Simple Courtesy, Saying ‘I Am Sorry’ for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 4
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Personal Development
Curriculum Theme: Personal Development
Previous Lesson: Learning to share toys and materials with friends.
Topic: SIMPLE COURTESY: SAYING ‘I AM SORRY’
Subject Matter: SIMPLE COURTESY – Saying “I am sorry.”. Weekly focus: Simple Courtesy: Saying ‘I Am Sorry’.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify situations when they need to say “I am sorry.”
• State why it is important to say “I am sorry” after making a mistake.

Affective Domain

• Show willingness to say “I am sorry” when they accidentally hurt someone or make a mistake.
• Understand that saying “I am sorry” helps to make friends feel better.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate how to say “I am sorry” clearly and politely.
• Role-play simple scenarios where they apologise.

Social Domain

• Practise saying “I am sorry” to classmates and teachers when appropriate.
• Participate in group activities showing good manners.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4.
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources on social habits.
• Relevant picture cards showing social interactions.

Instructional Materials

• Charts displaying “I am sorry” in different scenarios.
• Picture cards showing children making mistakes (e.g., bumping into someone, spilling water, taking a toy).
• Puppets or dolls for role-playing.
• Video clips on saying “I am sorry.”

Rationale for the Lesson

Learning to say “I am sorry” is a fundamental social skill for 5-year-olds. It helps them understand empathy, take responsibility for their actions, and maintain positive relationships with peers and adults. This lesson fosters emotional intelligence and polite behaviour, which are crucial for harmonious interaction in school and at home.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils have some understanding of good manners like saying “please” and “thank you.” They also know that certain actions can make others feel sad or hurt.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

SIMPLE COURTESY: SAYING ‘I AM SORRY’

What is Courtesy?

Courtesy means being polite and showing good manners to others. It means being kind and respectful.

Saying “I Am Sorry”

• When we make a mistake, or accidentally hurt someone, or do something that makes someone sad, it is important to say “I am sorry.”
• Saying “I am sorry” means we feel bad about what happened.
• It shows that we care about other people’s feelings.
• When we say “I am sorry,” it helps to make things better and makes our friends feel happy again.

Situations to Say “I Am Sorry”

• If you accidentally step on someone’s foot.
• If you bump into a friend.
• If you take a toy from a friend without asking.
• If you accidentally spill water on someone’s book.
• If you say something unkind by mistake.

Always say “I am sorry” clearly and look at the person you are apologising to.

Key Words

• Sorry – feeling bad about a mistake or hurting someone.
• Courtesy – being polite and having good manners.
• Mistake – something done wrong by accident.
• Gentle – being soft and careful.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• A chart with pictures showing children in different “oops” situations and then saying “I am sorry.”
• Demonstrate with puppets: one puppet accidentally bumps another, then says “I am sorry.”

The “Sorry” Song

Tune: “Are You Sleeping, Brother John?”

Lyrics:

Oops, I made a mistake,
Oops, I made a mistake,
I am sorry, I am sorry,
Please forgive me, please forgive me.
Let’s be friends, let’s be friends.

Actions:
Oops, I made a mistake: Tap forehead gently.
I am sorry: Hold hands together in front.
Please forgive me: Look at a friend with a pleading face.
Let’s be friends: Shake hands or hug a friend.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the song together with actions after discussing scenarios, reinforcing the message of apology and reconciliation.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video about saying “I am sorry” and see how the children in the video do it.

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/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them about good manners they know, like saying “please” and “thank you.” The teacher then introduces the idea that sometimes we make mistakes, and there’s a special polite thing we say then.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and share examples of good manners they know.

Learning Point: Pupils recall previous knowledge of good manners and are introduced to the lesson topic.

Step 2: Presentation of Concept

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Illustrating

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what “courtesy” means simply. The teacher then introduces the phrase “I am sorry” and explains it means feeling bad for a mistake and wanting to make things right. The teacher uses simple language and shows a chart with “I am sorry” written on it.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and repeat “I am sorry” after the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the meaning of “courtesy” and “I am sorry.”

Step 3: Demonstration of Situations

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstrating/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses picture cards or puppets to demonstrate simple scenarios where someone makes a mistake (e.g., accidentally bumping into another child, taking a toy without asking). For each scenario, the teacher clearly models saying “I am sorry” and shows how it makes the other person feel better.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the demonstrations and identify the mistakes made in each scenario. They watch how “I am sorry” is said.

Learning Point: Pupils see practical examples of when and how to say “I am sorry.”

Step 4: Guided Practice (Role-play)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Facilitating/Guiding

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher invites a few pupils to come forward and role-play one or two simple scenarios with a classmate or the teacher. The teacher provides prompts and guides them to say “I am sorry” correctly and politely.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils take turns to role-play scenarios, practising saying “I am sorry” with guidance from the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils get hands-on practice in saying “I am sorry” in a safe environment.

Step 5: Reinforcement with Rhyme and Video

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcing/Engaging

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Sorry” song with actions. Afterwards, the teacher plays the short educational video clip about saying “I am sorry” and encourages pupils to watch and identify the apologies.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the song with actions and watch the video, pointing out when characters say “I am sorry.”

Learning Point: The message of saying “I am sorry” is reinforced through song and visual media.

Step 6: Pupil Application

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Observing/Applying

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents a scenario similar to the seed: “What would you say if you mistakenly stepped on your classmate’s foot?” The teacher asks pupils to demonstrate what they would do and say.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils demonstrate and mention what they would say if they mistakenly stepped on a classmate’s foot, practising the phrase “I am sorry.”

Learning Point: Pupils apply their learning to a specific, relatable situation.

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.

1. “What do we say when we accidentally bump into a friend?”
2. “Show me how you would say ‘I am sorry’ to your friend.”
3. “Why is it important to say ‘I am sorry’?”

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 praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always remember to say “I am sorry” when they make a mistake. The teacher encourages them to be kind and gentle with their friends.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the teacher’s advice.

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to practice saying “I am sorry” in their daily lives.

Lesson Keywords

• Sorry – The word we say when we feel bad about a mistake.
• Courtesy – Being polite and showing good manners.
• Mistake – Something done wrong by accident.
• Apologise – To say “I am sorry.”

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle, the teacher can provide more one-on-one modelling, use larger picture cards, or simplify the scenarios. They can be encouraged to just repeat “I am sorry” after the teacher.
• Extension: For quicker learners, the teacher can ask them to suggest other situations where they might need to say “I am sorry” or encourage them to explain how saying “I am sorry” makes the other person feel. They can also role-play a slightly more complex scenario.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare the picture cards and puppets in advance. Ensure the video clip is ready to play without interruption. When demonstrating, exaggerate facial expressions and tone of voice to convey the feeling of remorse and relief. Encourage pupils to make eye contact when apologising. Emphasise that “I am sorry” is not just a phrase but comes from feeling bad about an action. Observe pupils during free play to see if they naturally apply the learned behaviour. Praise genuine attempts at apology. Remind pupils that everyone makes mistakes, but it’s important to learn from them and make amends.