English Resource Description
In the first lesson of Week 5, young learners are introduced to the new split digraph in their phonics journey. The objective of the lesson is to familiarize students with this grapheme, which represents the /ai/ phoneme. The teacher begins by engaging the children in a selection process, using pictophones such as the Ape to visually represent the sound. This interactive approach helps students connect the sound with a familiar image, making it easier for them to recall the phoneme associated with the grapheme .
The lesson continues with a 'Quickdash' activity, where children review previously learned graphemes and pictophones, shouting out the corresponding phonemes and names as the teacher flashes the cards quickly. The teaching segment focuses on writing the word "take" on the board, explaining the function of the split digraph, and practicing decoding and blending. Additional words containing the grapheme are introduced, and students are encouraged to participate by drawing connections between the letters. In the 'Word Sort' exercise, children categorize words based on their phonemes, reinforcing their understanding of the sound. Finally, the lesson concludes with 'Mini Whiteboard Work', where students apply their knowledge by writing dictated words and sentences, including the challenge phrase "Stay at the lake for a swim", which incorporates multiple instances of the /ai/ phoneme.