When and How to Say Thank You Politely for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 3
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Personal Development
Curriculum Theme: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Previous Lesson: Simple Greetings and Good Manners
Topic: SIMPLE COURTESY: SAYING ‘THANK YOU’
Subject Matter: When and how to say thank you politely.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Identify situations where they should say “thank you.”
• State the polite words to use when someone helps or gives them something.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of showing gratitude.
• Feel happy when they say “thank you” and when others say it to them.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate saying “thank you” politely to peers.
• Demonstrate saying “thank you Sir/Ma” politely to elders.

Social Domain

• Participate in role-play scenarios involving saying “thank you.”
• Interact kindly with classmates by expressing gratitude.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

• Video clips on good manners
• Charts showing pictures of children saying “thank you” in different situations (e.g., receiving a gift, being helped)
• Picture cards depicting various scenarios requiring “thank you”
• A toy notebook or other simple props for role-play

Rationale for the Lesson

Learning to say “thank you” is a fundamental social skill that helps 5-year-olds build positive relationships and show appreciation. This lesson helps children understand when and how to express gratitude politely, fostering kindness and respect in their interactions at home and school.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils have learned about simple greetings like “hello” and “good morning” and understand basic good manners.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

SIMPLE COURTESY: SAYING ‘THANK YOU’

Saying “thank you” is a polite way to show we are grateful and happy when someone does something kind for us or gives us something.

When to say ‘Thank You’:

• When someone helps you (e.g., picks up your pencil, helps you carry your bag).
• When someone gives you something (e.g., a snack, a toy, a book).
• When someone does a favour for you (e.g., opens the door, shares a crayon).

How to say ‘Thank You’ politely:

• Say it clearly and with a smile.
• To your friends and classmates, you say: “Thank you.”
• To your teachers, parents, or any older person, you say: “Thank you Sir” or “Thank you Ma.”

Key Words

• Thank you – Words we say to show we are grateful.
• Polite – Showing good manners and respect.
• Grateful – Feeling thankful for something someone has done.
• Kind – Being friendly, generous, and considerate.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• A chart with pictures of children helping each other and saying “thank you.”
• A picture of a child receiving a gift and saying “thank you.”

Thank You Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Lyrics:

Thank you, thank you, yes I say,
When someone helps me through the day.
Thank you, thank you, big and small,
Kind words for one and all.
Thank you, thank you, with a smile,
Makes everyone happy for a while.

Actions: Pupils clap hands gently on “thank you,” point to themselves on “I say,” make a helping gesture on “helps me,” and smile on “with a smile.”

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme together, encouraging pupils to do the actions. Repeat it a few times to help them remember the words and the feeling of gratitude.

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a short video about saying “thank you” and practise together!

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them what polite words they remember from previous lessons (e.g., “Good morning,” “Please”). The teacher then introduces the topic by asking, “What do we say when someone helps us or gives us something nice?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings and share polite words they know. They might offer initial answers to the teacher’s question.

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

Step 2: Presentation of ‘Thank You’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that today they will learn about saying “thank you.” The teacher gives simple examples of when to say “thank you” (e.g., “If I give you a crayon, what do you say?”). The teacher models saying “thank you” with a smile.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and repeat “thank you” after the teacher. They watch the teacher’s demonstration.

Learning Point: Pupils understand what “thank you” means and when it is used.

Step 3: Identifying Situations for Gratitude

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Picture Talk/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher shows picture cards or a chart depicting various situations (e.g., a child sharing a toy, a teacher handing out books, a friend helping another). For each picture, the teacher asks, “What is happening here? What should the child say?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the pictures, describe what they see, and suggest saying “thank you” for each appropriate situation.

Learning Point: Pupils can identify different scenarios where saying “thank you” is appropriate.

Step 4: Practising Polite Forms

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Repetition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to practise saying “thank you” to peers and “thank you Sir/Ma” to elders. The teacher pretends to give a pupil something and prompts them to say “thank you.” The teacher then pretends to be an elder and prompts “thank you Sir/Ma.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practise saying “thank you” and “thank you Sir/Ma” as prompted by the teacher, focusing on politeness and a smile.

Learning Point: Pupils differentiate between saying “thank you” to peers and elders.

Step 5: Reinforcement with Rhyme/Video

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Songs and Rhymes/Visual Learning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Thank You Rhyme” with actions. If a video is available, the teacher plays the “Thank You Song” video and encourages pupils to sing and move along.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions or sing and move along with the video, reinforcing the concept of gratitude.

Learning Point: Pupils enjoy learning through song and movement, strengthening their memory of saying “thank you.”

Step 6: Role-play Activity

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Role-play/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher sets up a role-play scenario: “Imagine your classmate found your lost notebook for you. What would you say?” The teacher selects two pupils to act out the scenario, guiding them to say the correct polite words.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the role-play, demonstrating how they would say “thank you” to a classmate who found their lost notebook. Other pupils observe.

Learning Point: Pupils apply their learning in a practical, real-life scenario.

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 you say when your friend gives you a sweet?”
2. “What do you say when your teacher helps you?”
3. “Show me how you would say ‘thank you’ to a friend.”
4. “Show me how you would say ‘thank you Ma’ to an older lady.”

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: Summary/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them to always remember to say “thank you” and “thank you Sir/Ma” in their daily lives. The teacher ends the lesson with a positive affirmation.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and acknowledge the importance of saying “thank you.”

Learning Point: Pupils are encouraged to practice gratitude daily.

Lesson Keywords

• Thank you – The polite words we use to show we are grateful.
• Polite – Having good manners and showing respect.
• Grateful – Feeling happy and thankful for kindness shown to you.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who find it difficult, the teacher can provide more direct modelling and hand-over-hand guidance during role-play. Use larger picture cards and repeat the key phrases more often. Focus on just “thank you” first before introducing “Sir/Ma.”
• Extension: For quicker learners, the teacher can ask them to think of other situations where they would say “thank you” at home or in the community. They can also lead a small group in a “thank you” role-play.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare your picture cards and any props (like a toy notebook) in advance. The key is to make the lesson interactive and practical. Model “thank you” with a genuine smile and encourage pupils to imitate this. Emphasize the difference between saying “thank you” to peers and “thank you Sir/Ma” to elders, as this is a crucial cultural nuance. Observe pupils during role-play to assess their understanding and ability to apply the polite words. Repetition of the rhyme and simple scenarios will help solidify their learning. Remember to praise pupils generously for their efforts in demonstrating good manners.