Phonics A to Z – A Complete ESL Lesson Plan

This phonics lesson plan is perfect for introducing kids to the sounds of the English alphabet. Learning phonics is one of the very first steps in English because it gives students the foundation they need for reading, writing, and speaking. Through songs, games, and interactive activities, children can connect letters with their sounds in a way that’s fun and memorable.

On this page, you’ll find a complete step-by-step ESL phonics lesson plan with all the materials you need to get started. To avoid overwhelming beginners, the plan focuses on just a few letters at a time (for example A–F), but you can reuse the same structure across 5–6 lessons to cover the full alphabet A–Z.

Step 1: Introduce Phonics with a Song

When teaching phonics to kids, starting with a fun and catchy song is one of the best ways to capture their attention. Young learners love to sing and move, and a song makes it much easier to remember the sounds of the alphabet. There are many phonics songs available on YouTube, but a great choice is The Phonics Song by KidsTV123.

How to Teach with the Song:

1. Play the song once and ask students to just listen.
2. Next, play only the first part of the song (A–F) and elicit the six corresponding words.
3. To help students, give them a hint by singing the initial sound. For example, say “a… a…” and students respond “apple.”
4. After eliciting each word, place the matching flashcard on the board.
5. Practice each letter sound together. For example:
   • “a a apple”
   • “b b ball”
   • “c c cat”
   • and so on through F.
6. Once students are comfortable, move on to a fun flashcard game to practice the new sounds further.

Step 2: Phonics Flashcard Game

After singing and practicing the sounds, use flashcards to reinforce the new vocabulary and give students a chance to actively recall what they’ve learned. Kids love this simple guessing game, and it works especially well because it gives them the chance to take the “teacher” role.

How to Play

1. Using these phonics flashcards, show students the flashcards for A–F one by one and ask them to repeat after you.
2. Hold up a card without showing the front to the class.
3. Ask students to guess which card you are holding. They must recall the sound and word they practiced earlier.
4. If a student guesses correctly, invite them to the front to take the next card and continue the game as the “teacher.”
5. Repeat until all students have had a chance to participate.

This game encourages active recall, keeps the class engaged, and is highly motivating because children love the chance to stand at the front of class.

Step 3: Phonics Line Bingo Game

This fun variation of bingo is an excellent listening activity that helps students review the phonics sounds while staying engaged. It works well with individual students or pairs.

How to Play

1. Print and cut out these Phonics Student Cards (A–F) and give one set to each student or pair.
2. Ask students to place their six cards in a horizontal line in any order they choose.
3. The teacher calls out one of the phonics words (e.g., “c c cat”).
4. Students check their line:
   • If the matching card is on either end of their line, they can turn it over.
   • If it’s in the middle, they leave it as it is.
5. Continue calling out words until one student has turned over all their cards and shouts “Bingo!”

This game is simple to set up, fun for kids, and gives them repeated listening practice with the new sounds and words.

Step 4: The Phonics Train Game – What’s Missing?

This activity is based on the classic “What’s Missing?” game and works perfectly with the Phonics Train video below. It’s fun, fast-paced, and gives students lots of chances to recall the initial sounds they’ve learned.

The video covers all 26 letter sounds (A–Z), divided into five sections of six letters each. For this first lesson, use the section with A–F. You can return to the same video in later lessons to review the next groups of letters.

How to Play

1. Play the video from the start of the A–F section. The train passes by slowly, showing six flashcards (apple, ball, cat, dog, elephant, fish). Encourage students to say each word aloud as it appears.
2. Play the clip again. This time, some cards will be missing.
3. Pause the video after the train goes by and ask students to call out which cards are missing.
4. Press play to start the next round. The train will move faster each time.
5. Continue through all four rounds: Slow, Fast, Very Fast, and Super Fast.

This game gives students repeated practice saying the phonics sounds out loud, while the increasing speed keeps them engaged and excited. The “Super Fast” round is usually their favorite!

Step 5: Review

To finish the lesson, play the Phonics Song once more and encourage students to sing along this time. They should now be able to join in with the first six words they practiced (apple, ball, cat, dog, elephant, fish). The rhythm of the song makes it easy for young learners to follow along and repeat after the singer.

Next Lesson

You can use the same lesson structure for the next five lessons until students have learned all 26 initial sounds A to Z. In the following lesson, start again with the Phonics Song, then drill and practice with the next set of flashcards. Reinforce the sounds with a game like Line Bingo using the student cards, and finish with the Phonics Train game to review.