**Lesson Plan: Basic Reading Skills for Foundation Students**
**Grade Level:** Foundation (Ages 4-6)
**Duration:** 45 minutes
**Objective:**
Students will be able to recognize and read basic sight words, understand simple sentence structures, and improve their phonemic awareness.
**Materials Needed:**
- Flashcards with basic sight words (e.g., the, and, you, he, she)
- Simple picture books or storybooks
- Whiteboard and markers
- Chart paper and sticky notes
- Alphabet chart
- Phonemic awareness worksheets
- Coloring pencils
**Lesson Structure:**
1. **Introduction (5 minutes)**
- Start with a warm greeting and a brief discussion about reading.
- Explain the importance of reading and how it helps us understand stories and information.
- Show an alphabet chart and sing the alphabet song together.
2. **Phonemic Awareness Activity (10 minutes)**
- Introduce the concept of phonemic awareness (the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in words).
- Practice with simple exercises:
- Ask students to clap their hands with each syllable in a word (e.g., "apple" = two claps).
- Play a game of "I Spy" with initial sounds (e.g., "I spy something that starts with /m/").
3. **Sight Words Practice (10 minutes)**
- Show the flashcards with basic sight words.
- Pronounce each word clearly and ask students to repeat after you.
- Use the words to form simple sentences (e.g., "She is happy").
- Engage students in a quick game of "Sight Word Bingo" or a matching activity where they pair words with pictures.
4. **Reading Simple Sentences (10 minutes)**
- Write a few simple sentences on the whiteboard (e.g., "The cat is black," "I see a dog").
- Read the sentences aloud and ask students to repeat after you.
- Point to each word as you read to help students understand word separation and left-to-right reading direction.
- Encourage students to identify sight words in the sentences.
5. **Story Time (5 minutes)**
- Gather students for a short story time session.
- Select a simple picture book with repetitive text and clear illustrations.
- Read the story aloud, using expressive voice and gestures.
- Pause occasionally to ask predictive questions (e.g., "What do you think will happen next?") and to point out sight words.
6. **Hands-on Activity (5 minutes)**
- Distribute worksheets with a mix of coloring and simple reading tasks (e.g., color the picture of the word "cat").
- Guide students as they complete the worksheets, offering help with reading words and understanding tasks.
7. **Wrap-up and Review (5 minutes)**
- Recap the key points of the lesson: sight words, simple sentences, and phonemic awareness.
- Praise students for their participation and effort.
- Mention what will be covered in the next lesson.
**Assessment:**
- Observe students during activities to ensure they can identify and read sight words.
- Listen to individual student responses during the reading and phonemic awareness exercises.
- Collect completed worksheets to review students' understanding and progress.
**Homework (optional):**
- Send home a set of sight word flashcards for practice.
- Suggest parents read a simple storybook with their child, pointing out sight words.