How to Teach the Phonics Sound s (and a and t)

Looking for an age-appropriate way to teach phonics to secondary English learners? This free lesson plan introduces the phonic sounds /s/, /a/, and /t/, which are essential building blocks for reading fluency. It’s part of the Off2Class Foundational Literacy Curriculum, designed specifically to support older ELs who need targeted reading intervention.

We’ve made this lesson free to help educators address the foundational literacy gaps that often persist among secondary ELs. Unlike materials created for younger native speakers, Off2Class offers a structured, age-appropriate approach to phonics instruction.

The Phonics Sound s

The /s/ sound is one of the first phonemes young learners and newcomers are introduced to when developing their foundational literacy skills. In this lesson, students learn to recognize, produce, and write the /s/ sound in simple words like sun, sad, and sip. Remember, the phonics sound /s/ is an unvoiced sound made by pushing air through the mouth with the tongue close to the roof of the mouth, but without vibrating the vocal cords.

The Phonics Sound a

The /a/ sound, as in apple, is a short vowel sound that’s essential for early decoding and blending. In this lesson, students practice identifying the /a/ sound at the beginning and middle of words like ant, cat, and hat. To produce the sound, learners open their mouths wide and relax their tongues in the middle of their mouths.

The Phonics Sound t

The /t/ sound is a crisp, unvoiced consonant heard at the beginning of words like top, in the middle of water, and at the end of hat. In this lesson, students learn to recognize and pronounce the /t/ sound by placing the tip of their tongue just behind the top teeth and releasing a small puff of air. The sound is short and sharp, without any vibration in the throat.

Download this lesson plan on the phonics sounds s, a, and t

LS.2.1: Phonics sounds s, a, t (WIDA: Pre-Entering; CEFR: A0)

Objective: Introduce graphemes s, a, t. Practice reading sound-out words using these sounds.

Can do: At the end of the lesson, students can read sound-out words using the graphemes s, a, t.

Download the lesson here:

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