I spy: first sounds and sound blending
A listening and speaking lesson with no pencils at the start. Children play I spy with pet words, then learn to blend: robot talk c-a-t becomes the word cat.
At a glance
- From
- Level 0, Little Steps English: Week 16, Pets
- Grammar
- I've got a cat. It's small.
- Key language
- I spy with my little eye something beginning with /c/. / cat, dog, pig, hen, fish, mouse / Say the sounds, say the word.
- Children make
- Children say the first sound of pet words and blend three sounds into a word.
- Class size
- Works with 10 to 50 children; pair and group steps say how to scale.
Objective
By the end of the lesson children can say the first sound of a pet word and can blend three spoken sounds into a word (c-a-t, d-o-g, p-i-g, h-e-n).
Success criteria for children
- I can say the first sound of a word.
- I can hear sounds and say the word.
- I can play I spy.
Timing: 30 minutes
| Minutes | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | Meet the pets | Introduce six pets and say their names. |
| 4 to 12 | I spy first sounds | Teacher says I spy with a first sound; children find the pet. |
| 12 to 20 | Robot talk: blending | A robot says c-a-t slowly; children say the word. |
| 20 to 24 | Sound hunt | Find objects in the room that start with the same sound. |
| 24 to 28 | Worksheet: first sounds | Say the first sound of each pet and circle the matching letter. |
| 28 to 30 | Goodbye | Say goodbye using robot talk. |
Materials
- Pet toys or pictures: cat, dog, pig, hen, fish, mouse
- A bag or box
- A puppet or toy robot to "talk in sounds"
- One worksheet per child, a pencil or crayon
- Pets flashcards (free, linked from Week 16)
- Song: Animal house (free, linked from Week 16)
- Story: What's that noise? (free, linked from Week 16)
Before the lesson: Practise the pure sounds without adding "uh": say /c/ not "cuh", /m/ not "muh". Keep the sounds short and crisp. This follows the usual approach in systematic phonics programmes.
Step by step, with teacher talk
0 to 4 minMeet the pets
- Take each toy out of the bag and name it. Children repeat. "A cat. A dog. A pig."
- Put one toy behind your back. Children name which pet is missing.
4 to 12 minI spy first sounds
- Say "I spy with my little eye something beginning with /c/." Hold up the cat and say "cat". Repeat with the sound /d/ for dog, /p/ for pig, /h/ for hen, /f/ for fish and /m/ for mouse.
- Say the sounds as the letters sound, not by letter names. Children repeat the first sound each time.
- Hand the game over to a confident child to say the sound for the others to find.
"I spy with my little eye something beginning with /p/. P, p, pig! Pig begins with /p/."
- Does "dog" begin with /d/ or /c/? (/d/.) Which pet begins with /m/? (Mouse.)
12 to 20 minRobot talk: blending
- Use the robot puppet: "c... a... t". Pause. Children say "cat". Do this with dog, pig and hen.
- Put three counters in a line, one for each sound. Touch each as you say the sounds, then sweep your hand across and say the word.
- Children take turns to be the robot and say a word in sounds. The class blends it.
"The robot says c... a... t. What is it? Cat! Yes. Say the sounds with me: c, a, t."
- How many sounds are in cat? (Three.) What is the first sound? (/c/.)
20 to 24 minSound hunt
- Choose a sound ("/b/"). Children find a classroom object that begins with it (book, ball, bag) and bring it or point.
24 to 28 minWorksheet: first sounds
- Read each word aloud. Children say the first sound and circle the letter that says it.
- If they cannot do it alone, point and say the sound together.
28 to 30 minGoodbye
- Say "g-oo-d-b-y-e" in robot talk and have children blend it back: "goodbye!" Wave.
Differentiation
Support
- Work on three pets only (cat, dog, pig) and use real toys.
- Say the sounds slowly and let children copy the shape of your mouth.
- Let children point to the letter instead of circling.
Stretch
- Blend four-sound words like f-i-s-h.
- Ask children to give an I spy clue for a classmate.
- Ask "What is the last sound in dog?" (/g/).
Listening script
Read it slowly. Pause before each answer so children can call out the word.
I spy with my little eye something beginning with /c/. It says miaow. What is it? Cat!
I spy with my little eye something beginning with /d/. It says woof. What is it? Dog!
I spy with my little eye something beginning with /p/. It says oink. What is it? Pig!
Robot talk: h... e... n. What is it? Hen!
Questions
- What sound does cat begin with?
- What animal says woof?
- What is the first sound of pig?
- What word does the robot say: h... e... n?
Printable worksheet
Prints on its own A4 page. Use Print the worksheet above, or print the whole plan and the worksheet starts on a new page. One copy per child, or one per pair to save paper.
First sounds
A grown-up says each word. Say the first sound, then circle the letter that says it.
1. Circle the first letter.
| Word | Letters |
|---|---|
| cat | c m s |
| dog | b d g |
| mouse | n m w |
| fish | f s t |
2. Draw a pet that begins with /p/ (pig).
3. Listen and blend: h... e... n. Draw it.
Answer key
Listening script questions
- /c/.
- A dog.
- /p/.
- Hen.
Worksheet
- 1: cat = c, dog = d, mouse = m, fish = f.
- 2: a pig (or any word beginning with /p/, such as a puppy).
- 3: a hen. Check the child blended the sounds to say "hen".
Exit ticket
At the door say a robot word ("d... o... g" or "p... i... g") and each child says the word. Tick: blended alone, blended with help, not yet.
Homework
Play I spy at home with a grown-up using first sounds: "I spy with my little eye something beginning with /b/."
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Start free with LitlingsMore lesson plans
- Level 0, Week 16: Pets (the curriculum week this plan comes from)
- Letters and Sounds: principles and practice of high quality phonics (Department for Education)
- All reading texts, dialogues, scripts, worksheets and answer keys on this page are original to Litlings and free to copy for classroom use.