Lesson 1: Sounds representing initial letters (developing phonological and orthographical knowledge) in reading

Links to the Victorian Curriculum – English

English, Reading and Viewing, Language: Phonics and word knowledge

Foundation: 

• Recognise the most common sound that each letter represents (VCELA146)
• Identify some sounds (phonemes) in spoken words (VCELA168)
  

Theory/practice connections

In this lesson, students’ attention is drawn to phonological knowledge while engaged in reading a picture book. Phonological knowledge is a foundational aspect of learning to spell as young students develop an awareness of the concepts of letters and sounds.

They also learn that certain graphemes represent spoken sounds. Here, students are also encouraged to develop an aspect of phonemic awareness, that is, the ability to hear isolate individual sounds, in this case the initial phoneme in words. These understandings will support students as they decode words in their reading and as they attempt to represent sounds in their writing.

Additional resources

Other picture books highlighting the /p/ phoneme

• Allen, P. (1999). The Pear in the Pear Tree. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking/Penguin.
• Fox, M. & Vivas, J. (2004). Possum Magic. Gosford, NSW: Scholastic.

Learning Intentions

We are learning to hear and say the first sound in a word.

We are learning to find the first letter in a word.

We are learning that writers can use letters to write down sounds that they hear.

Success Criteria

I can hear and say the first sound in a word.

I can find the first letter in a word. I can match a letter with a sound.

Role of the Reader

Text decoder – matching sounds to initial letter of words

Group Size 

Whole class, paired activity, and opportunity for teacher to work one-to-one with students.

Lesson Sequence

1. Clearly articulate the learning intention. Tell students that today we will be listening for a special sound in the story and learning about what letter is used to write that sound down.
2. Look at the cover of the book. Say title slowly again - Pig the pug - while pointing to the words.  Ask students, what sound can you hear at the start of the word Pig? What sound can you hear at the start of the word pug? What letter can you see?
3. Ask an individual student to point to first letter of word Pig and pug. Ask, what do you notice? It is the same letter P. In these words, the letter P says /p/.
4. On poster paper, record the words Pig and pug, underlining or recording the letter ‘p’ in another colour.
5. Reread the story to students, pointing to words. This time, ask students to listen for other words that start with the /p/ sound. Stop and add these words to the list as you work through the picture book. Talk about the meaning of new words. Draw pictures next to the words, if possible, so the students can ‘read’ them.
   • poor
   • played
   • proceeded
   • pile
   • pigs
   • play
6. Ask students if they know any other words that start with the sound /p/. Add these to the list. Ask students if anyone has a name starting with P or /p/.  Write it/them on list.
7. With a partner, ask the students to go on a word hunt. Provide each pair with a sheet of paper on a clipboard and a pencil. Students move around the room, searching for other words on display or in other books that begin with the letter P or the sound /p/. This task could be used to assess student’s ability to identify initial letters in words.
8. Partners return to whole class group and share list of words. Teachers helps students to read new words and add these to poster. Ask the students if /p/ always make the same sound.
9. Poster is displayed in the room. Add an extra piece of paper to the bottom of the poster for adding new words in coming days.

Differentiation

Students will require different levels of support in developing phonemic awareness and matching sounds to written symbols. Micro-scaffolding (helping students at their point of need) can occur during steps 8 and 9, where students can be supported to find words in the classroom and read new words on the chart. 

Pictures can be used to illustrate words on the chart, where possible, to reinforce vocabulary visually.