Pin the Tin

Overview

This four-session sequence supports Year 1 students to secure the sounds and letters m, a, d, p, t, n, i, s, practise oral blending and segmenting, and apply this knowledge when rereading the familiar decodable text Pin the Tin. Each session is 15 minutes for a small group of 10 students, with brisk, explicit teaching and plenty of choral response.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• learn and recall the focus letter–sound correspondences.
• orally blend sounds to hear and say a word.
• orally segment words into their individual sounds.
• use phonics knowledge to read and reread words in Pin the Tin.
• talk about what happens in the text and respond to a simple question.

Success criteria

• I can say the sound when I see a focus letter.
• I can push sounds together to read a word.
• I can pull a word apart into its sounds.
• I can read familiar words in Pin the Tin and talk about what I understand.

Curriculum links

• Phonemic awareness and phonics knowledge: brisk, explicit teaching supports early reading and writing outcomes.
• Planning and drafting: students build knowledge through reading, discussion and relevant learning experiences.
• Planning and drafting: students need sufficient topic and text knowledge to plan and communicate meaningfully.
• Writing Processes / Planning: students suggest an audience and purpose for teacher modelling and shared responses.

Lesson structure (15 minutes per session)

Session 1 — Introduce and blend

1. 0–2 min · Revisit sounds. Teacher quickly shows previously taught letters and asks students to say each sound, using the Phonics Sound Cards for visual support. Students respond together, then individually when invited.

2. 2–5 min · Teach m and a. Teacher explicitly models the sound for m and the short vowel sound for a, drawing attention to mouth position and avoiding adding an extra “uh” sound. Students repeat the sounds and trace each letter in the air.

3. 5–9 min · Oral blending. Teacher says sounds in stretched form, such as /m/ /a/ /t/, then models blending them to make mat. Students use finger sweeps under the sounds and blend words orally, including mat, sat, map and tap.

4. 9–13 min · First reading. Teacher introduces the cover and title of Pin the Tin, briefly discusses what students notice, then reads the text with students. Students point to each word, apply known sounds and reread a short section together.

5. 13–15 min · Check-out. Teacher says one word, such as sat, and asks students to identify its first sound and blend the whole word. Students say the word and explain which letters helped them.

Session 2 — Segment and read

1. 0–3 min · Rapid review. Teacher flashes the focus cards and mixes the order, asking students to give the sound rather than the letter name. Students respond chorally and individually.

2. 3–6 min · Teach d and p. Teacher models d and p, highlighting how the letters look different and how each sound is produced. Students compare the two letters and practise saying their sounds clearly.

3. 6–9 min · Oral segmenting. Teacher says words such as pin, pad, dip and stretches them. Students use three fingers or counters to represent each sound, then say the sounds separately.

4. 9–13 min · Reread for accuracy. Teacher rereads Pin the Tin, pausing before selected decodable words and prompting students to look through the word from left to right. Students read the words, then reread the page smoothly.

5. 13–15 min · Meaning talk. Teacher asks, “What happened in this part?” and accepts answers supported by the illustrations or words. Students turn and talk, then share one idea.

Session 3 — Add t, n and i

1. 0–3 min · Sound review. Teacher revisits m, a, d, p with quick letter–sound responses. Students say the sounds and identify one word beginning with a selected sound.

2. 3–6 min · Teach t, n and i. Teacher introduces the new correspondences, modelling the short i sound carefully. Students repeat, sky-write the letters and listen for the target sound in spoken words.

3. 6–9 min · Blend and segment. Teacher models words such as tin, pin, tip, sit and nap. Students blend after the teacher, then segment two or three words using fingers or counters.

4. 9–13 min · Supported rereading. Teacher and students reread Pin the Tin together. Students take turns reading a line or phrase, with the teacher prompting: “Look at the first sound. Say the sounds. Blend.”

5. 13–15 min · Vocabulary and understanding. Teacher selects one word or event from the book and asks students to explain it in their own words or show it with a simple action.

Session 4 — Secure, apply and reread

1. 0–3 min · Cumulative review. Teacher presents all focus letters in a mixed order and checks rapid recall. Students say the sounds, then sort or hold up a card when they hear a matching sound.

2. 3–6 min · Final sound s and oral practice. Teacher introduces or revisits s, then blends and segments words such as sat, sip, map, mat, pin and tin. Students respond together and individually.

3. 6–10 min · Independent turns. Teacher gives each student a brief opportunity to read a word or phrase from the text. Students apply the routine: look, say the sounds, blend, reread smoothly.

4. 10–13 min · Fluent rereading. Teacher leads a final rereading of Pin the Tin, gradually reducing support. Students read with the group, then several students read a familiar sentence independently.

5. 13–15 min · Exit check. Teacher asks each student to read one decodable word and orally segment another. Students identify one sound they know and say one thing they remember from the book.

Resources

• Pin the Tin decodable reading books, one per student or shared copies
• the Phonics Sound Cards
• Counters, fingers or small sound boxes for segmenting
• Whiteboard and marker
• Letter cards for the focus correspondences
• Teacher observation checklist
• Optional mini whiteboards for quick sound responses

Assessment

• During every session, listen for accurate sound production, especially the short vowel a and i, and note students who add an extra vowel sound.
• Check whether students blend without guessing from the picture and segment words into the correct number of sounds.
• In Session 4, record each student’s ability to read one word from the text, segment a spoken word and recall a simple detail from Pin the Tin.

Differentiation

• Support students by using continuous sounds first, stretching the word, pointing to each grapheme and blending together before asking for an independent response.
• Provide extra oral rehearsal and counters for students who find segmenting difficult; accept pointing, saying or demonstrating before requiring a written response.
• For students learning English, pair each new word with a clear illustration or gesture and repeat the word naturally in a sentence.
• Extend confident readers by asking them to reread a sentence with expression, identify the first or final sound in a word, or blend a new word using only the taught correspondences.