day 1: Look and Say (30 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook page 64
• A bowl of cool water and a small towel
• Picture cards (or the book pictures) of well, watermelon, window, whale
• A tablet with a flashcard app showing pictures that begin with /w/
• Green and red playdough and a plastic playdough knife

Circle Time Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Sit the learners in a circle and sing a hello song together
• Draw a big "w" in the air with your finger: down, up, down, up
• Say the sound /w/ slowly. Show learners how to make their lips small and round, like blowing out a candle, then open them: /w/
• Ask learners to round their lips and say /w/ with you three times
• Wave your hand as you say /w/ so learners have an action to remember it by

Little Explorers (5 minutes)

• Pour water into a bowl
• Let every learner dip a hand in and say how cold it feels
• Accept simple answers: "cold", "wet", "nice"
• Say together: "water, /w/ /w/ water"
• Dry hands with the towel before moving on

Look and Say (10 minutes)

• Open page 64 and point to the big red "w"
• Point to the well and say "well". Learners repeat
• Point to the watermelons and say "watermelon". Learners repeat
• Read the speech bubble aloud: "The girl is sitting near the well and watermelons." Learners echo it slowly, in two parts:
  • "The girl is sitting"
  • "near the well and watermelons"
• Point to each picture card and say the word; learners repeat twice:
  • watermelon
  • window
  • whale
• Ask simple pointing questions:
  • "Where is the well?"
  • "Can you find a watermelon?"
  • "Show me the whale."
• Play "Whisper and Shout": whisper "window", learners shout "window"; shout "whale", learners whisper "whale"

Little Innovators (5 minutes)

• Open the flashcard app and let the learners swipe through pictures that begin with /w/, one at a time
• Each learner swipes one picture; the whole group says the word and waves on the /w/
• Keep the pace quick so every learner gets a turn

Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

• Hold up the picture cards one by one and let learners call out the word
• Ask: "What sound does w make?" Learners answer /w/ and wave
• Sing a goodbye song, waving on every "w"

Differentiation

• Support: Let a shy learner point to the picture while you say the word, then say it together
• Extension: Ask a confident learner to point to the well, the watermelon and the girl in the big picture and name each one

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Day 2: Trace and Write (30 minutes)

Materials

• Textbook pages 64-65
• Pencils and crayons (green, red, black)
• Green and red playdough, a plastic knife and small black or red beads (optional)
• A picture of a window and a door in the classroom to point at

Circle Time Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Show the picture cards again: well, watermelon, window, whale. Learners say each word
• Say the speech-bubble sentence together: "The girl is sitting near the well and watermelons."
• Play "Wave for W": say a word from the lesson; learners wave when they hear the /w/ at the start

Little Thinkers (5 minutes)

• Count the windows in this room together, pointing to each one
• Then count the doors together
• Ask: "Are there more windows or more doors?" Help learners say "more windows" or "more doors"

Letter Feel and Colour (5 minutes)

• Open page 65 and point to the big pink "w"
• Let the learners run a finger along "w": start at the top left, go down, up, down, up
• Say "down, up, down, up" in a sing-song voice as they trace
• Then let learners colour the big "w" in

Trace and Write (10 minutes)

• Hand out pencils and check each learner's grip (thumb and pointer finger pinch, pencil resting on the middle finger)
• Point to the solid black "w" at the start of the first row. Trace over it in the air together
• Work through the traced rows together, one line at a time:
  • Row 1: trace the dotted "w" letters, starting at the red dot each time
  • Row 2: trace the dotted "w" letters, starting at the red dot each time
  • Rows 3 and 4: only red dots are shown. Help learners start at each dot and try a "w" on their own
• Say "down, up, down, up" for every letter
• Walk around and guide hands gently where needed; praise every try

Little Artists and Little Builders (5 minutes)

• When the writing is done, start the Little Artists art activity: colour the picture at the top of page 65 (the watermelon) -- green outside, red inside, black seeds
• The book asks learners to colour the window and choose one colour for both curtains; if you have a window picture, let learners pick one colour for both curtains
• Little Builders: roll a green playdough ball, cut it in half, and press dots inside for the watermelon seeds
• Say "watermelon" together as learners show their models

Wrap-Up

• Learners hold up their coloured pages and say "w, /w/, watermelon"
• Finish with the matching pages in the Activity Book

Differentiation

• Support: Hold the learner's hand lightly and trace one "w" together before they try alone
• Extension: Let a confident learner trace a big "w" on the board with a finger and say a "w" word from the lesson

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Teaching Tips (from textbook)

• Let the learners run a finger along "w", then colour it in
• Hand out pencils and work through the traced rows together, one line at a time
• When the writing is done, start the Little Artists art activity
• Finish with the matching pages in the Activity Book

Extra Teaching Tips

• Keep every activity short -- three to five minutes holds a three-year-old's attention
• Use the wave action every time you say /w/ so the sound and the movement stick together
• Make sure the water in the Little Explorers bowl is only cool, not icy, and supervise closely