Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before the lesson, gather real hygiene items like a small bar of soap, a soft sponge, a child’s toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, and a small towel. The central idea for pupils is that keeping our bodies clean helps us stay healthy and happy. Observe pupils as they point to hygiene items and mimic actions like brushing teeth or washing hands to show their understanding.
Class: Pre-School Level 1
Term: Third Term
Week: 5
Age: 2 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Health Habits
Curriculum Theme: Health Habits
Previous Lesson: Identifying Body Parts
Topic: PERSONAL HYGIENE
Subject Matter: PERSONAL HYGIENE; Meaning of Personal Hygiene; Importance of Personal Hygiene; How to maintain good personal hygiene.
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Identify common items used for personal hygiene, such as soap and a toothbrush.
- State one simple reason for being clean, like “to be healthy.”
Affective Domain
- Show willingness to participate in activities related to personal hygiene.
- Express happiness when talking about being clean.
Psychomotor Domain
- Mimic actions of bathing, brushing teeth, and combing hair.
- Point to pictures or real objects representing good hygiene practices.
Social Domain
- Participate in group singing and movements related to hygiene.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 1
- Early Childhood Care and Education resources
- Suitable early-years health habits workbook
Instructional Materials
- Real objects: small bar of soap, soft sponge, child’s toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, small towel, clean clothes
- Picture cards/Charts showing children bathing, brushing teeth, washing hands, combing hair
- Video clips on personal hygiene for young children
- Posters illustrating clean and dirty children
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson is important for 2-year-olds as it introduces fundamental habits for staying healthy and preventing sickness. Learning about personal hygiene at this age helps children develop a sense of self-care and understand that keeping clean makes them feel good and smell nice.Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can identify some parts of their body and understand simple concepts of “clean” and “dirty.”Lesson Content/Board Summary
PERSONAL HYGIENE
Personal hygiene means keeping our bodies clean.Importance of Personal Hygiene
- It helps us stay healthy and strong.
- It makes us smell nice.
- It makes us feel happy and fresh.
How to Maintain Good Personal Hygiene
- Bathing: We bath with soap and water every day, morning and night, to wash away dirt.
- Brushing Teeth: We brush our teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste in the morning and before bed to keep them clean and strong.
- Combing Hair: We comb our hair every day to make it neat and tidy.
- Washing Hands: We wash our hands with soap and water, especially before eating and after using the toilet.
- Wearing Clean Clothes: We wear clean clothes every day to look neat and feel fresh.
Key Words
- Clean – not dirty.
- Healthy – strong and not sick.
- Soap – what we use to wash.
- Brush – what we use for our teeth.
- Comb – what we use for our hair.
Clean Body Song
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Wash them clean and bright.
Rub them, scrub them, all day long,
Keep them clean and right.
Brush, brush, brush your teeth,
Brush them up and down.
Shiny, white, and strong they’ll be,
Best teeth in the town!
Actions: Mimic washing hands, then mimic brushing teeth.
Watch and Learn About Healthy Habits
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Introduce “Personal Hygiene” by showing pictures of clean and dirty children and asking which one they prefer. Explain the meaning using simple words. For the importance, use very short sentences and connect it to feeling good and not getting sick. For “How to Maintain Good Personal Hygiene,” demonstrate each action using real objects.
What to show or demonstrate: Hold up real soap and a sponge and mimic bathing. Use a child’s toothbrush and toothpaste to show brushing. Use a comb to show combing hair. Demonstrate washing hands with imaginary soap and water. Show clean clothes. Use the picture cards to reinforce each action.
How to use the rhyme/song: Sing the “Clean Body Song” slowly, demonstrating the actions for washing hands and brushing teeth. Repeat the song 2-3 times, encouraging pupils to join in with the actions and simple words they can remember.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to see children practising healthy habits. Play the video “Healthy Habits | Good Habits for Kids” (from Little Angel Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs). After watching, ask pupils to point to the actions they saw in the video (e.g., “Who saw brushing teeth?”). Encourage them to mimic some actions.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils can identify the hygiene items when you name them and if they can mimic the actions. Watch for engagement during the song and video.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Storytelling, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Imitation, Manipulation of Objects, Repetition, Practical Activity.Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engagement/Greeting
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and sings a short “Good Morning” song. The teacher then asks pupils, “Who is clean today? Who took a bath?”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and raise their hands if they are clean or took a bath.
Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and introduced to the idea of being clean.
Step 2: Meaning of Personal Hygiene
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Visual Aid
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows pictures of a clean child and a dirty child. The teacher explains that “Personal Hygiene” means keeping our bodies clean. “When we are clean, we feel good!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures and point to the clean child. They repeat “clean body” after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils understand that personal hygiene is about keeping clean.
Step 3: Importance of Personal Hygiene
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Discussion/Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks, “Why do we need to be clean?” and explains simply: “To be healthy, to be happy, and to smell nice.” The teacher uses gestures to show being healthy (strong arms) and happy (smiling).
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and repeat short phrases like “healthy” and “happy.” They mimic the teacher’s gestures.
Learning Point: Pupils learn simple reasons why being clean is important.
Step 4: How to Maintain Hygiene (Bathing and Brushing)
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up a bar of soap and a sponge, demonstrating how to “wash, wash, wash” all over the body. Then, the teacher holds up a toothbrush and toothpaste, demonstrating how to “brush, brush, brush” teeth. The teacher guides pupils to mimic the actions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the teacher’s demonstration and mimic the actions of bathing and brushing their teeth with their hands.
Learning Point: Pupils learn and practise the actions for bathing and brushing teeth.
Step 5: How to Maintain Hygiene (Combing and Washing Hands)
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Practical Activity
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher holds up a comb and demonstrates combing hair. Then, the teacher demonstrates washing hands thoroughly with imaginary soap and water, explaining “before eating, after toilet.” The teacher guides pupils to mimic these actions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch and mimic combing their hair and washing their hands.
Learning Point: Pupils learn and practise the actions for combing hair and washing hands.
Step 6: Reinforcement (Song and Video)
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Creative Expression/Audio-Visual
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Clean Body Song” with actions. Then, the teacher plays the video “Healthy Habits | Good Habits for Kids” and encourages pupils to watch and point to the actions they recognise.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing along with actions and watch the video, pointing to familiar hygiene actions.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their learning through song and visual media.
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.
- “What do we use to wash our body?” (Teacher shows soap and comb, pupils point to soap).
- “What do we use to clean our teeth?” (Teacher shows toothbrush and sponge, pupils point to toothbrush).
- “Show me how you brush your teeth.”
- “Show me how you wash your hands.”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally by pointing to the correct items and demonstrating the required actions.
Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.
Step 8: Conclusion
Time: 2 minutes
Teaching Skill: Recap/Encouragement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always keep their bodies clean. “Remember to bath, brush, and wash your hands every day to be healthy!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils say “Yes, teacher!” and wave goodbye.
Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to practise good hygiene habits at home.
Lesson Keywords
- Clean – not dirty.
- Healthy – strong and not sick.
- Soap – what we use to wash.
- Brush – what we use for our teeth.
- Comb – what we use for our hair.
- Wash – to clean with water.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils who need extra help, provide larger pictures of hygiene items, offer hand-over-hand guidance for mimicking actions, and repeat instructions slowly and clearly. Focus on identifying just one or two key items and actions.
- Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, ask them to identify another item they use to keep clean (e.g., a towel) or ask them to show a friend how to brush their teeth.
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