Coming to School Early, Good Manners and Punctuality for Pre-School Level 3

Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: Second Term
Week: 3
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Personal Development
Curriculum Theme: Personal Development
Previous Lesson: Understanding and practising good hygiene habits.
Topic: COMING TO SCHOOL EARLY: GOOD MANNERS AND PUNCTUALITY
Subject Matter: GOOD MANNERS – COMING TO SCHOOL EARLY. Weekly focus: Coming to School Early: Good Manners and Punctuality.

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify pictures showing children coming to school early.
• State at least two reasons why it is good to come to school early.
• Differentiate between coming early and coming late to school.

Affective Domain

• Show willingness to come to school early.
• Express happiness when seeing others come to school on time.

Psychomotor Domain

• Participate in singing a song about punctuality.
• Demonstrate actions associated with coming to school early.

Social Domain

• Understand that coming to school early is a good manner.
• Practise greeting their teachers and friends upon early arrival.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3.
• Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources.
• Pictures and charts depicting school routines and punctuality.

Instructional Materials

• Pictures showing children arriving early and late to school.
• Charts illustrating the benefits of punctuality.
• A real clock or watch.
• Storybooks about school and good manners.
• Audio player for song.
• Video player/screen for educational video.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson introduces 4-year-olds to the important social habit of punctuality, specifically coming to school early. Understanding this concept at an early age helps children develop discipline, respect for time, and good classroom behaviour, which are foundational for future learning and social interactions.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils know what school is, participate in morning assembly, and are familiar with basic daily routines like waking up and eating breakfast.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

COMING TO SCHOOL EARLY: GOOD MANNERS AND PUNCTUALITY

Good Manners: Good manners mean being polite, respectful, and doing good things. For example, saying “please” and “thank you,” greeting elders, sharing, and coming to school on time.

Punctuality: Punctuality means doing things at the right time. For school, it means coming early, not late.

Why it is good to come to school early:

• You will not miss morning assembly, prayers, or songs.
• You will learn everything the teacher teaches from the beginning of the lesson.
• You can play with your friends before class starts.
• Your teacher will be happy to see you early.
• You will be a good example for other children.

What happens if you come to school late:

• You will miss the fun morning activities.
• You might disturb the class when you walk in.
• You might miss important lessons and feel confused.
• Your teacher might be sad.

Punctuality Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

Early to school, early to school,
That’s a very good rule.
Don’t be late, don’t be slow,
To school we happily go!
Early to school, early to school,
That’s a very good rule.

Actions: Point to an imaginary watch, march in place, clap hands, smile.

Watch and Learn About Being On Time

Key Words

• Early – Before the usual or expected time.
• Late – After the usual or expected time.
• Punctual – Always arriving or doing things on time.
• Manners – Ways of behaving towards others; showing politeness.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

• Play-based Learning
• Demonstration
• Guided Practice
• Songs and Rhymes
• Picture Talk
• Question and Answer
• Storytelling
• Video Presentation
• Role-play

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Greeting

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and leads them in a familiar “Good Morning Song.” The teacher asks pupils what makes a good pupil.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and offer ideas about good pupils.

Learning Point: Pupils are settled and ready to learn, connecting to the idea of good behaviour.

Step 2: Presentation – Understanding Good Manners

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Picture Talk

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the concept of “Good Manners” using simple language and examples (e.g., saying “please,” sharing). The teacher shows pictures of children demonstrating good manners, including one of a child arriving on time.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the pictures, and name some good manners they know.

Learning Point: Pupils understand that good manners involve doing polite and helpful things.

Step 3: Presentation – Importance of Coming Early (Punctuality)

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that coming to school early is a very important good manner called “Punctuality.” Using pictures and a clock, the teacher shows children arriving early and late, discussing the differences and the benefits of coming early (e.g., not missing assembly, learning everything).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the pictures, point to children who are early or late, and listen to the explanations. They try to give simple reasons why coming early is good.

Learning Point: Pupils grasp the meaning of punctuality and the advantages of early arrival.

Step 4: Reinforcement – Punctuality Song

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Singing/Movement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the “Punctuality Song” (tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”) and teaches the lyrics and actions. The teacher sings the song several times, encouraging pupils to join in with enthusiasm.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, sing along with the teacher, and perform the actions for the song.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce the concept of punctuality through a fun, memorable song and actions.

Step 5: Visual Reinforcement – Educational Video

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Media Integration/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces and plays the verified YouTube video “Be On Time! | Kids Song | Punctuality Song for Kids | Early Learning.” After the video, the teacher asks pupils what they learned about being on time.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video attentively and respond to the teacher’s questions, sharing what they observed.

Learning Point: Pupils gain further understanding and visual reinforcement of the importance of punctuality.

Step 6: Application – Role-Play/Discussion

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Role-play/Guided Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads a short role-play or discussion. “What would you do if you woke up late?” “What if your friend came late, what would you tell them?” The teacher encourages pupils to think about how they can help themselves and others be punctual.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the role-play or discussion, suggesting ways to come to school early and what to do if they see someone late.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their understanding of punctuality to practical situations.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4–5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

1. Show me the picture of a child who came to school early.
2. Is it good to come to school late? (Assessment from seed)
3. Tell me one good thing that happens when you come to school early.
4. Let’s sing our punctuality song one more time.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summarisation/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and reminds them to always try their best to come to school early because it is a very good manner. The teacher leads a final, quick cheer for “Early Birds.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to praise and participate in the cheer, showing enthusiasm for being punctual.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to practise punctuality daily.

Lesson Keywords

• Early – Before the usual or expected time.
• Late – After the usual or expected time.
• Punctual – Always arriving or doing things on time.
• Manners – Ways of behaving towards others; showing politeness.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle, use larger, clearer pictures. Provide more one-on-one repetition of the song lyrics and reasons for punctuality. Guide their hands to point to “early” or “late” on the clock.
• Extension: Encourage advanced pupils to explain in their own words why coming early makes the teacher happy. Ask them to suggest other good manners they can practise at school.