Week 2, lesson 5 Reviewing tricky words - Phonics Phase 3 - Lesson plan

The latest lesson in the All Aboard Phonics programme for Phase 3 focuses on reviewing tricky words from Phase 2. The objective of the session is to help children practice reading and spelling words that do not follow typical phonetic rules, such as 'the', 'to', 'and', 'is', 'I', 'no', 'go', and 'of'. These words are often stumbling blocks for young readers as they cannot be sounded out using standard phonics methods, hence the term 'tricky words'. The lesson begins with a dynamic activity called North, South, East, West, where graphemes are placed on each wall of the classroom along with their pictophones. Children are then asked to run to the correct wall when words beginning with those sounds are read out loud.

During the teaching phase, each tricky word is written on the board, and the teacher demonstrates how to decode them, adding sound buttons to aid in pronunciation. The children engage in this decoding and blending exercise together, repeating it several times for reinforcement. They also have fun writing the words on their classmates' backs or in the air, which adds a tactile element to the learning process. To practice, a Tricky Word Race is conducted with flashcards, encouraging the children to sound out and then quickly say the words, fostering a bit of friendly competition between two teams. For the application of their knowledge, children are asked to write each tricky word on a mini whiteboard upon dictation and then display their work. Extension activities to further anchor their learning include using magnetic letters and printing exercises.