Teaching sets 1-5 letters

Three-part example session for teaching the letter s

Purpose: To learn to say a discrete phoneme, recognise and write the letter that represents that phoneme

Resources

• • Fabric snake

  • Card showing, on one side, a picture of a snake (mnemonic) in the shape of the letter s with the letter s superimposed in black on the snake; on the other side, the letter

  • Small whiteboards, pens and wipes or paper and pencils

Procedures

Hear it and say it

• 1. Display the picture of a snake.

  2. Make a hissing noise as you produce a snake from behind your back; show the children the sssssnake and make the snake into an s shape.

  3. Weave your hand like a snake making an s shape, encouraging the children to do the same.

  4. If any children in the room have names with the s sound in them, say their names, accentuating the sssss (e.g. Ssssarah, Chrisssssss, Ssssssandip).

  5. Do the same with other words (e.g. ssssand, bussss) accepting suggestions from the children if they offer, but not asking for them.

See it and say it

• 1. On the card with the picture of the snake, move your finger down the snake from its mouth, saying sssss and saying sssnake when you reach its tail.

  2. Repeat a number of times, encouraging the children to join in.

  3. Write s next to the snake and say ssssssssssss.

  4. Ask the children to repeat ssssssssssss.

  5. Point to the snake and say sssssnake and to the s and say ssssssssssss.

  6. Repeat with the children joining in.

  7. Put the card behind your back and explain that when you show the snake side of the card, the children should say snake and when you show the s side of the card, they should say s.

Say it and write it

• 1. Move your finger slowly down the snake from its mouth, this time saying the letter formation patter: Round the snake’s head, slide down his back and round his tail.

  2. Repeat a couple of times.

  3. Repeat a couple more times with the children joining in the patter as they watch you.

  4. Ask the children to put their ‘writing finger’ or ‘pencil’ in the air and follow you in making an s shape, also saying the patter. Repeat a couple of times.

  5. Ask them to do the same again, either tracing s in front of them on the carpet or sitting in a line and tracing s on the back of the child in front.

  6. Finally, the children write s on whiteboards or paper at tables.