Why Children Need Parental Care and Causes of Lack of Care for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 4
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Social Habits
Curriculum Theme: Social Habits
Previous Lesson: Not separately stated in the scheme.
Topic: WHY CHILDREN NEED PARENTAL CARE AND CAUSES OF LACK OF CARE
Subject Matter: PARENTAL CARE – Reasons Children Need Parental Care. – Causes of Lack of Parental Care.

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• State at least two reasons why children need parental care.
• Identify at least one cause for some children not receiving parental care.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the care their parents or guardians provide.
• Express gratitude to their parents or guardians.

Psychomotor Domain

• Participate in a simple role-play demonstrating parental care.

Social Domain

• Discuss respectfully with peers about family care.

Reference Materials

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

Instructional Materials

• Charts showing different family activities (e.g., parents helping children with homework, playing, eating).
• Pictures depicting children being cared for (e.g., feeding, bathing, comforting).
• Pictures showing different family structures or situations (e.g., single parent, extended family, children with guardians).
• Role-play props (e.g., baby doll, toy food, small blanket).

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps children understand the importance of the care they receive from their parents or guardians, fostering a sense of security and gratitude. It also gently introduces them to the idea that not all children receive the same level of care, promoting empathy and understanding of diverse family situations.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can identify members of their family and understand that adults care for children at home and at school.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

WHY CHILDREN NEED PARENTAL CARE AND CAUSES OF LACK OF CARE

What is Parental Care?

Parental care means the love, help, and attention parents or guardians give to their children. It means making sure children are safe, healthy, happy, and learn good things.

Reasons Children Need Parental Care:

1. For Love and Affection: Parents give children hugs, kisses, and make them feel special and loved. This helps children feel happy and secure.
2. For Safety and Protection: Parents keep children safe from danger, teach them what is safe and not safe, and protect them from harm.
3. For Good Growth and Development: Parents provide food, clothes, shelter, and take children to the doctor when they are sick. This helps children grow big and strong.
4. To Learn Good Habits: Parents teach children how to be polite, share, be kind, and behave well. They help children learn right from wrong.
5. To Prepare for the Future: Parents send children to school so they can learn and become smart. They help children grow into good and responsible adults.

Rhyme: My Parents Care For Me

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Lyrics:

Parents care for me with love,
Sent to me from high above.
Keep me safe and make me smile,
Help me learn for a long while.
Thank you, parents, kind and true,
For all the good things that you do!

Actions:

• “Parents care for me with love”: Hug self.
• “Sent to me from high above”: Point upwards.
• “Keep me safe and make me smile”: Cross arms over chest, then smile.
• “Help me learn for a long while”: Pretend to read a book.
• “Thank you, parents, kind and true”: Put hands together as if praying, then bow head slightly.
• “For all the good things that you do!”: Open arms wide.

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme together, encouraging pupils to do the actions. Repeat several times to reinforce the message of parental care and gratitude.

Causes of Lack of Parental Care:

Sometimes, children do not get enough parental care. This can happen for different reasons, and it is often very sad.

1. Death of Parents: If a child’s parents pass away, they might be cared for by other family members or guardians.
2. Divorce or Separation: When parents live apart, sometimes children might feel less cared for, even though both parents still love them.
3. Poverty: If a family does not have enough money, parents might find it hard to provide everything a child needs like good food or school fees.
4. Illness or Disability: If a parent is very sick or has a disability, they might not be able to care for their child in all the ways they want to.
5. Carelessness: Sometimes, a parent might not pay enough attention or be careful enough with their child.
6. Long Distance Work: Some parents have to travel far away for work to earn money, leaving their children with relatives.

It is important to remember that these situations are often difficult and sad, and children in these situations still need love and support from others.

Watch and Learn About Family Care

The teacher will show a short video about why families are important and how they care for each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H74K_8gW6oU

Key Words

• Parental Care – The love, help, and attention parents or guardians give to children.
• Love – A very strong feeling of caring for someone.
• Safety – Being protected from danger or harm.
• Gratitude – Feeling thankful for something someone has done for you.

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display charts and pictures of families showing different acts of care (e.g., feeding, playing, reading, comforting).
• Draw simple stick figures of a family with a parent holding a child’s hand.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

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

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them to name their parents or guardians. The teacher then asks, “Who takes care of you at home?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils greet the teacher and name their parents/guardians. They respond, “My Mummy,” “My Daddy,” “My Grandma,” etc.

Learning Point: Pupils identify their caregivers and connect to the topic of care.

Step 2: Introducing Parental Care

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Visual Aid

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays charts and pictures showing parents caring for children (e.g., feeding, bathing, playing, reading). The teacher explains in simple terms what “parental care” means, using the pictures as examples.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the pictures and listen to the teacher’s explanation. They may point to things they recognise.

Learning Point: Pupils understand the meaning of parental care through visual examples.

Step 3: Why Children Need Parental Care

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Question and Answer

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks, “Why do you think your Mummy and Daddy do all these things for you?” The teacher guides pupils to mention reasons like love, safety, food, learning, and growing strong, expanding on the points from the Board Summary.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils offer their ideas and listen to the teacher’s explanations, repeating key phrases like “for love,” “for safety,” “to grow strong.”

Learning Point: Pupils understand the importance of parental care for their well-being.

Step 4: Rhyme and Role-play Reinforcement

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Song/Practical Activity

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in singing the “My Parents Care For Me” rhyme with actions. The teacher then demonstrates a simple act of parental care using a doll (e.g., feeding, comforting) and asks pupils to imitate.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing the rhyme with actions. They take turns to role-play a simple act of caring for a doll or a peer.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of parental care through song and practical demonstration.

Step 5: Causes of Lack of Parental Care (Sensitive Discussion)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Sensitive Explanation/Storytelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher gently explains that sometimes, for sad reasons, some children might not have their parents or enough care. The teacher uses simple stories or pictures to illustrate reasons like parents being far away for work, or being sick, or not having enough money. The teacher reassures pupils that they are safe and loved.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen quietly and ask simple questions if they have any. They may share if they know someone in a similar situation, guided by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils develop empathy and understand that family situations can be different.

Step 6: Expressing Gratitude

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Modelling/Encouragement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher asks pupils to think about one thing their parents do for them. The teacher reminds them to say “Thank you, Mummy/Daddy” when they get home. The teacher models saying “Thank you” with a polite gesture.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils share one way their parents care for them. They practice saying “Thank you” politely.

Learning Point: Pupils learn to express gratitude for the care they receive.

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. Show me a picture where a parent is caring for a child.
2. Tell me one reason why children need parental care.
3. What should you say to your Mummy or Daddy when they do something nice for you?
4. Can you name one reason why some children might not have their parents caring for them? (e.g., parents are far away for work, or sick).

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: Reinforcement/Closure

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the lesson, reiterating the importance of parental care and encouraging pupils to always appreciate their parents/guardians. The class sings the “My Parents Care For Me” rhyme one last time.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and sing the rhyme.

Learning Point: Pupils leave with a reinforced understanding of the lesson and a positive feeling about their caregivers.

Lesson Keywords

• Parental Care – The love, help, and attention parents or guardians give to children.
• Love – A very strong feeling of caring for someone.
• Safety – Being protected from danger or harm.
• Gratitude – Feeling thankful for something someone has done for you.
• Family – A group of people who live together and care for each other.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who struggle, the teacher can use more direct questions, provide fewer options for answers, or use hand gestures to prompt responses. Focus on identifying just one reason for care and one simple cause of lack of care.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concepts quickly, the teacher can ask them to describe more ways their parents care for them, or to think of another person (like a teacher or aunt) who also cares for them. They can also draw a picture of their family showing an act of care.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

This lesson addresses a sensitive topic, especially “causes of lack of parental care.” It is crucial to handle this part with extreme gentleness and reassurance. Emphasise that for most children, their parents love and care for them very much. When discussing reasons for lack of care, focus on external circumstances (like distance for work, illness, or poverty) rather than implying fault. Reassure children that if they ever feel unsafe or uncared for, they should always tell a trusted adult. Prepare the charts and pictures beforehand to make the lesson visual and engaging. Encourage pupils to share their experiences but be mindful not to push any child to disclose personal or sensitive family information. Understanding should be assessed by their ability to state simple reasons and express gratitude, not by their personal family situation.