Farm Fun Welcome

Overview

Students begin the unit by learning what a farm is and naming common farm animals and crops. They will also match animals to their sounds using flashcards, then practise comprehension through a short shared text and a recall check.

Learning intentions

• Students will understand and use simple farm vocabulary (animal names, farm, crop) to talk about what they know.
• Students will listen to and comprehend a short farm story by using known words and picture clues.
• Students will match farm animal flashcards to the correct animal sound.
• Students will recognise and use taught words accurately in speaking and simple sentence frames.

Success criteria

• I can tell what a farm is using the word “farm”.
• I can name at least 2 animals from the farm picture cards.
• I can match an animal card to its sound.
• I can answer “What did we hear/see?” about the story using one or two words.

Curriculum links

• EN1-VOCAB-01: Students understand and effectively use Tier 1 and taught Tier 2/Tier 3 vocabulary to extend and elaborate ideas.
• EN1-RECOM-01: Students comprehend sustained reading by activating word knowledge, connecting information across sentences and the whole text, and recalling details.
• EN1-PHOKW-01: Students use phonics to decode and encode familiar words and word parts in simple farm labels and words (e.g., “cow”, “pig”, “hen”).
• EN1-CWT-01: Students plan and create short written or picture-supported messages using vocabulary and simple sentence structures.

Lesson structure (240 minutes)

1. 0–20 min · Welcome routine and language bridge. Teacher greets students, shows a “farm” picture, and asks: “What can you see?” Students answer using single words or gestures, then repeat the key word “farm” after the teacher.

2. 20–55 min · Direct teach: What is a farm? Teacher displays flashcards labelled “farm”, “animals”, “crops”, and “grow”, and briefly models each word in a clear sentence (e.g., “On a farm, animals live.” “Crops grow.”). Students practise by pointing to the matching card when the teacher says the word, then chorally repeat 3–5 vocabulary items.

3. 55–95 min · Animals and sounds: model then match. Teacher shows one animal flashcard at a time (e.g., cow, pig, chicken/hen, sheep) and produces the sound; students repeat the sound safely (volume controlled) and place the matching sound card on a pocket chart. Teacher checks each match and says the full phrase: “The ___ says ___.” Students practise saying the phrase with a sentence frame: “The ___ says ___.”

4. 95–120 min · Shared reading (picture book style) for comprehension. Teacher reads a short, student-friendly farm picture text (teacher-created or school library) showing the same animals/sounds from the flashcards. Teacher pauses to ask: “Who is this?” “What sound did we hear?” Students point to the picture and answer using the taught vocabulary.

5. 120–140 min · Comprehension monitoring: “Find it” game. Teacher holds up a page image (or big print) and says a sentence using key vocabulary (e.g., “On the farm, a pig lives.”). Students respond by pointing to the correct animal/crop card and repeating the key word only (scaffolded by the teacher).

6. 140–170 min · Writing and drawing: farm message. Teacher provides a simple “My Farm” worksheet with two large boxes: “Animal” and “Crop”. Students choose one animal flashcard and one crop picture (e.g., corn, carrot, wheat) and paste them. Teacher provides sentence starters with visual support: “On a farm, I see a ___.” Students either copy the word with teacher support or record with a guided first-sound approach (e.g., starting letter/sound).

7. 170–205 min · Phonics mini-practice with labels (decoding/encoding). Teacher shows word labels for the chosen animals (e.g., “cow”, “pig”, “hen”, “sheep”) and reads them aloud. Students practise tracing the word, then match the label to the correct picture. Teacher focuses on hearing and saying the initial sound (e.g., /c/ in cow). Students attempt to find the matching label for the picture using the sounds.

8. 205–240 min · Consolidation: sound recap + quick exit check. Teacher does a final rapid round: shows animal card → students say sound and match to the sound card. Exit check: teacher asks two questions: “What is a farm?” and “Which animal did we match today?” Students respond with a short phrase or 1–2 words.

Resources

• Farm picture flashcards (farm, animals, crops, grow)
• Animal flashcards (cow, pig, hen/chicken, sheep) and matching sound cards
• Pocket chart or magnetic board for matching
• Short farm picture text (big book/teacher copy)
• “My Farm” worksheet with image boxes
• Glue sticks, scissors (where appropriate), pencil/crayons
• Large word labels for animals chosen by the class
• Visual sentence starters with icons (farm, see, animal, crop)
• Timer for pacing and transitions

Assessment

• Formative checks during matching: teacher notes whether students correctly match animal-to-sound and can say the sentence frame.
• Formative comprehension check during shared reading: students point to the correct picture when asked “Who/What sound?”
• Exit check: teacher listens for “farm” vocabulary use and at least one named animal.

Differentiation

• Support: Use sentence starters with icons, gesture prompts, and limited card sets (start with 2 animals, add more after success).
• Support for speech: Allow students to point or repeat only one word if needed before adding the full frame.
• EAL/SEN: Provide consistent audio model for animal sounds; reduce language load by accepting pointing answers, then gradually request the target word.
• Extension: If ready, students choose an extra animal card and independently attempt the “The ___ says ___” phrase (with teacher prompting for accuracy).