Meaning and Effects of Mental Violence Against Children for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 6
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Social Habits
Curriculum Theme: Social Habits
Previous Lesson: Learning about respecting elders and peers.
Topic: Mental Violence Against Children: Meaning and Effects
Subject Matter: Violence – Mental Violence Against Children Meaning of Violence. – Meaning of Physical Violence. – Effects of Violence on Children.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Define violence in simple terms.
• Identify examples of mental violence against children, such as calling bad names or shouting.
• State simple effects of mental violence on children, like feeling sad or scared.

Affective Domain

• Express how they feel when someone uses unkind words or actions towards them.
• Show empathy for children who experience unkind words or actions.
• Value using kind words and actions towards others.

Psychomotor Domain

• Point to pictures showing children experiencing unkind words or actions.
• Role-play telling a trusted adult about unkind words or actions.

Social Domain

• Participate in discussions about kind and unkind words.
• Practice using kind words with their classmates.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

• Picture cards showing different emotions (happy, sad, scared, angry)
• Picture cards showing scenarios of kind and unkind words/actions (e.g., child being shouted at, child being praised, child being called names)
• Chart showing “Kind Words” and “Unkind Words”
• Puppets for role-play

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds to understand that words and actions can affect how people feel. It helps them recognise unkind behaviour, express their feelings, and know when to seek help from a trusted adult, promoting their emotional well-being and safety.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify basic emotions like happy and sad. They understand the difference between good and bad behaviour in simple contexts.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Mental Violence Against Children: Meaning and Effects

What is Violence?

Violence means hurting someone. It can be hurting their body or hurting their feelings with words.

What is Mental Violence Against Children?

Mental violence is when adults or older children hurt a child’s feelings or make them feel bad, scared, or sad with words or actions. It does not hit the body, but it hurts inside.

• Calling bad names or insulting: Saying “You are stupid!” or “You are useless!”
• Shouting or cursing: Yelling loudly at a child with angry words.
• Doing bad things in front of children: Fighting or breaking things when children are watching.
• Telling children to do bad things: Asking a child to lie or steal.
• Ignoring a child for a long time: Not talking to a child or pretending they are not there when they need help.

What is Physical Violence?

Physical violence is when someone hurts a child’s body. This means hitting, slapping, or beating a child.

Effects of Mental Violence on Children

When children experience mental violence, they can feel:

• Sad: They might cry a lot or feel unhappy.
• Scared: They might be afraid to speak or play.
• Angry: They might shout or hit other children.
• Shy: They might not want to talk to people.
• Confused: They might not understand why they are being treated badly.
• Trouble learning: It can be hard to focus in school when their feelings are hurt.

It is important for children to tell a trusted adult (like a parent, teacher, or guardian) if someone hurts their feelings with words or actions.

Kind Words Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Kind words, kind words, shining bright,
Make our hearts feel warm and light.
“Please” and “Thank you,” “I love you,”
Happy feelings, good and true.
Kind words, kind words, shining bright,
Make our world a happy sight!

Actions: Pupils clap gently for “kind words,” point to their heart for “warm and light,” make a happy face, and hug themselves for “happy feelings.”

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme together to reinforce the importance of using kind words and how they make people feel good.

Watch and Discuss

Let’s watch a short video about how our words can make people feel. Pay attention to the pictures and how the children in the video react.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjI1V35P8a8

After the video, discuss what they saw and how different words made the children feel.

Key Words

• Violence – hurting someone.
• Mental Violence – hurting feelings with words or actions, not the body.
• Effects – how something makes you feel or what happens because of it.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Draw simple stick figures showing a child looking sad, scared, or angry.
• Display picture cards of children being shouted at versus children being spoken to kindly.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to share one thing that made them happy today. The teacher then asks, “Do you remember what we talked about last time? (Respecting elders and peers). Today, we will talk about something important: how words and actions can hurt our feelings.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the greeting, share happy moments, and recall the previous lesson. They listen attentively to the new topic.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and prepared for the lesson.

Step 2: Presentation – Meaning of Violence

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Defining

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the word “violence” and explains it simply as “hurting someone.” The teacher explains that hurting can be to the body (physical violence) or to feelings (mental violence). The teacher uses simple examples like “If someone pushes you, that’s hurting your body. If someone calls you a bad name, that’s hurting your feelings.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and repeat the word “violence.” They identify with the simple examples given.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the basic concept of violence as hurting someone.

Step 3: Presentation – Mental Violence Against Children

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Illustrating/Discussing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher focuses on “mental violence.” The teacher explains that mental violence is when words or actions make a child feel sad, scared, or bad inside. The teacher shows picture cards or describes scenarios from the Board Summary (e.g., “A child is crying because an adult is shouting at them. Is that kind or unkind?”). The teacher gives examples like calling bad names, shouting, or telling a child to do something bad. The teacher also briefly mentions physical violence for contrast as per the subject matter, but quickly returns to mental violence.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the pictures, listen to the scenarios, and identify if the actions are kind or unkind. They share how they think the child in the picture feels.

Learning Point: Pupils learn to identify specific examples of mental violence and understand it hurts feelings.

Step 4: Reinforcement – Rhyme and Discussion

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Singing/Reinforcing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Kind Words Rhyme.” After the rhyme, the teacher shows the video “Our Words Have Power” and facilitates a short discussion on how different words made the children in the video feel. The teacher asks, “What kind of words make you feel happy? What kind of words make you feel sad?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing along with actions. They watch the video and participate in the discussion, sharing their feelings about kind and unkind words.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the impact of words and learn to value kind communication.

Step 5: Application – Effects of Mental Violence

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Connecting

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses the effects of mental violence, using the emotion cards. “If someone calls you a bad name, how do you feel? (Show sad face card). If someone shouts at you, how do you feel? (Show scared face card).” The teacher emphasizes that these feelings are normal and that children should always tell a trusted adult if they feel this way.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the emotions on the cards. They express how they might feel in different scenarios and practice saying, “I will tell my Mummy/Daddy/Teacher.”

Learning Point: Pupils understand the emotional effects of mental violence and learn to seek help.

Step 6: Guided Practice – Identifying and Role-play

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guiding/Practising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents simple scenarios or uses puppets. “Puppet A calls Puppet B a ‘cry-baby’. How does Puppet B feel? What should Puppet B do?” The teacher guides pupils to identify the unkind action and suggest telling a trusted adult. The teacher encourages pupils to role-play telling an adult.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify unkind words/actions in scenarios. They suggest what the affected child should do and participate in simple role-play, practicing telling a trusted adult.

Learning Point: Pupils practice identifying mental violence and seeking appropriate help.

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.

1. What is violence? (Show a picture of a child being shouted at).
2. How does this child feel? (Point to a sad child).
3. What should you do if someone says unkind words to you?
4. Give one example of a kind word you can use.

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: Summarising/Encouraging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the lesson by reminding pupils that kind words make everyone happy and that they should always tell a trusted adult if someone uses unkind words or actions towards them. The teacher encourages them to use kind words every day.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and repeat the main message: “Use kind words, tell an adult if someone is unkind.”

Learning Point: Pupils receive a clear, positive takeaway message.

Lesson Keywords

• Violence – hurting someone with actions or words.
• Mental Violence – hurting someone’s feelings with words or actions.
• Kind Words – words that make people feel happy and loved.
• Unkind Words – words that make people feel sad, scared, or angry.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle, use larger, clearer pictures for scenarios. Provide fewer options for identifying emotions. Encourage them to just point to the sad/scared face. Repeat key phrases like “tell an adult” multiple times.
• Extension: Encourage quicker pupils to suggest different kind words and actions. Ask them to think of a time they used a kind word and how it made someone feel. They can draw a picture of a child using kind words.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

This topic is sensitive for young children. The primary goal is to empower children to recognise unkind words/actions, understand their feelings, and know they have a right to feel safe and tell a trusted adult. Avoid dwelling on graphic or overly negative examples. Focus on the contrast between kind and unkind, and the positive action of seeking help. Use simple, direct language. Observe pupils’ reactions carefully; if any child seems overly distressed, address it gently and privately. Emphasise that it’s never a child’s fault if someone is unkind to them. Reinforce that adults are there to help and protect them. Judge understanding by their ability to point to correct emotions, identify unkind actions in simple scenarios, and verbalise telling an adult.