Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: First Term
Week: 9
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Physical and Health Education
Curriculum Theme: Physical and Health Education
Previous Lesson: Basic Movement Skills
Topic: NEURO-MUSCULAR SKILLS: MEANING AND DANCING
Subject Matter: NEURO-MUSCULAR SKILLS – Dancing – Meaning of neuro-muscular skills. Weekly focus: Neuro-Muscular Skills: Meaning and Dancing.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

Explain in simple terms what neuromuscular skills are.
Identify dancing as a neuromuscular skill.

Affective Domain

Show enjoyment while participating in movement activities.
Appreciate the importance of controlling their body for different movements.

Psychomotor Domain

Demonstrate various neuromuscular movements such as leaping, touching their toes, squatting, and performing a double turn.
Move their bodies freely to music in a dance.

Participate cooperatively in group movement activities.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

Video clips showing children performing various movements and dancing
Open, clear space for movement
Music player and age-appropriate, upbeat music
Pictures of children dancing or performing different body movements

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for 5-year-olds as it helps them understand how their brain and muscles work together to control their bodies. Developing neuromuscular skills through activities like dancing enhances their coordination, balance, and overall physical development, which are crucial for everyday tasks and future learning.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can already perform basic movements such as walking, running, and jumping. They also enjoy moving their bodies to music.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

NEURO-MUSCULAR SKILLS: MEANING AND DANCING

What are Neuro-Muscular Skills?

Neuro-muscular skills are special ways our brain tells our muscles what to do so we can move our bodies. It’s like our brain is the boss, and our muscles are the workers! When our brain sends a message, our muscles move our arms, legs, and whole body.

Neuro: Means brain.
Muscular: Means muscles.
Skills: Means doing things well.

So, neuro-muscular skills mean our brain and muscles working together to help us move and do things.

Examples of Neuro-Muscular Skills:

Walking, running, jumping
Catching and throwing a ball
Balancing on one leg
Touching your toes
Squatting down
Leaping high
Turning around (double turn)
And especially, DANCING!

Dancing as a Neuro-Muscular Skill:

Dancing is a wonderful way to use our neuro-muscular skills. When we dance, our brain quickly tells our muscles to move to the music. We might move our hands, feet, head, and whole body all at once. It helps us become very good at controlling our body.

Key Words

Neuro-muscular – brain and muscles working together to move.
Skills – doing things well.
Dancing – moving your body to music.
Control – making your body do what you want.
Muscles – parts of our body that help us move.
Brain – the part of our head that thinks and tells our body what to do.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

Display pictures of children performing various movements (leaping, squatting, dancing).
Demonstrate clearly how to leap, touch toes, squat, and perform a double turn.
Play upbeat, age-appropriate music for dancing.

Movement Rhyme

Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”

Lyrics:

My brain tells my muscles, “Move, move, move!”
Move, move, move, move, move, move!
My brain tells my muscles, “Move, move, move!”
All through the day!

I can leap and squat and turn around,
Turn around, turn around!
I can leap and squat and turn around,
When my brain tells me how!

Actions:

“My brain tells my muscles, ‘Move, move, move!'”: Point to head, then flex arm muscles, then make general moving gestures.
“I can leap and squat and turn around”: Perform a small leap, then squat down, then turn in a circle.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme with actions to reinforce the idea of the brain controlling muscles for movement. Repeat several times, encouraging pupils to join in the actions.

Watch and Move Along

Let’s watch some children move and dance, then we can try it too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjIuS4e_mXg

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Demonstration
Guided Practice
Play-based Learning
Songs and Rhymes
Imitation
Practical Activity
Question and Answer

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and starts with a simple warm-up song or chant about moving the body. The teacher asks pupils how they move their bodies to do different things like play, eat, or run.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and share simple ideas about how they use their bodies.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and recall prior knowledge about body movement.

Step 2: Explaining Neuro-Muscular Skills

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Illustrating

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains in simple terms that “neuro-muscular skills” mean their brain tells their muscles what to do so they can move. The teacher uses examples like “When you want to kick a ball, your brain tells your leg muscles to kick!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and try to move a body part as the teacher explains the brain-muscle connection.

Learning Point: Pupils grasp the basic concept of the brain controlling muscles for movement.

Step 3: Teacher Demonstrates Movements

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher clearly demonstrates the specific movements: leaping, touching toes, squatting, and performing a double turn. The teacher breaks down each movement into simple steps, e.g., “First, bend your knees, then push up and jump forward for a leap.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the teacher’s demonstrations carefully, trying to understand how each movement is done.

Learning Point: Pupils visually learn the correct way to perform the target movements.

Step 4: Pupils Practice Guided Movements

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Correction

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to imitate each movement demonstrated. The teacher provides encouraging feedback and gentle corrections for pupils who need help. “Let’s all try to leap! One, two, three, leap!”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils try to perform leaping, touching toes, squatting, and double turning, following the teacher’s instructions and demonstrations.

Learning Point: Pupils actively practice and improve their neuromuscular control for specific movements.

Step 5: Dancing and Movement Rhyme

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces dancing as a great way to use neuro-muscular skills. The teacher leads the pupils in singing and performing the “My Brain Tells My Muscles” rhyme, encouraging energetic actions.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme and perform the actions, connecting the idea of brain-muscle control to dancing.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of neuromuscular skills through a fun, active rhyme and connect it to dancing.

Step 6: Video and Free Dance

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Aid/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher plays the short video of children dancing and moving. After the video, the teacher plays upbeat music and encourages pupils to free dance, making up their own moves and demonstrating their brain-muscle control.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video, then freely dance to the music, expressing themselves through movement.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their understanding of neuromuscular skills in a creative and spontaneous dance activity.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

What tells your muscles to move? (Point to your brain!)
Show me how you can touch your toes.
Can you show me a squat?
What is a fun way to use your brain and muscles to move to music? (Dancing!)

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/Encouraging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their active participation and good movements. The teacher reminds them that moving their bodies helps them grow strong and smart. The teacher leads a quick cool-down stretch.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the cool-down and respond to the teacher’s praise.

Learning Point: Pupils feel accomplished and understand the benefits of physical activity.

Lesson Keywords

Neuro-muscular – When your brain tells your muscles to move.
Skills – Things you learn to do well.
Dancing – Moving your body to music.
Control – Making your body do what you want.
Muscles – Strong parts in your body that help you move.
Brain – The part of your head that helps you think and move.

Differentiation

Support: For pupils who find movements challenging, provide hand-over-hand guidance for toe-touching or squatting. Simplify the double turn to a single turn. Encourage them to try just one or two movements at a time.
Extension: For pupils who quickly master the movements, challenge them to combine two movements (e.g., squat then leap) or create their own simple dance move to share with the class.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Ensure a clear and safe open space for pupils to move freely without bumping into objects or each other. Emphasize that “neuro-muscular skills” simply means the brain telling muscles what to do, using very simple language and relatable examples. Encourage all pupils to participate, focusing on effort and enjoyment rather than perfect execution. Observe pupils for their ability to follow instructions and coordinate their movements. Praise effort and participation generously. Repeat the rhyme and movements often to build confidence and mastery. Remember to demonstrate all movements clearly and slowly before asking pupils to imitate. The main idea children should grasp is that their brain helps them control their body to move in many different ways, and dancing is a fun example of this.