**Lesson Plan: Phonics for Nursery 2 - Digraphs ‘th’ (unvoiced) and ‘Th’ (voiced)**
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**Objective:**
Students will be able to differentiate between the unvoiced ‘th’ (as in "thin") and the voiced ‘Th’ (as in "that"), recognize these digraphs in words, and accurately pronounce them.
**Materials:**
- Flashcards with words that contain both unvoiced and voiced ‘th’
- Picture cards that correspond to the words (e.g., thin, bath, this, that)
- Digital device for sound clips (optional)
- Whiteboard and markers
- Phonics workbook
- Manipulatives (such as letter tiles or magnetic letters)
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**Lesson Activities:**
**1. Introduction (5 minutes)**
- **Greeting and Warm-Up:** Greet students and sing a phonics song to gather their attention.
- **Objective Presentation:** “Today, we are going to learn about two special sounds made by the letters ‘t’ and ‘h’ when they come together: ‘th’ (unvoiced) and ‘Th’ (voiced). Let’s discover how these sounds are different!”
**2. Explicit Teaching (10 minutes)**
- **Unvoiced ‘th’ (/θ/):** Explain that this sound is soft and doesn’t use our vocal cords a lot.
- Examples: thin, bath, thank
- Model: Show the position of the tongue between the teeth.
- Practice: Have students mimic making the unvoiced ‘th’ sound.
- **Voiced ‘Th’ (/ð/):** Explain that this sound uses our vocal cords and feels like a vibration.
- Examples: this, that, they
- Model: Show the position of the tongue between the teeth and emphasize the vibration.
- Practice: Have students mimic making the voiced ‘Th’ sound.
**3. Guided Practice (10 minutes)**
- **Flashcards and Picture Cards Matching:** Show a word flashcard (e.g., thin, this) and ask students to identify if it’s unvoiced or voiced. Then match it with the corresponding picture card.
- **Sound Clips (if available):** Play sound clips of words with unvoiced and voiced ‘th’. Ask students to identify which sound they hear.
**4. Group Activity (15 minutes)**
- **Sorting Game:** Divide students into small groups and give each group a set of flashcards with words containing ‘th’. Have students sort the words into two piles: unvoiced ‘th’ and voiced ‘Th’.
- **Interactive Whiteboard Practice:** Write words on the whiteboard and have students come up to circle either ‘th’ or ‘Th’ and say the word out loud.
**5. Individual Practice (10 minutes)**
- **Workbook Activity:** Students complete a worksheet where they have to color pictures that have the ‘th’ sound (both unvoiced and voiced) and trace the letters ‘th’ and ‘Th’.
- **Letter Tiles/ Magnetic Letters:** Students use manipulatives to build words with ‘th’ and ‘Th’ and say the word aloud.
**6. Review and Closing (5 minutes)**
- **Review Game:** Play a quick game of “Simon Says” using words with ‘th’ and ‘Th’. Example: “Simon says touch your teeth (for unvoiced ‘th’ in ‘teeth’)”; “Simon says turn to the person next to you and say ‘this’ (for voiced ‘Th’).”
- **Recap:** Briefly recap the difference between the unvoiced ‘th’ and the voiced ‘Th’.
- **Praise and Encouragement:** Commend students for their hard work and participation. Remind them to listen for these sounds in words they hear and read.
**7. Homework (Optional)**
- **Take-Home Worksheet:** Provide a simple worksheet for extra practice at home where students can match words with pictures, color words with ‘th’, and trace letters again.
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**Assessment:**
- **Informal Assessment:** Observe students during group activities and individual practice to ensure they can differentiate and pronounce unvoiced ‘th’ and voiced ‘Th’ correctly.
- **Formal Assessment:** Review student worksheets and take-home activities for accuracy.
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**Extension Activities:**
- **Sing-Along:** Teach a phonics song focusing on the ‘th’ sounds.
- **Story time:** Read a short story and have students point out words with the ‘th’ sounds as they listen.
With this lesson plan, Nursery 2 students will engage in a variety of activities to understand and practice the sounds of unvoiced ‘th’ and voiced ‘Th’, laying the foundation for strong phonics skills.