Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before this lesson, prepare clear pictures or charts showing children engaging in good personal hygiene (e.g., bathing, brushing teeth, washing hands) and contrasting pictures of untidy children. Have a bar of soap and a small towel ready for demonstration. The central idea for pupils is that keeping our bodies clean makes us feel good and healthy. Observe if pupils can point to pictures of clean children and imitate simple hygiene actions.
Class: Pre-School Level 1
Term: Third Term
Week: 4
Age: 2 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Health Habits
Curriculum Theme: Health Habits
Previous Lesson: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Topic: PERSONAL HYGIENE
Subject Matter: Personal Hygiene: Meaning and Importance.
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Recognise pictures of children practicing good personal hygiene.
- Say simple words related to personal hygiene, such as “clean” and “soap.”
- Understand that keeping their bodies clean is good for them.
Affective Domain
- Show interest in looking clean.
- Express happiness when seeing clean children in pictures.
Psychomotor Domain
- Point to pictures showing good personal hygiene.
- Imitate simple actions of personal hygiene, like pretending to wash hands or brush teeth.
Social Domain
- Participate in group singing and actions related to hygiene.
- Share materials like picture cards during guided activities.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 1
- Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources
Instructional Materials
- Charts and posters showing clean and untidy children
- Pictures of soap, water, toothbrush, towel
- A real bar of soap and a small towel
- Video clips on personal hygiene for young children
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson introduces 2-year-olds to the basic concept of personal hygiene. It is crucial at this age to instill early awareness of cleanliness, helping them understand that keeping their bodies clean makes them healthy and happy. This foundation supports the development of good habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can identify parts of their body and are familiar with daily routines like bathing and eating.Lesson Content/Board Summary
PERSONAL HYGIENE: Meaning and Importance
Meaning of Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene means keeping our bodies clean. It means washing our bodies, hands, and face to stay fresh and healthy.
- Clean body
- Clean hands
- Clean face
Importance of Personal Hygiene
Keeping our bodies clean is very important because:
- It makes us look good.
- It makes us smell nice.
- It helps us feel happy and healthy.
- People like to play with clean children.
How to Maintain Good Personal Hygiene (Simple Examples)
- Bathing with soap and water.
- Washing hands, especially before eating and after using the toilet.
- Brushing teeth.
Key Words
- Hygiene – keeping clean.
- Clean – not dirty.
- Body – our whole self.
- Soap – what we use to wash.
Clean Body Song
Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”
Lyrics:
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Wash them clean and bright.
Rub the soap and rinse with water,
Day and night, day and night!
Brush, brush, brush your teeth,
Make them white and strong.
Up and down and all around,
Brush them all day long!
Actions: Pretend to wash hands, rub hands together, pretend to brush teeth, make circular motions.
Watch and Learn About Cleanliness
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Use simple, clear language. Point to the words and pictures as you explain. Repeat key phrases like “clean body” and “smell nice.” Engage pupils by asking them to point to their own bodies when talking about cleanliness.
What to show or demonstrate: Display charts and posters of clean and untidy children. Use a real bar of soap and a small towel to demonstrate simple washing gestures. Show pictures of soap, toothbrush, and water. Ask pupils to point to the clean children in the pictures.
How to use the rhyme/song: Introduce the “Clean Body Song” by singing it slowly with actions. Encourage pupils to imitate the actions first, then join in with the words as they become familiar. Repeat the song several times throughout the lesson to reinforce the message.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to learn about keeping clean. Play the video once, then play it again, encouraging pupils to sing along or do the actions. After watching, ask simple questions like “What did the children in the video do?” or “What makes us clean?” and guide their responses.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils are able to point to the correct pictures and imitate the actions. Look for engagement during the song and video. Correct any misconceptions gently by re-demonstrating or re-explaining.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Imitation, Repetition, Practical Activity.Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Greeting/Engagement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly and leads a short welcome song. The teacher then asks pupils, “Who likes to be clean?” and shows a picture of a clean child.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and raise their hands or point to the clean child.
Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and introduced to the idea of cleanliness.
Step 2: Meaning of Personal Hygiene
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Visual Aid Use
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that “personal hygiene” means keeping our bodies clean. The teacher shows charts of children bathing, washing hands, and brushing teeth, saying, “This child is clean, this child is washing.”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils look at the charts, listen, and point to the clean children or actions when asked.
Learning Point: Pupils begin to understand that personal hygiene means keeping clean.
Step 3: Importance of Personal Hygiene
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Discussion/Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher discusses why being clean is good. “When we are clean, we look good, we smell nice, and we feel happy! People like to play with clean children.” The teacher shows pictures of happy, clean children.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, smile, and point to the happy, clean children in the pictures.
Learning Point: Pupils learn the benefits of being clean.
Step 4: Clean Body Song
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Song/Movement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces and leads the “Clean Body Song” with actions. The teacher sings slowly and encourages pupils to imitate the actions for washing hands and brushing teeth.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, watch, and try to sing along and perform the actions.
Learning Point: Pupils reinforce learning through song and movement.
Step 5: Video Demonstration
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Media Integration/Observation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays a short, age-appropriate video clip about personal hygiene. The teacher encourages pupils to watch the actions in the video, such as washing hands or bathing.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video, point to actions they recognise, and may try to imitate some movements.
Learning Point: Pupils observe hygiene practices visually.
Step 6: Practical Demonstration and Imitation
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Practical Demonstration/Guided Practice
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses a real bar of soap and a towel to briefly demonstrate simple actions like pretending to wash hands. The teacher asks, “Who can show me how to wash hands?” and guides pupils to imitate the actions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the teacher’s demonstration and imitate the simple hygiene actions.
Learning Point: Pupils practice simple hygiene actions through imitation.
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.
- “Point to the child who is clean.” (Teacher shows pictures)
- “What do we use to wash our hands?” (Teacher shows pictures of soap and other items)
- “Show me how you wash your hands.”
- “Say ‘clean body’.”
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: Summary/Praise
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always keep their bodies clean. The teacher leads a short “Goodbye” song.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to praise and sing the goodbye song.
Learning Point: Pupils leave with a positive reinforcement of the lesson.
Lesson Keywords
- Hygiene – keeping our bodies clean.
- Clean – not dirty.
- Soap – what we use to wash.
- Body – our whole self.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils who need extra help, the teacher can provide one-on-one guidance, use larger and fewer pictures, or physically guide their hands to point or imitate actions. Repetition of key words and actions will also be beneficial.
- Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, the teacher can ask them to identify other items they use to keep clean (e.g., sponge, towel) from a selection of pictures, or encourage them to lead a simple hygiene action for their peers.
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