English lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 30 minutes
Word families: swap the first sound
Phonics & Sight Words
CCSS RF.K.2.ECCSS RF.K.3.DEngland: Reception PhonicsEngland: Y1 Phonics
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Word families: swap the first sound.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Rhyming words
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Sound cards and picture cards, Magnetic letters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Rhyming words). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which word rhymes with "rug"? (fun / cut / cub / dug) → dugPrompt: Rhyming words sound the same at the end.
- Three of these words rhyme: log, hog, jog, but. Which word does NOT rhyme? (log / hog / jog / but) → butPrompt: Say each word and listen to how it ends.
- Write a word that rhymes with "pen". Change only the first letter. → henPrompt: Keep the ending "-en".
Hook · 3 min
- Hide picture cards in a bag and ask children to say the first sound of each one they pull out.
- Share the objective: Word families: swap the first sound. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Which word belongs to the -ell family?
- Step 1: "bell" ends in -ell, like well and tell.
- Step 2: So the answer is: bell
- Answer: bell
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Which word belongs to the -en family? (pen / tick / hat / wig) → penPrompt: Words in the -en family all end with the letters "en".
- Which word is NOT in the same word family as the others? bin, pin, dig, win (bin / pin / dig / win) → digPrompt: Look at how each word ends.
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Which word is NOT in the same word family as the others? rat, pop, top, hop (rat / pop / top / hop) → ratPrompt: Look at how each word ends.
- Which word belongs to the -ug family? (dot / hat / pick / mug) → mugPrompt: Words in the -ug family all end with the letters "ug".
Watch out for
- Adding an extra "uh" to sounds ("buh" instead of a clean b).
- Reading the letters one by one but not blending them into a word.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Rhyming words.
- Use concrete materials: sound cards and picture cards.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/kindergarten.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder