Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Before this lesson, ensure you have a clean toothbrush, toothpaste, a cup, and water ready for a live demonstration. The central idea is for pupils to understand the importance of caring for their teeth and to practice the basic actions of brushing and rinsing. Observe pupils as they mimic brushing motions and demonstrate rinsing to confirm their understanding.

Class: Pre-School Level 2
Term: Second Term
Week: 3
Age: 3 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Health Habits
Curriculum Theme: Health Habits
Previous Lesson: Identifying parts of the body and their uses.
Topic: How to Care for the Teeth: Brushing, Rinsing and Dental Care
Subject Matter: Care of the Mouth, Teeth and Tongue, and How to Care for Them.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Identify the mouth, teeth, and tongue.
State simple functions of the mouth, teeth, and tongue.
Name at least two ways to care for their teeth.

Affective Domain

Show willingness to brush their teeth regularly.
Appreciate the importance of clean teeth and a healthy mouth.

Psychomotor Domain

Demonstrate the correct motion for brushing teeth.
Practice rinsing their mouth with water.

Participate in a group activity about dental care.
Understand the importance of not sharing toothbrushes.

Reference Materials

NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 2.
Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources.
Picture books on dental hygiene.

Instructional Materials

Real toothbrush and child-friendly toothpaste.
Small cup and clean water.
Picture cards showing healthy teeth, brushing, and rinsing.
Chart posters illustrating dental care steps.
A mirror (optional, for pupils to see their teeth).

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 3-year-olds as it introduces essential personal hygiene practices that they can begin to learn and practice daily. Understanding how to care for their teeth from an early age helps prevent dental problems and promotes lifelong healthy habits. It connects directly to their daily routine of eating and self-care.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify their mouth and other basic body parts. They are familiar with simple hygiene activities like washing hands and eating.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

How to Care for the Teeth: Brushing, Rinsing and Dental Care

Our mouth helps us in many ways! It has teeth and a tongue.

Functions of the Mouth, Teeth and Tongue:

Mouth: Helps us to talk, eat yummy food, and sing happy songs.
Teeth: Helps us to bite, chew, tear, and grind our food into small pieces.
Tongue: Helps us to taste our food (sweet, sour, bitter), swallow, and talk clearly.

How to Care for Our Teeth, Mouth and Tongue:

Brush Regularly: Brush your teeth in the morning and before you sleep at night.
Rinse Mouth After Eating: After eating, rinse your mouth with water to wash away food bits.
Avoid Too Many Sweets: Eating too many sweets can make your teeth sick.
Visit the Dentist Regularly: Your grown-ups should take you to see the dentist, who is a special doctor for teeth, to make sure they are healthy.
Do Not Share Toothbrushes: Everyone needs their own toothbrush to keep germs away.

Key Words

Brush – To clean your teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Rinse – To wash your mouth with water.
Dentist – A doctor who helps keep your teeth healthy.
Healthy – Strong and clean.

Brush Your Teeth Song

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Lyrics:

Brush, brush, brush your teeth,
Every morning, every night.
Up and down, and round and round,
Keep them clean and shining bright!
Rinse, rinse, rinse your mouth,
After eating, every time.
Clean and fresh, a happy smile,
Healthy teeth are truly fine!

Actions: Mimic brushing teeth with a toothbrush, then cup hands to mimic rinsing mouth.

Watch and Practise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02f1t1_20y0

💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary

How to teach the content: Use picture cards and gestures to explain the functions of the mouth, teeth, and tongue. Demonstrate each care step clearly using a real toothbrush, toothpaste, cup, and water. Keep explanations very simple and repetitive.

What to show or demonstrate: Show a toothbrush and toothpaste. Demonstrate the correct way to hold the brush and make gentle circular motions on imaginary teeth. Show how to take a small sip of water, swish it around, and spit it out (into a bucket if in class). Emphasize using only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Brush Your Teeth Song” together multiple times, encouraging pupils to do the actions. Use it as a transition or a fun way to reinforce the lesson points.

How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to learn more about brushing. Play the video and encourage pupils to sing along and mimic the brushing actions shown. After the video, ask simple questions like, “What did the children do in the video?” or “How do we brush our teeth?”

What to watch for: Observe if pupils can correctly mimic the brushing and rinsing actions. Ensure they understand that they should not swallow toothpaste and that everyone needs their own brush.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Demonstration
Guided Practice
Songs and Rhymes
Picture Talk
Question and Answer
Role-play/Imitation
Practical Activity
Video Presentation

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets pupils and asks them to point to their mouth. “What do we do with our mouth?” “What is inside our mouth?” (Guide to teeth and tongue). “Today, we will learn how to keep our mouth and teeth healthy!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, point to their mouth, and respond with simple answers like “eat,” “talk,” “sing.”

Learning Point: Pupils recall parts of the body and are introduced to the lesson topic.

Step 2: Functions of the Mouth, Teeth and Tongue

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Illustrating

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses picture cards to explain what the mouth, teeth, and tongue do. “Our mouth helps us talk, eat, and sing. Our teeth help us bite and chew food. Our tongue helps us taste food.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, point to their mouth, teeth, and tongue, and repeat simple actions like “talk,” “eat,” “sing,” “chew.”

Learning Point: Pupils understand the basic functions of their mouth, teeth, and tongue.

Step 3: Introduction to Dental Care Materials

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Showing/Naming

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows a real toothbrush, toothpaste, cup, and water. “What are these for? These help us keep our teeth clean!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the materials and name them if they can, or repeat after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils identify tools used for dental care.

Step 4: Teacher Demonstration of Brushing and Rinsing

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstrating/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher demonstrates how to brush teeth using the toothbrush and a small amount of toothpaste (on a model or imaginary teeth). “Up and down, round and round.” Then demonstrates how to rinse the mouth with water. Emphasizes not swallowing toothpaste and not sharing brushes.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch carefully and try to imitate the brushing motions in the air with their fingers.

Learning Point: Pupils observe the correct way to brush and rinse.

Step 5: Guided Practice and Rhyme Reinforcement

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guiding/Encouraging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to practice the brushing motions with their fingers or an imaginary brush. The teacher then leads the class in singing the “Brush Your Teeth Song” with actions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practice brushing motions and sing the song with actions.

Learning Point: Pupils actively practice brushing and reinforce learning through song.

Step 6: Other Dental Care Habits and Video

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Visualising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly explains other care habits like avoiding too many sweets and visiting the dentist. The teacher then plays the “Brush Your Teeth Song” video, encouraging pupils to watch and participate.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the explanations and watch the video, singing along and mimicking actions.

Learning Point: Pupils learn about other healthy dental habits and reinforce brushing through visual aid.

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.

“Show me how you brush your teeth.” (Pupils demonstrate motion)
“What do we use to clean our teeth?” (Pupils point to or name toothbrush/toothpaste)
“What do we do after eating food?” (Pupils say “rinse mouth” or demonstrate rinsing)
“Can we share our toothbrush with a friend?” (Pupils say “No!”)

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/Reinforcing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and reminds them to always brush their teeth and rinse their mouth to keep them strong and healthy. “Clean teeth, happy smile!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond with “Yes, teacher!” and show their smiles.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to practice good dental habits daily.

Lesson Keywords

Brush – To clean your teeth with a toothbrush.
Rinse – To wash your mouth with water.
Teeth – Hard white parts in our mouth for chewing food.
Tongue – The soft part in our mouth that helps us taste.
Dentist – A special doctor for our teeth.
Healthy – Strong and clean.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who need extra help, provide larger picture cards for identification. Offer hand-over-hand guidance for brushing motions. Repeat instructions slowly and clearly. Allow them to simply point to the correct items or actions.
Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, ask them to name more foods that are good for teeth. Encourage them to demonstrate the brushing and rinsing steps more independently. Ask them to identify the different parts of the toothbrush.