Good Reading and Sleeping Posture for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 3
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Physical and Health Education
Curriculum Theme: Physical and Health Education
Previous Lesson: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Topic: Good Reading and Sleeping Posture
Subject Matter: Posture – Good Reading and Sleeping Posture – Meaning of Posture – Importance of good sitting and standing posture.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Define posture in simple terms.
• Identify good reading posture from pictures or demonstrations.
• Identify good sleeping posture from pictures or demonstrations.
• State at least one importance of good sitting or standing posture.

Affective Domain

• Show willingness to practise good reading and sleeping postures.
• Appreciate the benefits of maintaining good posture for health.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate good sitting posture.
• Demonstrate good standing posture.
• Demonstrate good reading posture (sitting with a book).
• Demonstrate a good sleeping posture (lying down).

Social Domain

• Take turns to demonstrate postures for their peers.
• Observe their classmates demonstrating postures respectfully.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources on health and hygiene
• Relevant early-years Physical and Health Education workbook

Instructional Materials

• Charts showing examples of good and bad postures
• Posters illustrating good reading and sleeping positions
• A well-sized child’s chair and table
• A mattress or floor mat
• Picture cards of children sitting, standing, reading, and sleeping correctly

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds as it introduces them to the concept of good posture, which is fundamental for their physical development and long-term health. Learning correct reading and sleeping positions helps prevent body aches and promotes proper growth, ensuring children develop healthy habits from an early age.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify different parts of their body and have some awareness of how they sit and move in the classroom and at home.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Good Reading and Sleeping Posture

What is Posture?

Posture is the way we hold our body when we sit, stand, walk, or lie down. It is important to hold our body in a good way to stay healthy and strong.

Good Reading Posture

• Sit up straight in your chair.
• Keep your back against the backrest.
• Place your feet flat on the floor.
• Hold your book up, not too close to your eyes, and not lying flat on the table if it makes you slouch.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed.

Good Sleeping Posture

• Lie flat on your back or on your side.
• Use a small, flat pillow for your head, not a big, fluffy one.
• Avoid sleeping on your stomach, as it can strain your neck and back.
• Your body should be straight and relaxed.

Importance of Good Sitting and Standing Posture

• Keeps your back strong: Good posture helps your spine grow straight and strong.
• Helps you breathe well: When you sit or stand straight, your lungs have more space to take in air.
• Makes you look neat and confident: People with good posture look smart and strong.
• Prevents body aches: It stops your neck and back from hurting.
• Helps you concentrate: When you are comfortable, you can focus better on your reading and learning.

Key Words

• Posture – The way we hold our body.
• Good – Correct and healthy.
• Reading – Looking at words in a book.
• Sleeping – Resting our body at night.
• Sitting – Resting on a chair or floor.
• Standing – Being upright on our feet.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display charts and posters showing children demonstrating good and bad postures for sitting, standing, reading, and sleeping.
• Demonstrate good sitting posture on a chair.
• Demonstrate good standing posture.
• Demonstrate how to hold a book for reading with good posture.
• Demonstrate a good sleeping posture on a mat or mattress.

Posture Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

Sit up straight, don’t slouch down,
Keep your back strong all around.
When you stand, tall and proud,
Show good posture to the crowd.
Sleep so calm, flat and neat,
Good posture makes our bodies sweet!

Actions:

• “Sit up straight”: Sit up tall.
• “Don’t slouch down”: Slouch briefly then sit tall again.
• “Keep your back strong”: Pat your back.
• “Stand, tall and proud”: Stand up straight, chest out.
• “Sleep so calm, flat and neat”: Lie down on the floor/mat.
• “Good posture makes our bodies sweet!”: Hug yourself.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme together after demonstrating each posture. Encourage pupils to do the actions as they sing.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video about good posture and see how other children keep their bodies strong and healthy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=130bC0Lg7_g

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Demonstration, Guided Practice, Play-based Learning, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Repetition, Practical Activity, Observation.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to stand up and stretch their bodies. The teacher asks, “How do you sit in your chair? How do you stand when you talk to someone?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, stand up, stretch, and respond to the questions by showing how they sit or stand.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and begin to think about their body positions.

Step 2: Explanation of Posture

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Visual Aid

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains “posture” in simple terms, “Posture is the way we hold our body when we sit, stand, or lie down.” The teacher shows pictures of children with good and bad posture from the charts and asks pupils to identify which one looks healthy.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanation and point to the pictures showing good posture.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the simple meaning of posture and can identify good vs. bad examples visually.

Step 3: Good Reading Posture

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates good sitting posture using a child’s chair and shows how to hold a book for reading. “Sit up straight, back against the chair, feet flat, book held up.” The teacher guides pupils to sit in their chairs and try the reading posture.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstration and then practise sitting in a good reading posture in their own chairs.

Learning Point: Pupils learn and practise the correct way to sit and hold a book for reading.

Step 4: Good Sleeping Posture

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Visual Aid

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses a mat or mattress to demonstrate good sleeping postures (lying on the back or side, with a small pillow). The teacher shows pictures of good sleeping postures and explains why sleeping on the stomach is not ideal.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstration and pictures. They can gently lie on the mat to try out the good sleeping posture if space permits.

Learning Point: Pupils understand and can identify good sleeping positions.

Step 5: Importance of Good Posture

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the importance of good posture using simple language: “It keeps our back strong, helps us breathe, makes us look smart, and stops our body from hurting.” The teacher asks pupils, “Why do you think it’s good to sit straight?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and offer simple reasons why good posture is important, like “to be strong” or “not to have pain.”

Learning Point: Pupils understand the benefits of maintaining good posture.

Step 6: Practical Demonstration and Rhyme Reinforcement

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Practical Application/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils to take turns demonstrating good sitting, standing, reading, and sleeping postures. The teacher leads the class in singing the “Posture Rhyme” with actions to reinforce the learning.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns to demonstrate the postures for their classmates. All pupils sing the rhyme and perform the actions.

Learning Point: Pupils actively apply what they have learned and reinforce it through song and movement.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

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

1. “What is posture?” (Teacher guides for simple answer).
2. “Show me how to sit properly for reading.”
3. “Show me how you should lie down to sleep.”
4. “Why is it good to have good posture?”

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

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarising/Encouraging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always remember to keep good posture when they sit, stand, read, and sleep. “Remember, good posture makes you strong and healthy!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils say “Yes, teacher!” and promise to practise good posture.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to apply good posture in their daily lives.

Lesson Keywords

• Posture – The way we hold our body.
• Reading – Looking at words in a book.
• Sleeping – Resting our body.
• Sitting – Resting on a chair.
• Standing – Being upright.
• Straight – Not bent or curved.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who find it difficult to demonstrate, the teacher can provide more hand-over-hand guidance or allow them to imitate a peer directly. Use larger, clearer pictures for identification. Focus on just one good posture at a time.
• Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concept, the teacher can ask them to explain in their own words why good posture is important, or identify other activities where good posture is needed (e.g., writing, carrying a bag). They can also lead the class in demonstrating a posture.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure all instructional materials like charts, posters, a child-sized chair, and a mat are ready and visible. Emphasize the practical aspect of the lesson by demonstrating each posture clearly and repeatedly. Encourage all pupils to participate actively in the demonstrations, even if it’s just for a few seconds. Use positive reinforcement to praise efforts. The main idea children should grasp is that good posture keeps their bodies strong and healthy. Observe how children sit and stand in the classroom throughout the day as a continuous reinforcement of the lesson. For sleeping posture, focus on the general principle of a straight and relaxed body, rather than precise angles, as children move a lot in their sleep. Understanding should be judged by their ability to imitate and demonstrate the postures correctly.