English Resource Description
In the fourth lesson of Week 5, part of Phonics Phase 5, Unit 1, young learners are introduced to the new grapheme , which represents the /f/ phoneme. The objective of the lesson is to familiarize children with this alternative spelling for the sound they may already know as represented by the letter . The lesson begins with an engaging activity where the teacher presents a selection of pictophones, including the image of a Fish, and asks the children to identify the character linked to the /f/ sound. Once the Fish is selected, it is placed on the board to visually anchor the day's learning.
The lesson continues with a quick review of previously learned tricky words using flashcards, encouraging the children to shout out the words as they appear. Then, the teacher explains that some phonemes can be spelled in different ways, prompting a discussion about the familiar grapheme and introducing the new grapheme. Children practice pronouncing the /f/ phoneme with both spellings. The practice is reinforced through an interactive 'Word Mood' activity, where children read words containing the grapheme with various emotions. To apply their new knowledge, students are asked to decode and illustrate phrases like "A jumping dolphin" on their whiteboards. The lesson culminates with mini whiteboard work, where children write dictated words and sentences, such as "Ring me on my phone" and the challenge phrase "We make phonics feel fun!", which includes multiple /f/ graphemes.
