Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 5
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Songs and Rhymes
Curriculum Theme: Songs and Rhymes
Previous Lesson: Reciting “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and identifying stars.
Topic: HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE
Subject Matter: HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Recite the rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle” with some accuracy.
Identify characters and objects from the rhyme such as the cat, cow, moon, and dog.
Recall simple actions performed by the characters in the rhyme.

Affective Domain

Show enjoyment while singing and reciting the rhyme.
Participate enthusiastically in role-playing the rhyme.
Express a simple moral lesson related to fun and participation.

Psychomotor Domain

Perform simple actions from the rhyme, such as jumping or pretending to laugh.
Colour an outline of a cat neatly.

Take turns and cooperate during group recitation and role-play.
Engage in shared imaginative play with peers.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
Early Childhood Care and Education resources

Instructional Materials

Storybooks featuring “Hey Diddle Diddle”
Picture cards of a cat, cow, moon, dog, spoon, dish, and fiddle
Large chart with the “Hey Diddle Diddle” rhyme
Crayons
Paper with outlines of a cat for colouring

Rationale for the Lesson

Learning “Hey Diddle Diddle” helps 5-year-olds develop language skills through rhythm and rhyme, expanding their vocabulary and memory. It also fosters imagination and creativity as they identify characters and engage in role-play, connecting to playful storytelling.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify some common animals like cats, cows, and dogs. They enjoy listening to and repeating short rhymes and songs.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE

This classic nursery rhyme is a fun way to explore language, imagination, and simple actions. It tells a silly story about animals and objects doing unexpected things.

The Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle

Hey diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such fun,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Characters and Objects

Cat: A small, furry pet.
Fiddle: A musical instrument, like a violin.
Cow: A large farm animal that gives milk.
Moon: The bright, round object we see in the night sky.
Little Dog: A small, barking pet.
Dish: A plate for food.
Spoon: An eating utensil.

Actions in the Rhyme

The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed.
The dish ran away with the spoon.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

Display large, colourful picture cards of the cat, fiddle, cow, moon, little dog, dish, and spoon. Point to each as its name is mentioned.

Watch and Sing Along

Let’s watch a video of “Hey Diddle Diddle” and sing along to learn the tune and actions!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjIu00PzB-A

Moral Lesson from Role-Play

Even though the rhyme is silly, when we act it out, we learn that it’s fun to play together and use our imagination. Everyone can have a special part in a story, and it’s good to laugh and enjoy ourselves.

Key Words

Hey Diddle Diddle – A famous children’s rhyme.
Cat – A small, furry pet animal.
Cow – A large farm animal that gives milk.
Moon – The bright, round object in the night sky.
Fiddle – A musical instrument, like a small guitar.
Jump – To push off the ground with your feet.
Laugh – To make happy sounds with your mouth.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and starts with a quick animal sound game (e.g., “What sound does a cat make?”). The teacher then asks if pupils know any rhymes about animals or the moon.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond with animal sounds and share any rhymes they know.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and ready to learn about a new rhyme.

Step 2: Presentation of the Rhyme

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Recitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle” and recites it clearly and expressively, perhaps pointing to the chart with the lyrics. The teacher can use simple gestures to accompany the words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively to the rhyme and observe the teacher’s gestures.

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the new rhyme and its rhythm.

Step 3: Character and Object Identification

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Association/Naming

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher recites the rhyme again, this time holding up the corresponding picture cards (cat, fiddle, cow, moon, dog, dish, spoon) as each character or object is mentioned. The teacher asks pupils to name each item.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and name the characters and objects as the teacher shows the pictures.

Learning Point: Pupils recognise and associate pictures with words from the rhyme.

Step 4: Guided Recitation and Actions

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Imitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in reciting the rhyme line by line, encouraging them to repeat after her. The teacher guides pupils to perform simple actions for each part (e.g., pretend to play a fiddle, make a jumping motion, pretend to laugh, make a running motion).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the lines of the rhyme and imitate the actions demonstrated by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils learn to recite the rhyme with actions, improving memory and coordination.

Step 5: Role-Play the Rhyme

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Role-playing/Facilitation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher assigns simple roles (e.g., a few pupils are cats, a few are cows, one is the moon, one is the dog, one is the dish, one is the spoon, one is the fiddle) and guides them to act out the rhyme as the class recites it together. The teacher ensures everyone gets a chance to participate.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take on assigned roles and act out the rhyme, moving and pretending according to the lyrics.

Learning Point: Pupils engage in imaginative play, understanding the sequence of events in the rhyme.

Step 6: Discussion and Moral Lesson

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Value Clarification

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks questions like, “What did the cow do?” “What did the dog do?” “Was it fun to act out the rhyme?” “What did we learn about playing together?” The teacher guides pupils to express simple ideas about the joy of imagination and participation.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer questions and share their thoughts about the fun of the rhyme and playing together.

Learning Point: Pupils reflect on the rhyme and understand simple social values like fun and cooperation.

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.

“Can you recite the first two lines of ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’?”
“Point to the picture of the cow. What did the cow do in the rhyme?”
“Show me how the little dog laughed.”
“What animal did we talk about that we can colour?”

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/Transitioning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and good recitation. The teacher distributes paper with cat outlines and crayons, instructing them to colour the cat neatly. “Great job everyone! Now let’s colour our cat from the rhyme!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils acknowledge the praise and prepare for the colouring activity.

Learning Point: Pupils conclude the lesson with a reinforcing activity.

Lesson Keywords

Hey Diddle Diddle – A fun, old children’s rhyme.
Cat – A small furry animal, often a pet.
Cow – A large farm animal that gives milk.
Moon – The bright object we see in the night sky.
Fiddle – A musical instrument, like a violin.
Jump – To push off the ground with your feet.
Laugh – To make happy sounds with your mouth.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who struggle with recitation, provide more one-on-one repetition. Use larger picture cards for identification. For colouring, provide simpler cat outlines or offer hand-over-hand guidance. Assign simpler, non-verbal roles in role-play.
Extension: Encourage quicker pupils to draw another character from the rhyme, or to suggest new actions for the characters. Ask them to identify other rhyming words they know.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have all picture cards, the rhyme chart, and cat outlines ready. The key to this lesson is fun and repetition. Encourage enthusiastic participation in recitation and role-play. The “moral lesson” should be kept very simple, focusing on the joy of imagination, playing together, and finding fun in silly stories, rather than trying to extract deep ethical lessons from a nonsensical rhyme. Observe pupils’ ability to identify characters and perform actions as primary indicators of understanding. Provide ample space for role-play to allow for movement.