For this lesson you will need:
Numbers 1-13 written on small squares of paper
Stickers
Stuffed Animals
“Good Manners” phrases (see into to topic)
Cookie sheet
Kleenex
Soap or hand sanitizer,
Napkin,
Picture of an ear,
Picture of closed mouth,
Toy,
2 index cards with the words: ‘ Please’ and ‘Thank you’
Book: Excuse Me!: A Little Book of Manners by Karen Katz
Paper
Paper Plate
Markers
Scissors
Glue
All dishes for a place setting + napkins
Welcome Song: (To tune of Old MacDonald):
Welcome, welcome everyone
So glad that you are here.
Today we’re gonna have some fun
So let’s give out a cheer
Woo hoo!!
Clap clap clap clap
Slap(legs) slap slap slap
Clap clap clap let’s go! (when you shout “let’s go!”, do a group high five in the center)
Question of the Day: Have you ever been to a restaurant with your family? Tell me about it. Allow each child to share an answer. Talk about your favorite restaurant experience with the children.
Number of the Day ‘13’: Hide the numbers 1-13 all over the preschool room. Give children a few minutes to locate all of the numbers. When all of them have been found, sit on the floor and allow them to place them in the correct order. Explain that many people think the number 13 is an unlucky number. Say “I’m curious to know if 13 really is unlucky. Should we find out?”
Tell children to follow whatever you do while you all count to the number 13 aloud. Hop on one foot. On the 13th hop, fall to the ground and say “I fell on the number 13! That was unlucky!”
Lead them in a series of actions, counting aloud to 13 each time. Whenever you get to the number 13, make something silly happen so it appears that it really is an unlucky number. (Trip over something, drop something to the ground, make your hat fall off your head, bonk your nose etc.)
Have children count out 13 stickers to put on the sticker chart. Remind them of what will happen when the sticker chart is filled! (Your choice of reward)
Letter of the Day ‘M’: Display the letter M on a piece of paper or dry erase board. Demonstrate the sound it makes, then pass the speaker bear around and allow everyone to think of a word that starts with that sound. Pass the bear around until children run out of ideas for M words!
Demonstrate how to write the upper and lower case form of the letter. Allow each child to practice in their writing notebooks. Teach the ASL sign for the letter M as well as the signs for Mom, Milk, and Manners (which I think is the same as the word Fine, in case you can’t find it on the browser)
Introduction of Topic: Have children observe while you act out a ‘dinner-time’ scene and behave very badly. You may want to bang your silverware on your plate, reach over the table, pretend to chew with your mouth open, burp, wipe your nose with your hand and then pass a dish of food to the imaginary person sitting next to you, and say “I don’t like this food. This looks gross!”
Ask children what kind of things they saw you do at the table. Ask whether or not they thought you were being polite. Tell them to put their thumbs up if they thought you were having good manners, and their thumbs down if they thought you were having bad manners.
“What are good manners?” Discuss answers.
“When someone has good manners, they act in a way that is kind, patient, quiet, and respectful of those around them. What are some ways that I could have shown better manners at the table?” Discuss answers.
Activity: Write the following phrases on several strips of paper.
Having good manners is:
Being thankful for things people have done for you
Saying kind words
Waiting until others are done talking before you start talking
Taking Turns with people you’re playing with
Saying sorry when you make a mistake
Asking nicely for something, using the word ‘Please’
Covering your mouth if you have to cough or sneeze.
Line up a few stuffed animals next to you, and put the slips of paper in the animals’ laps. Have children one at a time, come up and pick a piece of paper from a stuffed animal and bring it to you. After reading each phrase, give examples of how they can apply these good manners in every day situations. Ask children for their own examples and suggestions. Have children role play giving compliments, saying thank you, and taking turns.
Activity: Collect the following items (before preschool) and place them on a cookie sheet: Kleenex, soap or hand sanitizer, Napkin, picture of an ear, picture of closed mouth, a toy, and two index cards with the words: ‘ Please’ and ‘Thank you’ written on them.
Use the stuffed animals to help act out various situations where they choose to have bad manners. After each situation has been acted out, allow one child to pick an item from the cookie sheet that would help the stuffed animal show better manners.
For example:
Kleenex (to cover mouth when sneezing or coughing)
Soap (to wash hands before eating, or after going to the bathroom or playing in the dirt)
Napkin ( for wiping mouth and hands when dirty)
Ear (for listening when people are talking to you)
Closed Mouth (may be used twice) (For staying quiet until Mom or Dad is off the phone, and chewing with your mouth closed).
Toy (for sharing)
'Please' (For asking to pass something at the table or asking for help)
'Thank You' (For when people give you compliments, help, gifts, etc.)
When a prop has been chosen, act out the situation again with the stuffed animal, using good manners this time.
Story: Excuse Me!: A Little Book of Manners by Karen Katz
Craft: Lead children in creating a sneeze face!
1: Have children draw a face on a paper plate. 2: Trace their hands on construction paper and cut them out. 3: Glue crumbled kleenex over the nose on the paper plate
4: Glue hands over tissue.
Discuss the importance of covering our noses with tissue when we sneeze, and saying ‘Excuse me’.
Service: Teach children to set the table the correct way, according to diagram, and ask them to set the table for the person sitting next to them. Once everyone is finished, have them sit in their own seats, and demonstrate how to place their napkins in their laps.
Tell them that they are going to practice the good manners they learned today. Give each child their snack, and wait for them to say “Thank You.” Place cups of water in the center of the table and wait for each child to ask for one politely.
Be sure to compliment those who are chewing with their mouths closed, those who are sitting still, and those who use their napkins appropriately.
Snack: Anything that begins with the letter M! (Macaroni, Mashed potatoes, Mozzarella cheese, Milkshake, Melons, Mangoes, Muffins, etc.)
Good bye song: To the tune of “If You’re Happy and you Know it”
If you’ve learned a lot today, clap your hands (clap clap)
Here’s the letter of the day (sign the letter M), clap your hands (clap clap)
Oh, we’ve had a lot of fun,
Now our preschool time is done (tap index finger to wrist)
See you next time (wave) and we’ll do it all again! (Clap clap.)
