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Level: KG 2 (Kindergarten Year 2) | Subject: Language and Literacy | Topic: Letters N to Z and Early Phonics | Curriculum: Ghana NaCCA

By KG 2, children aged 5 to 6 should already know letters A to M from KG 1. This lesson completes the alphabet with N to Z, then moves into early phonics: blending letter sounds together to begin reading simple three-letter words (called CVC words: consonant-vowel-consonant).

Letters N to Z

N – Letter N

Sound: “nnn” as in nose, net, night

N has two tall lines with a line going between them like a little bridge. Say: “N is for nose. Touch your nose! nnn-nose.”

O – Letter O

Sound: “oh” as in orange, ox, open

O is shaped like a circle – or like an orange! Say: “O is for orange. Can you draw an O? It looks just like an orange!”

P – Letter P

Sound: “puh” as in pot, pen, plantain

Plantain is a wonderful Ghanaian word for P. Say: “P is for pot and plantain. puh-puh-plantain.”

Q – Letter Q

Sound: “kwuh” as in queen, quiet

Q almost always comes with the letter U beside it (qu). Say: “Q is for queen. A queen is a very important lady.”

R – Letter R

Sound: “rrr” as in rain, road, river

Ghana has beautiful rivers! Say: “R is for rain and river. rrr-river. When the rain falls, the rivers fill up.”

S – Letter S

Sound: “sss” as in sun, sand, snake

S is shaped like a snake! Say: “S is for snake. sss-snake. Does S look like a snake to you?”

T – Letter T

Sound: “tuh” as in tree, table, tomato

T stands tall with arms out to the sides. Say: “T is for tree and tomato. tuh-tuh-tomato.”

U – Letter U

Sound: “uh” as in umbrella, under, up

U looks like a cup that can hold water. Say: “U is for umbrella. We use an umbrella when it rains.”

V – Letter V

Sound: “vvv” as in van, vegetable, village

V is like two lines coming together at the bottom. Say: “V is for village. Ghana has many beautiful villages.”

W – Letter W

Sound: “wuh” as in water, wind, well

W looks like two V shapes joined together. Say: “W is for water. We need water to stay alive. wuh-water.”

X – Letter X

Sound: “ks” as in box, fox, six

X usually comes at the end of words. Say: “X is in the word box. Can you think of other words with X?”

Y – Letter Y

Sound: “yuh” as in yam, yes, yellow

Yam is a staple food in Ghana – a perfect word for Y! Say: “Y is for yam. Yam is a food we eat in Ghana. yuh-yuh-yam.”

Z – Letter Z

Sound: “zzz” as in zebra, zero, zip

Z is the last letter. It makes the buzzing sound of a bee. Say: “Z is for zebra. A zebra has black and white stripes. zzz-zebra.”

The Complete Alphabet Song

Now that children know all 26 letters, practice singing the full alphabet song daily. Sing it slowly and point to each letter on a poster or the board. Once children can sing it confidently, start asking: “Where is the letter M? Find the letter S.”

Early Phonics: Blending Sounds into Words (CVC Words)

Now that children know all their letter sounds, we can start blending them together to read simple words. CVC stands for Consonant – Vowel – Consonant. These are short three-letter words and they are the easiest words to start reading with.

The five vowels are: A, E, I, O, U. They appear in the middle of CVC words.

Common CVC Words to Practice

How to Blend Sounds Together

Show children the word CAT. Say each sound slowly: “kuh-aah-tuh.” Then say it faster: “cat!” This is blending. Practice it like this:

• Say each sound alone: c-a-t
• Blend the first two: “ca…”
• Add the last sound: “cat!”

Start with 5 to 10 words and practice until children can blend them smoothly. Use real pictures or objects to show what the word means after they read it.

Practice Questions: Letters N to Z and Phonics

Next topics: KG 2 Numeracy: Numbers 1 to 20 and Simple Addition | KG 2 Our World Our People: My Community and Community Helpers