English lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 45 minutes
Alphabet order: before, after and missing letters
Phonics & Sight Words
CCSS RF.K.1.DEngland: Reception PhonicsEngland: Y1 Spelling (name the letters of the alphabet in order)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Alphabet order: before, after and missing letters.
- 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: Match capital and small letters
Leads to: Alphabetical order to the second and third letter
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 · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Match capital and small letters). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which small letter goes with the capital letter X? (k / z / x / y) → xPrompt: Capital and small letters make the same sound, but some look very different.
- Type the capital letter that goes with "s". → SPrompt: Capital letters are the big letters we use at the start of names and sentences.
- Which pair shows the SAME letter as a capital and a small letter? (Qq / Qp / Qd / Qg) → QqPrompt: Say the name of the capital letter in each pair.
Hook · 5 min
- Hide picture cards in a bag and ask children to say the first sound of each one they pull out.
- Share the objective: Alphabet order: before, after and missing letters. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Sing the alphabet in your head. Which letter comes just after "d"? Type it.
- Step 1: b, c, d, e
- Step 2: So the answer is: e
- Answer: e
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Sing the alphabet in your head. Which letter comes just after "a"? Type it. → bPrompt: Start a few letters before "a" and keep going.
- Which letter comes just BEFORE "y" in the alphabet? (d / w / x / z) → xPrompt: Before means the letter you say first.
You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Sing the alphabet in your head. Which letter comes just after "n"? Type it. → oPrompt: Start a few letters before "n" and keep going.
- Which letter is missing? Type it. f, g, __, i → hPrompt: Read the letters in order, like the alphabet song.
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: Match capital and small letters.
- 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
- Move on to: Alphabetical order to the second and third letter.
- 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