English Primary Phase IV

Session 1
Unit 1: Reading and Thinking Skills
Topics Covered in this session
➢ Sight words and common spelling patterns
➢ Common inflectional endings
➢ Digraphs and trigraphs
➢ Silent letters
➢ Naming and action words
➢ Pronunciation
➢ Punctuation
➢ Paragraph structure
➢ Pronouns
➢ Reading strategies (pre-reading & while-reading)
1. Reading Skill
Definition:
Reading skill is the ability to understand written text with
correct pronunciation, fluency, and comprehension.
Importance:
Improves understanding
Enhances vocabulary
Helps in effective communication

2. Thinking Skill
Definition:
Thinking skills are mental abilities used to analyze
information, solve problems, and make decisions.
Importance:
Helps in problem-solving
Encourages critical and creative thinking
Improves learning
Sight Words
Definition:
Sight words are common words that children should
recognize instantly without sounding them out. They often
cannot be easily decoded using phonics.
Importance:
Helps in fluency – students read more smoothly without
stopping to sound out every word
Improves comprehension – focus on meaning rather than
decoding
Builds confidence in reading
Examples of Sight Words:
1. Pre-Primer (Primary Level): a, I, in, on, it, at, see, like
2. Primer Level: can, go, play, we, he, she, up, not
3. First Grade: said, come, where, what, some, one, there

Common Spelling Patterns

Definition:
Spelling patterns are letter combinations that frequently
appear together in words. Recognizing them helps students
spell and read words correctly.
Examples of Common Spelling Patterns:
Notes , CVC,Cat, pen, sit,
CVVC,Rain, boat, read

Sight words + spelling patterns can be taught together.

Example: “said” is a sight word; the “ai” is a spelling pattern.
Teaching them together reinforces both recognition and
phonics rules.

Inflectional Endings
Definition:
Inflectional endings are letters added to the beginning or end
of a word to change its meaning or tense.
Common Inflectional Endings:
-s /-es→ plural (cats, boxes)
-ed → past tense (walked, played)
-ing → continuous action (walking)
Examples Table:
| Present | Past | Continuous |
| Walk | Walked | Walking |
| Cook | Cooked | Cooking |

Importance:
Helps students understand tense
Improves spelling and pronunciation

Digraphs
Definition:
A digraph is a combination of two letters that make one
sound.
Examples:
ch → chair
sh → ship
th → this
ph → phone
Positions of Digraphs:
Beginning: chair, whale
Middle: author, dolphin
End: fish, laugh

Trigraphs
Definition:
A trigraph is a group of three letters that make one sound.
Examples: igh → light
tch → match
sch → school
Positions:
Beginning: schedule, scholar
Middle: beauty, flight
End: watch, batch

Silent Letters
Definition:
Silent letters are letters that are written but not pronounced.
Common Rules & Examples:
 B after M → lamb, comb
K before N → know, knife
G before N → sign, reign
E at word end → make, hope

Teaching Tips:
Give word lists
Use reading practice
Play word games

Naming Words (Nouns)

Definition: Words that name a person, place, thing, or
animal.
Examples:
Person → teacher, mother
Place → school, park
Thing → book, pen
Animal → dog, cat
2. Action Words (Verbs)
Definition: Words that show an action or something
happening.
Examples: run, eat, jump, play, read

3. Pronunciation
Definition: The correct way to say words when reading
aloud.
Why it is important:
Makes reading clear
Helps others understand
Improves fluency and confidence
Example:
Ship → /ʃɪp/
Knife → /naɪf/ (silent K)

4. Punctuation
Definition: Symbols used in writing to show pauses, stops,
or emotions.
Common Marks & Uses:
Symbol Name Example
. Full stop example:- I like apples.
? Question mark e.g Are you coming?
! Exclamation e.g Watch out!
, Comma e.g I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
' Apostrophe e.g Tom's book, don't
" " Quotation marks e.g She said, "Hello!"

5. Paragraph Structure
Definition: A paragraph is a group of sentences about one
main idea.
Parts of a Paragraph:
Topic Sentence → Introduces the main idea
Also called thesis statement.
Supporting Sentences →Well researched fact ,give details
or examples.
Concluding Sentence → It’s job is to summarize the main
idea and it’s ends the paragraph.
6. Pronouns
Definition: Words used instead of repeating nouns.
Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Example in a sentence:
Rani is my friend. She is kind. → “She” replaces “Rani”

Reading Strategies

1. Predicting (Pre-reading)
Meaning: Guessing what a story is about by looking at
pictures or title.
Benefits:
Improves thinking skills
Builds curiosity
Enhances comprehension
2. While-Reading Strategy
Definition: Activities that help students understand the text
while reading.
Important Strategies:
Tip: Encourage students to underline important words or
highlight keywords while reading.
2. Skimming
Definition:
Reading quickly to get the main idea of a text.
Used for:
Titles
Headings
First & last sentences

3. Scanning
Definition:
Reading quickly to find specific information.
Used for
Names
Dates
Keywords
Importance of Guessing in Reading
Promotes critical thinking
Encourages student participation
 Improves comprehension skills
Assessment – Important Exam Questions
1. What is an inflectional ending?
2. Define digraph with examples.
3. What is a trigraph?
4. What are silent letters?
5. Define skimming and scanning.
6. Why is predicting important in reading?
Session 2
Unit 2: Writing Skill
Topics Covered
➢ Definition of writing
➢ Techniques of good handwriting
➢ Key concepts in teaching writing
➢ Free writing
➢ Controlled writing
➢ Guided writing
➢ Creative writing
➢ Brainstorming
➢ Mind mapping
➢ Multi-syllable words
➢ Analyzing a simple paragraph
 ➢ Use of conjunctions

1. Writing Skill
Definition: Writing is a language skill through which ideas,
thoughts, and information are expressed using letters,
words, punctuation, and spaces.
Important Point:
Good writing should be:
Clear
Correct
Meaningful
Well-organized

2. Techniques of Good Handwriting

Importance of Good Handwriting:
Improves readability
Builds student confidence
Helps in clear communication

Correct Pencil Grip (Tripod Grip):

Hold pencil with thumb, index finger, and middle finger
Hold pencil 1–3 cm from the tip
Grip should be relaxed
Sit straight
Use non-writing hand to hold paper

For Left-Handed Students:

Do not force right-hand use
Keep wrist straight
Place paper slightly tilted
Ensure proper lighting
3. Key Concepts in Teaching Writing
(a) Free Writing
Definition: Writing freely without worrying about grammar,
spelling, or structure.
Purpose:
Generate ideas
Remove fear of writing
Example:
Writing thoughts continuously for 5–10 minutes.

(b) Controlled Writing

Definition:
Writing with guidance and fixed patterns provided by the
teacher.
Purpose:
Practice grammar and sentence structure
Helpful for beginners
Example:
Fill in the blanks, sentence completion.
(c) Guided Writing
Definition:
Teacher supports students while they write using given ideas
or structure.
Purpose:
Develop confidence
Improve paragraph writing
Example:
Writing a paragraph with teacher’s help.

(d) Creative Writing

Definition:
Writing that shows imagination, creativity, and personal
expression.
Examples:
Stories, Poems, Essays
4. Brainstorming
Definition:
A technique to generate ideas by thinking freely about a
topic.
Features:
No criticism of ideas
All ideas accepted
Used before writing
Example:
Topic: Benefits of Education
Ideas: knowledge, success, job, confidence, society

5. Mind Mapping
Definition:
A visual method to organize ideas around a central topic.
Steps:
1. Write main topic in center
2. Draw branches for sub-topics
3. Add details
Importance:
Organizes thoughts
Improves paragraph writing

6. Multi-Syllable Words
Definition:
Words that have more than one syllable are called multi-
syllabic words.
Examples:
| Word | Syllables |
| ----------- | ------------------- |
| Beautiful | beau-ti-ful (3) |
| Personality | per-son-al-i-ty (5) |
| Forgiveness | for-give-ness (3) |
Importance:
Improves pronunciation
Helps correct spelling
7. Paragraph Writing
Definition of Paragraph:
A paragraph is a group of sentences that develop one main
idea .
Parts of a Paragraph:
[Link] Sentence – introduces main idea
[Link] Sentences- explain the idea
[Link] Sentence – summarizes the paragraph

8. Analyzing a Paragraph
Steps:
Identify topic sentence
Find supporting details
Identify concluding sentence
Example:
Canada is a good country because of health, education, and
clean cities.

9. Conjunctions
Definition:
A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases, or
sentences.
Common Conjunctions:
And,but,or,because,so
Example Sentence:
Ali likes apples but Ahmad likes bananas.

Important Exam Questions

1. Define writing.
2. What is free writing?
3. Explain guided writing.
4. What is brainstorming?
5. Define a paragraph.
6. What is a conjunction? Give examples.

Session 3:
Unit 3: Listening and Speaking

Topics Covered
 ➢ Sounds of letters
➢ Consonants and vowels
➢ Silent letters
➢ Consonant clusters (blends)
➢ Speech patterns
➢ Conventions of oral interaction
➢ Communicative functions

1. Listening Skill
Definition:
Listening is the ability to understand spoken language by
identifying sounds, words, and meanings.
Importance:
Improves pronunciation
Develops understanding
Supports speaking skill
2. Speaking Skill
Definition:
Speaking is the ability to express ideas, feelings, and
information orally.
Importance:
Builds confidence
Improves communication
Helps classroom interaction

3. Consonants and Vowels

Vowels:
A, E, I, O, U
Consonants:
All remaining letters of the alphabet
Example:
➢ Cat → C (consonant), A (vowel), T (consonant)
4. Consonant Blends (Clusters)
Definition:
When two or more consonants come together and each
keeps its own sound, it is called a consonant blend.
Common Consonant Blends:
bl → black, blue
cl → class, clean
br → bread, brown
dr → draw, dress
Note:
In blends, sounds are NOT merged.

5. Digraphs
Definition:
A digraph is a combination of two letters that make one
sound.
Examples:
sh → ship
ch → chair
th → this
ph → phone
Difference from Blends:
Blend → sounds separate
Digraph → one sound

6. Silent Letters
Definition:
Silent letters are letters that are written but not pronounced.
Examples:
b → lamb
k → knife
g → sign
w → write
Teaching Tip:
Use repetition and reading practice.

7. Stress, Rhythm & Intonation

Stress:
Giving importance to a syllable or word.
Rhythm:
The flow of speech in patterns.
Intonation:
The rise and fall of voice while speaking.
Importance:Makes speech meaningful
Shows emotions.

8. Oral Interaction Skills

Students should be able to:
Introduce self and others
Take turns while speaking
Agree or disagree politely
Express feelings (joy, sadness, anger)
Make polite requests

9. Introducing Self and Others

Example (Self-introduction):
“My name is Ali. I am a student of Grade 4. I like reading
stories.”
Example (Introducing Others):
“This is Ahmad. He is my friend.”

10. Making Polite Requests

Polite Expressions:
Please
May I…?
Could you…?
Example:
“May I come in, please?”
Important Exam Questions
1. Define listening skill.
2. What are consonant blends?
3. Differentiate between digraph and blend.
4. What are silent letters?
5. Why is intonation important?

Session 4:
Unit 4: Grammar
Topics Covered
➢ Grammar (introduction)
➢ Parts of speech
➢ Nouns (definition & types)
➢ Common nouns
➢ Proper nouns
➢ Abstract nouns
➢ Collective nouns
➢ Gender
➢ Similes
________________________________________________________
______
1. Grammar
Definition:
Grammar is the set of rules that helps us use a language
correctly in speaking and writing.
Importance of Grammar:
Makes language meaningful
Improves communication
Helps in correct sentence formation

2. Parts of Speech
Definition:
Parts of speech are categories into which words are
classified according to their function in a sentence.
Main Parts of Speech:
1. Noun
2. Pronoun
3. Verb
4. Adjective
5. Adverb
6. Preposition7. Conjunction8. Interjection
3. Noun
Definition: A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or
idea.
Examples:
Person → Ali, teacher
Place → school, Pakistan
Thing → book, pen
Idea → honesty, bravery
4. Types of Nouns
(a) Common Noun
Definition:
A common noun is a general name of a person, place, or
thing.
Examples:
boy, girl,city, school,pen, chair

(b) Proper Noun

Definition:
A proper noun is the special name of a person, place, or
thing.
Examples:
Ali, Fatima,Pakistan, Lahore,Quran, English Book
Note:
Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter.

(c) Abstract Noun

Definition:
An abstract noun names a quality, feeling, or idea that
cannot be seen or touched.
Examples:
Honesty,bravery,happiness,childhood.
(d) Collective Noun
Definition:
A collective noun names a group of people, animals, or
things.
Examples:
a class of students,a herd of cows,a team of players
5. Gender
Definition:
Gender shows whether a noun is male or female.
Types of Gender:
Masculine → man, boy
Feminine → woman, girl
Common → student, teacher
Neuter → book, table

6. Simile
Definition:
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different
things using like or as.
Examples: As brave as a lion, As white as snow,Like a
shining star
Important Exam Questions
1. Define grammar.
2. What are parts of speech?
3. Define noun with examples.
4. Differentiate between common and proper noun.
5. What is an abstract noun?
6. Define simile with examples.
Session 5:
Unit 5: Grammar Continued
Topics Covered
➢ Verb (definition & types)
➢ Main verbs
➢ Helping verbs
➢ Tenses (basic concept)
➢ Pronouns (definition & types)
➢ Articles (a, an, the)
1. Verb
Definition:
A verb is a word that shows an action, state, or occurrence.
Examples:
Action → run, eat, write
State → is, am, are

2. Types of Verbs
(a) Main Verb
Definition:
A main verb shows the main action in a sentence.
Examples:
Ali writes a letter.
She plays cricket.

(b) Helping Verb

Definition:
A helping verb helps the main verb to show tense or
meaning.
Common Helping Verbs:
is, am, are
was, were
has, have, had
will, shall
Examples:
She is reading.
They have finished work.
 4. Tense (Basic Concept)
Definition:
Tense shows the time of an action.
Types of Tense (Basic):
Present → I eat food.
Past → I ate food.
Future → I will eat food.

4. Pronoun
Definition
A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun.
Examples:
Ali is my friend. He is kind.
Sara lost her book.

5. Types of Pronouns
(a) Personal Pronouns
Used to refer to people or things.
Examples:
I, we, you, he, she, it, they

(b) Possessive Pronouns

Show ownership.
Examples:
My, mine, his, her, hers, our, their

(c) Demonstrative Pronouns

Point to specific things.
Examples:
This, that, these, those

6. Articles
Definition:
Articles are words used before nouns.
Types of Articles:
Indefinite Articles: a, an
Definite Article: the
Use of “A”
Used before words that begin with a consonant sound.
Examples: a book , a teacher

Use of “An”
Used before words that begin with a vowel sound.
Examples:
an apple
an hour

Use of “The”
Used for specific nouns.
Examples: the sun, the Quran

Important Exam Questions

1. Define verb.
2. What is a helping verb?
3. Define pronoun with examples.
4. Name types of pronouns.
5. What are articles? Explain a, an, the.

Session 6:
Unit 6: Adjectives, Adverbs, Sentences & Punctuation

Topics Covered
➢ Adjectives
➢ Degrees of adjectives
➢ Adverbs
➢ Types of adverbs
➢ Sentence (definition & types)
➢ Punctuation marks

1. Adjective
Definition:
An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun.
Examples:
a beautiful flower
a tall boy
an honest man

2. Degrees of Adjectives
(a) Positive Degree
Shows simple quality.
Example:
Ali is tall.

(b) Comparative Degree

Compares two persons or things.
Example:
Ali is taller than Ahmad.

(c) Superlative Degree

Compares more than two persons or things.
Example:
Ali is the tallest boy in the class.

3. Adverb
Definition:
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, adjective, or
another adverb.
Examples:
He runs fast.
She speaks clearly.

4. Types of Adverbs
(a) Adverb of Manner
Shows how an action happens.
Examples:
slowly, quickly, happily

(b) Adverb of Time

Shows when an action happens.
Examples:
yesterday, today, tomorrow

(c) Adverb of Place

Shows where an action happens.
Examples:
here, there, outside

(d) Adverb of Frequency

Shows how often an action happens.
Examples:
always, often, never

5. Sentence
Definition:
A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense.
Basic Structure:
Subject + Verb + Object
Example:
The boy reads a book.

6. Types of Sentences
(a) Assertive Sentence
Makes a statement.
Example:
She is my friend.

(b) Interrogative Sentence

Asks a question.
Example:
Where are you going?

(c) Imperative Sentence

Gives an order or request.
Example:
Please open the door.

(d) Exclamatory Sentence

Shows strong feeling.
Example:
What a beautiful day!
7. Punctuation Marks

Common Punctuation Marks:

Full Stop (.) → end of sentence
Comma (,) → pause in sentence
Question Mark (?) → question
Exclamation Mark (!) → strong feeling
Capital Letter → beginning of sentence / proper nouns

Important Exam Questions

1. Define adjective with examples.

2. What are degrees of adjectives?
3. Define adverb and its types.
4. What is a sentence?
5. Name types of sentences.
6. What is punctuation? Why is it important?