Letter T
Meet the Letter T
Items in this lesson
Meet the Letter T
Open the lesson by saying the sound clearly as /t/ rather than the letter name first. Keep the focus on hearing and noticing the sound.
Our Learning Goal
I can recognise the letter t, say its sound, and form capital and lower-case t.
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What words do you know that start with t?
Use this as a quick warm-up. Accept any sensible ideas children offer, then say the /t/ sound aloud together.
t is for tiger
The word tiger starts with t.
We can hear /t/ at the start: tiger.
Emphasise the initial sound only. Avoid adding extra phonics detail beyond identifying the starting sound.
t is for train
The word train starts with t.
We can hear /t/ at the start: train.
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t is for tree
The word tree starts with t.
We can hear /t/ at the start: tree.
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t is for turtle
The word turtle starts with t.
We can hear /t/ at the start: turtle.
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The Sound of t
The letter t makes the sound /t/.
It is a short, tap-like sound.
/t/ /t/ /t/
Model a pure sound as closely as possible, without adding an extra vowel sound. Young children may still approximate it.
Which word starts with t?
tree
sun
ball
moon
This checks recognition of a word beginning with t after the image examples tiger, train, tree and turtle.
Can you say /t/?
Yes
A bit
Not yet
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Jolly Phonics: t
Watch and join in with the Jolly Phonics t song.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jolly+phonics+t
A direct video link was not supplied, so this uses a YouTube search link for the Jolly Phonics t video.
Forming t
Capital T
Lower-case t
Start at the top left.
Across →
Lift pencil.
Down ↓
Start at the top.
Down ↓
Lift pencil.
Across →
Model both letters large in the air or on a board. Keep the language consistent: start, down, across.
What sound does t make?
/m/
/t/
/s/
/a/
Keep the focus on the sound, not the letter name.
Finish the letter talk
The letter t makes the sound /t/. Lower-case t starts at the top and goes down. Capital T goes across, then down.
Echoes the exact wording from the sound and formation slides so children can match what they have just seen.
What is one thing you remember?
Encourage children to name one thing they remember, such as t, /t/, tiger, train, tree, turtle, capital T or lower-case t.
What helped you learn best today?
Look for simple reflections such as the song, the pictures, saying /t/, or writing the letter.
Words We Learned
t - a letter that makes the sound /t/
tiger - a big wild cat
train - a vehicle that runs on tracks
tree - a tall plant with a trunk
turtle - an animal with a shell
capital letter - a tall letter like T
lower-case letter - a small letter like t
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