Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before this lesson, prepare picture cards showing children helping in different scenarios (e.g., helping a friend pick up toys, helping an elder carry a bag, helping to tidy up). The central idea pupils must grasp is that helping others makes everyone feel good and makes tasks easier. Observe pupils’ willingness to participate in role-play and their ability to name simple ways they can help at home and school.
Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: Third Term
Week: 6
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Social Habits
Curriculum Theme: Social Habits
Previous Lesson: Good Manners
Topic: HELPING OTHERS
Subject Matter: Importance of helping others and ways to help people.
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Explain in simple terms why it is good to help others.
- Identify at least three ways they can help people at home and at school.
- Recall situations where they have helped or been helped.
Affective Domain
- Show willingness to help their parents, elders, siblings, and friends.
- Appreciate the feeling of joy that comes from helping others.
- Listen attentively to stories about helping.
Psychomotor Domain
- Demonstrate simple acts of helping through role-play.
- Participate actively in singing and actions related to helping.
Social Domain
- Interact positively with peers during group activities about helping.
- Encourage each other to always help people around them.
Reference Materials
NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3; Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources.
Instructional Materials
Chart showing pictures of children helping; Posters illustrating different acts of kindness; Picture cards of helping scenarios; Role-play props (e.g., toy broom, toy books, pretend shopping bag); Audio device for music/song; Whiteboard/Chalkboard.
Rationale for the Lesson
Teaching children about helping others at this age helps them develop empathy and social responsibility. It fosters a sense of community and teaches them practical ways to contribute positively to their environment, making them considerate and cooperative individuals.
Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can identify family members and friends. They understand simple instructions and have basic knowledge of good manners like saying “please” and “thank you.”
Lesson Content/Board Summary
HELPING OTHERS
Helping others means doing something kind for someone to make their life easier or better. It means lending a hand when someone needs it.
Why is it Important to Help Others?
- When we help, people feel happy.
- It shows we care about them.
- It makes work easier and faster.
- It makes our home and school a better place for everyone.
- When you help others, they might help you too!
Ways We Can Help People
We can help people in many ways:
- At Home:
- Helping Mummy or Daddy carry light things.
- Helping to tidy up toys after playing.
- Helping to set the table for food.
- Helping to keep our room clean.
- Helping younger siblings with their toys.
- At School:
- Helping a friend pick up their dropped crayon.
- Helping the teacher arrange books.
- Helping to clean up the classroom.
- Sharing toys with friends.
- Holding the door open for someone.
- In the Community:
- Helping an elder carry a light bag.
- Being kind to neighbours.
Helping Hands Song
Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Lyrics:
Helping hands, so kind and true,
Helping me and helping you.
At home, at school, we lend a hand,
The kindest children in the land.
Helping hands, so kind and true,
Helping me and helping you.
Actions: Show hands, point to self and others, pretend to help (mimic picking up, tidying), clap hands.
Watch and Learn About Helping
Key Words
- Help – to do something for someone to make it easier.
- Kind – being nice and caring to others.
- Share – to let others use or have something with you.
- Tidy – to make things neat and clean.
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Use the chart and posters to visually explain “What is Helping Others?” and “Why it is Important.” Point to specific images and ask pupils what they see. For “Ways We Can Help People,” use picture cards and real-life examples relevant to the pupils’ experiences at home and school. Encourage pupils to share their own experiences of helping.
What to show or demonstrate: Demonstrate simple helping actions like picking up a dropped item, tidying a book, or offering a toy. Use role-play props to make these demonstrations concrete and invite pupils to imitate.
How to use the rhyme/song: Introduce the “Helping Hands Song” by singing it first with actions. Then, invite pupils to sing along and perform the actions. Repeat the song several times to help them learn the lyrics and reinforce the message of helping.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to see more about helping. Play the video once, then discuss what they saw. Ask pupils to identify different ways the children in the video were helping. Encourage them to try some of the actions or ideas from the video.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils understand that helping is about being kind and making things better. Look for their enthusiasm in participating in the song and role-play, and their ability to name simple helping acts. Correct any misconceptions by re-demonstrating or providing clearer examples.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Storytelling, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Role-play, Imitation, Practical Activity.
Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engaging/Motivation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and asks them if anyone helped them today or if they helped someone. The teacher then tells a very short story about a child who helped their parent and how happy it made everyone feel.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and share brief experiences if they helped someone or were helped. They listen to the short story.
Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the concept of helping and its positive impact.
Step 2: Exploring “What is Helping Others?”
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Picture Talk
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the chart and posters showing various acts of helping. The teacher explains in simple terms what “helping others” means, pointing to the pictures. “Helping means doing something kind for someone to make things easier.”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the charts and posters. They listen to the explanation and point to pictures that show helping.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the basic meaning of helping others.
Step 3: Discussing the Importance of Helping
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Questioning/Discussion
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils, “Why do you think it is good to help others?” The teacher guides them to understand that helping makes people happy, makes work easier, and shows care. The teacher uses simple examples like “If I help you pick up your crayons, is it faster?”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils offer simple answers like “makes happy” or “faster.” They listen to the teacher’s explanations.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the positive values attached to helping others.
Step 4: Ways to Help at Home and School
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Guided Practice
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses picture cards and role-play props to demonstrate specific ways pupils can help at home (e.g., tidying toys, helping with light bags) and at school (e.g., picking up dropped items, sharing). The teacher invites pupils to imitate these actions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the demonstrations and then participate in guided role-play, imitating the helping actions shown by the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils identify and practice practical ways to help in their daily environment.
Step 5: Reinforcement through Song and Video
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Musical/Visual Learning
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “Helping Hands Song” with actions. After the song, the teacher plays the short video about helping others. The teacher encourages pupils to watch carefully and identify more ways to help.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the “Helping Hands Song” with actions. They watch the video attentively and try to identify different helping actions.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of helping through song and visual examples.
Step 6: Encouraging Helping Habits
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Encouragement/Application
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher encourages pupils to always help their parents, elders, siblings, and friends. The teacher asks, “Who will promise to be a helper today?” and praises pupils who show willingness.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils raise their hands to show they will be helpers. They encourage each other by saying “Let’s be helpers!”
Learning Point: Pupils are motivated to adopt helping as a regular habit.
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 can help pick up toys. (Teacher scatters a few toys.)
- Name one person you can help at home.
- Name one way you can help your friend at school.
- Why is it good to help others? (Accept simple answers like “makes happy,” “makes easier.”)
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: Summarizing/Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them that being a helper is a very good habit. The teacher leads them in a final cheer: “We are helpers! Hooray!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the cheer and feel proud of being helpers.
Learning Point: Pupils leave the lesson with a positive feeling about helping others.
Lesson Keywords
- Help – to do something for someone to make it easier.
- Kind – being nice and caring to others.
- Share – to let others use or have something with you.
- Tidy – to make things neat and clean.
- Care – to feel concern or interest for someone.
Differentiation
Support: For pupils who need extra support, the teacher will use larger picture cards and demonstrate actions more slowly. The teacher will provide hand-over-hand guidance during role-play and encourage repetition of key phrases like “I can help.”
Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, the teacher can ask them to suggest an additional way to help that was not discussed, or to describe a time they helped someone and how it made them feel. They can also lead a small group in a helping role-play.
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