Lesson Plan

Year level(s)___1____
Learning area/ACARA focus _English_(ACELA1459, ACELA 1455)____
Date/Time_20.08.14___
Lesson focus_Phonics-_Introducing the sound au. ___

Background Information

Students have some prior knowledge of rhymes, syllables and sounds.

Students understand the use of vocabulary in familiar contexts related to everyday
experiences.

They know that spoken sounds and words can be written down using letters of the
alphabet. Also have experience in writing and using sight words.



Teaching/Learning Purposes(s) (written in terms of outcomes):

At the end of this session the students should be able to:

Recognise the sound au in relation to the letters and how they work within the
word.
To apply to words and give examples.
To understand their meanings and apply them to a sentence.
Revise other au sounds and to discover what letter combinations produce the
same sound (or, our, oar and ore)
Recognising sound letter matches including common vowel and consonant
digraphs and blends.


Preparation:

Investigating phonics workbook
Whiteboard and marker for introducing topic
Extension activity (flashcards containing a variety of ,au, sounds.


Learning Experiences:
1. How will I engage the learners?
Introduction ( 5 mins)

Ask students to gather on the mat area and gain students attention by posing the question
Put your hands up if you can identify this sound? ( au)
Encourage more than one response, give positive feedback to encourage engagement
and participation of other students.
Respond to answers given and if students give alternative examples (or, ore) then
acknowledge these. The direction will depend on students responses for example more,

for, four or possibly door. Revise the varieties and ask for examples of words. Write all
variations and corresponding words onto the whiteboard. Some students may respond
with words containing au.
Write au on the whiteboard and pose the question, Put your hands up if you know what
this sound is?
Ask the students to think of words and write examples on the whiteboard.


2. Student tasks and activities (what will the students do to achieve the lesson
purpose(s)?

Introduce the activity sheet (5 mins)

The activity comprises of five exercises within one sheet and explain in simple
terms the different sections.(1 - 5)

1.To look, cover, write and check each word but point out the sound. Check to see if the
children can sound the words.
2. Look at the table, explain that the children should write the word again adding ed and
ing.
3. Direct students to put the letters in the correct order and to spell the word correctly.
4. To solve the crossword using the clues. Briefly run through an example illustrating
where the words cross.
5. Explain to students to only attempt this section if time permits but to use two words
within a sentence.

Reinforce and make sure students have an understanding of what is required. It is
important to use low key management strategies during the introduction, scan the room,
pause when necessary to allow children to process information and acknowledge
participation.

Workbook activity (20 mins)

Choose one child to hand out workbooks and ask the children to return to their desks
quietly to begin the task.
Stay in close proximity to praise engagement and to give additional help to those who are
struggling.
Have extension activities at hand for those students who may finish early.


3. Conclusion (how do you summarise the learning and relate it to the lesson
purpose(s)? (5 mins)

During the task assess through questioning their understanding of the basic principles. Do
the students understand the concept and is this evident in the worksheets.
Pose a series of questions regarding words containing the given sound such as Which
word did you find the most difficult and why do you think that?
Every child is an individual, each bringing different experiences into the classroom so it is
important to consider diversity and the effect this has on interpretation. Encourage other
children to share their ideas and their interpretations of the meanings of words. Assess the
students ability to apply the sound to words within a sentence.
Finally pose the question Who can tell me some different words with the sound au in
them?


Assessment and evaluation: (How do you know the students have achieved the
learning purpose(s). Evaluate your own performance)

The learning purpose was to:
Revise phonics or,ore,our sounds
Introduce au sounds and its application within words
Work through activity sheets

During the introduction I used a series of open and closed questions to evaluate the
students prior knowledge also to assess their ability to use the sound in the correct way. I
allocated 5 minutes for the revision period using a combination of recall and
comprehension questions Put your hands up if you can identify this sound? Who can
give an example of a word containing the or sound?

The students gave very thoughtful responses when applying the sound to words. They
were able to recall examples of words containing or, ore and our. The students were
engaged and all contributed giving valid suggestions. I used the various forms of
questioning to promote learning and scaffold knowledge. Several students found the
concept of applying au to words difficult therefore I simplified the questions and gave
clues to encourage independent thinking. I gave all the students the opportunity to
contribute and to feel valued.

During the lesson I realized just how vital questioning skills are to facilitate learning and
that the students responses can often map the direction of the lesson. They also sparked
aspects of the subject I had not considered. I had to ensure I modelled active listening
skills and to respond in a thoughtful manner to all answers. I used questioning to promote
participation, to extend and challenge the students thoughts. I also encouraged them to
pause to consider the various possibilities and avoid roadblocks by asking questions in a
positive way.

On several occasions I needed to re-direct the students through rephrasing questions in
order to achieve the correct responses. I distributed the questions evenly involving all the
class and acknowledged the students responses enthusiastically with positive praise. The
students reacted positively to the worksheets but I felt I needed to reinforce the
instructions as they found the crossword quite difficult. I directed the students back to the
mat area to explain the basic principles of the crossword.

I had many opportunities to use various communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal
during the lesson. I will need to practice these skills over a period of time in order to
become an effective practitioner.