Week 7, lesson 1 Grapheme "a", Phonemes "a,ai,ar,o,or" - Phonics Phase 5, unit 2 - Lesson plan

In the initial lesson of Week 7, young learners embark on an exciting exploration of the English language's complex phonics system. The objective is to understand that a single grapheme can represent multiple phonemes, which can be quite a thrilling and challenging concept for students. The focus is on the grapheme , which is revealed to represent an impressive five distinct sounds. Children are encouraged to guess which letter this might be, leading to the discovery that the letter is quite versatile in the sounds it can produce.

The lesson plan is structured to reinforce and build upon the students' existing knowledge. The 'Revisit' stage includes a 'Quickdash' activity, where children rapidly identify phonemes from a selection of grapheme flashcards, including digraphs and trigraphs. During the 'Teach' phase, the letter is written prominently on the board, and students are invited to suggest phonemes it might represent. Pictophones, such as Ant, Ape, Ox, Ark, and Organ, are placed around the to visually connect it with words like cap, cape, wash, father, and ball, each illustrating different phonemes. In 'Practise', a 'Word Sort' activity helps children decode words and categorise them according to the correct phoneme. The 'Apply' stage involves a 'Sound Gangplank' exercise, where students work together to decode words and match them to the appropriate pictures. Teaching notes remind instructors that children may initially recall the Ant (or short /a/) phoneme, but the lesson aims to expand their awareness to include new phonemes associated with the grapheme .