This Little Pig, Recitation and Role-Play for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Second Term
Week: 9
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Songs and Rhymes
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Recitation and role-play of other simple nursery rhymes.
Topic: THIS LITTLE PIG: RECITATION AND ROLE-PLAY
Subject Matter: This Little Pig: Recitation and Role-Play.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Recite the rhyme “This Little Piggy Went to Market” correctly.
• Identify the actions associated with each “little pig” in the rhyme.

Affective Domain

• Enjoy participating in the recitation and role-play of the rhyme.
• Appreciate the importance of coping with disappointment and not crying unnecessarily.

Psychomotor Domain

• Perform the finger actions for each pig as they recite the rhyme.
• Role-play the rhyme using their fingers or bodies.

Social Domain

• Take turns and participate cooperatively in group role-play activities.
• Listen attentively to the teacher and peers during the lesson.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4.
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources on rhymes and role-play.

Instructional Materials

• Pictures of pigs or farm animals.
• Finger puppets (or draw faces on fingers).
• A small toy pig (optional).
• A bowl and an empty plate (for “roast beef” and “none” in role-play).

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps 5-year-olds develop language skills, memory, and coordination through the fun and engaging activity of reciting and role-playing a traditional rhyme. It also introduces them to simple narrative structures and encourages social interaction, while subtly teaching an emotional regulation lesson about handling disappointment.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils are familiar with listening to and repeating simple songs and rhymes. They can identify some farm animals and understand basic actions like going, staying, and eating.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

THIS LITTLE PIG: RECITATION AND ROLE-PLAY

“This Little Piggy Went to Market” is a classic nursery rhyme that helps children learn about different actions and develop finger coordination. Each line of the rhyme describes what one of the five “piggies” does, usually performed by wiggling a different finger.

Lyrics:

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy cried “Wee, wee, wee!” all the way home.

Actions for the Rhyme:

• This little piggy went to market: Wiggle your thumb. (Imagine the thumb walking to the market.)
• This little piggy stayed home: Wiggle your index finger. (Imagine the index finger resting at home.)
• This little piggy had roast beef: Wiggle your middle finger. (Imagine the middle finger eating yummy food.)
• This little piggy had none: Wiggle your ring finger. (Imagine the ring finger looking sad because it has nothing.)
• And this little piggy cried “Wee, wee, wee!” all the way home: Wiggle your pinky finger and make a crying sound, moving it like it’s running home.

Moral Lesson from the Last Piggy:

The last little piggy cried “Wee, wee, wee!” because it had nothing to eat. While it’s okay to feel sad or disappointed, we can learn to be brave and try not to cry unnecessarily when things don’t go exactly our way, or when others have something we don’t. We can look for other good things or ask for help.

Watch and Practise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC_wK8-Y7Q0

Key Words

• Pig: A farm animal.
• Market: A place where people buy and sell things.
• Roast Beef: A type of cooked meat.
• None: Zero, nothing at all.
• Wee: The sound the little pig makes when crying.
• Role-play: Pretending to be characters and act out a story.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

• Play-based Learning
• Demonstration
• Guided Practice
• Songs and Rhymes
• Role-play
• Question and Answer
• Imitation

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Warm-up

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets pupils and sings a short warm-up song about farm animals. The teacher then shows pictures of pigs and asks pupils what sounds pigs make.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher, sing along, and make pig sounds (oink, oink).

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and ready for the lesson, connecting to familiar animals.

Step 2: Introduction to the Rhyme and Actions

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the rhyme “This Little Piggy Went to Market.” The teacher recites the rhyme slowly, demonstrating each finger action clearly for the pupils to observe.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and watch the teacher’s finger actions.

Learning Point: Pupils are introduced to the rhyme and its corresponding actions.

Step 3: Guided Recitation and Action Practice

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Repetition/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher recites the rhyme again, line by line, encouraging pupils to repeat each line and try to imitate the finger actions. The teacher provides support and guidance.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils repeat the lines of the rhyme and attempt to perform the finger actions with the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils begin to memorise the rhyme and coordinate actions with words.

Step 4: Video Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Visual Learning/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the video of “This Little Piggy” and plays it for the pupils. The teacher encourages pupils to watch the actions and listen to the song.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils watch the video and may try to sing along or do the actions.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of the rhyme and actions through visual and auditory input.

Step 5: Role-Play Preparation and Practice

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Facilitation/Role-play

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to use their own fingers as the “piggies” for role-play. The teacher might use simple props like a bowl for “roast beef” and an empty plate for “none” to make it more concrete. Pupils practise the rhyme with their finger-piggies.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils use their fingers to act out the rhyme, pretending each finger is a pig and performing its action.

Learning Point: Pupils engage in imaginative play and deepen their understanding of the rhyme’s narrative.

Step 6: Discussion on the Moral Lesson

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Value-building

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils about the last little piggy and why it cried. The teacher gently explains that while it’s okay to feel sad, we should try to be brave and not cry unnecessarily, especially when others are sharing or when we can find another solution. The teacher asks pupils what the last piggy could do instead of just crying.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils share their thoughts on why the pig cried and suggest other actions the pig could take.

Learning Point: Pupils begin to understand a simple moral lesson about coping with disappointment.

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. “Can you show me the piggy that went to market?” (Pupils wiggle thumb).
2. “Which piggy stayed home?” (Pupils wiggle index finger).
3. “What did the third piggy have?” (Pupils say “roast beef”).
4. “Why did the last piggy cry ‘Wee, wee, wee’?” (Pupils explain in simple terms).
5. “Can you recite the whole rhyme with actions?” (Pupils attempt to recite and act).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarising/Closing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises pupils for their participation and effort. The teacher briefly recaps the rhyme and its actions, then leads a short closing song.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the closing song and prepare for the next activity.

Learning Point: Pupils leave the lesson feeling accomplished and happy.

Lesson Keywords

• Pig – A farm animal.
• Market – A place where people buy and sell things.
• Roast Beef – A type of cooked meat.
• None – Nothing at all.
• Wee – The sound the little pig makes when crying.
• Role-play – To pretend to be characters and act out a story.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who find it challenging, focus on the first two pigs and their actions. Provide hand-over-hand guidance for finger movements. Allow them to simply repeat key phrases rather than the whole rhyme.
• Extension: Encourage advanced pupils to lead the rhyme and actions for the class. Ask them to think of other things the last piggy could have done instead of crying, promoting creative problem-solving.