Good Eating Habits, Table Posture and Washing Hands Before Meals for Pre-School Level 3

Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: First Term
Week: 3
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Civic Education
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Understanding basic rules at home and school.
Topic: SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: EATING
Subject Matter: Good eating habits, table posture and washing hands before meals.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify good eating habits, such as not talking with food in the mouth.
• State the importance of washing hands before eating.
• Describe correct table posture while eating.

Affective Domain

• Show willingness to adopt good social eating habits.
• Appreciate the need for hygiene before meals.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate correct handwashing steps before eating.
• Practise good table posture while sitting for a meal.

Social Domain

• Participate in discussions about good table manners.
• Cooperate during role-play activities on eating.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3
• Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources
• Pictures and charts depicting good eating habits and hygiene

Instructional Materials

• Pictures/posters showing children with good table posture
• Pictures/posters showing children washing hands
• Chart showing steps for washing hands
• A small table and chairs (mock dining set)
• Play food or actual snacks (e.g., biscuits, fruit pieces)
• Plates, cups, and cutlery (child-safe)
• Soap, water, and a small basin for demonstration
• Hand towel
• Video display device (if using video)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is crucial for 4-year-olds as it introduces fundamental social and health practices related to eating. Learning good eating habits, proper table posture, and hand hygiene at an early age helps children develop self-care skills, prevent illness, and foster respectful social behaviour in various settings, from home to school.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify different types of food and understand simple instructions. They may have observed adults washing hands or eating at a table.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: EATING

Good eating habits are important for our health and for showing respect to others when we eat together.

Good Eating Habits

• Wash your hands before and after eating.
• Sit properly at the table.
• Chew your food with your mouth closed.
• Don’t talk when your mouth is full of food.
• Take small bites and finish what is in your mouth before taking more.
• Don’t rush your food.

Table Posture

When you sit at the table to eat, it is good to:

• Sit up straight with your back against the chair.
• Keep your feet on the floor.
• Keep your elbows off the table.

Washing Hands Before Meals

Washing hands before eating helps to remove germs that can make us sick. Steps for washing hands:

1. Wet your hands with clean water.
2. Apply soap.
3. Rub your hands together to make lather.
4. Scrub palms, back of hands, between fingers, and under nails for 20 seconds.
5. Rinse hands thoroughly with clean water.
6. Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry.

Clean Hands and Good Manners Song

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Clean and neat and bright.
Rub the soap, then rinse them well,
Before we eat tonight.
Sit up straight and chew with care,
No talking with food there.

Actions: Mimic washing hands during the first four lines, then sit up straight and pretend to chew with mouth closed for the last two lines.

Watch and Practise Handwashing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei_Yt2rDkYc

Key Words

• Habits – things we do often.
• Posture – how we sit or stand.
• Wash hands – cleaning our hands with soap and water.
• Germs – tiny things that can make us sick.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Role-play, Imitation, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Greeting/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them what they do before eating their food at home. The teacher introduces the topic: “Today, we will learn about good eating habits, how to sit nicely at the table, and why we must wash our hands before we eat.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the lesson topic and its relevance.

Step 2: Discussing Good Eating Habits

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses pictures to show good eating habits (e.g., chewing with mouth closed, taking small bites, not talking with food in mouth). The teacher explains why these habits are good.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the pictures, listen to the explanations, and try to identify the good habits shown.

Learning Point: Pupils learn about important good eating habits.

Step 3: Demonstrating Table Posture

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates good table posture using a chair (sitting up straight, feet on the floor, elbows off the table). The teacher also shows what bad posture looks like and asks pupils to identify the good one.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstrations and try to imitate the good table posture while sitting on their chairs.

Learning Point: Pupils understand and practise correct table posture.

Step 4: Learning About Washing Hands Before Meals

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Practical Demonstration/Song

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains why washing hands is important. The teacher then performs a live demonstration of handwashing using soap and water, explaining each step. The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Clean Hands and Good Manners Song.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the handwashing demonstration, listen to the explanation, and sing the song with actions.

Learning Point: Pupils learn the steps for handwashing and its importance through song and demonstration.

Step 5: Video Reinforcement

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Learning/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays the “Wash Your Hands Song for Kids” video and encourages pupils to watch and sing along. After the video, the teacher asks simple questions about what they saw.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video, sing along, and answer simple questions about handwashing.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of handwashing through an engaging video.

Step 6: Role-play and Practice

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Role-play/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher sets up the mock dining area with play food. The teacher guides pupils to role-play washing hands and then sitting at the table, practising good posture and eating habits (e.g., pretending to chew with mouth closed, taking small bites).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns role-playing washing hands and sitting at the mock dining table, practising good posture and eating habits under the teacher’s guidance.

Learning Point: Pupils actively practise and internalize good eating habits, posture, and hygiene.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

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

1. “Show me how you wash your hands before eating.”
2. “Show me how you sit nicely at the table.”
3. “What should you not do when your mouth is full of food?”
4. “Why is it important to wash your hands before eating?”

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: Recap/Closure

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always practise good eating habits, sit properly, and wash their hands before meals at home and at school. The teacher leads them in singing the “Clean Hands and Good Manners Song” one more time.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the recap and sing the song one last time.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to apply what they have learned in their daily lives.

Lesson Keywords

• Habits – things we do often, like brushing our teeth or washing our hands.
• Posture – how we sit or stand, like sitting up straight.
• Wash hands – cleaning our hands with soap and water to remove dirt and germs.
• Germs – tiny, tiny things we cannot see that can make us sick if they get into our bodies.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle with the handwashing steps, provide hand-over-hand guidance during the demonstration and allow them to focus on just 2-3 key steps. Use larger, clearer pictures for those who need more visual cues.
• Extension: Encourage pupils who grasp the concepts quickly to explain in their own words why good habits are important or to demonstrate all the steps of handwashing independently. Ask them to name another good habit they practice at home.