Politeness
Primary 1 · Social and Religious Studies
Politeness
Lesson 4 of 4
11 min
Let's begin
There is a long queue at the school water tap.
Byiringiro pushes past and steps on Umutoni's foot.
He says nothing at all and keeps walking.
Today you will learn four small words that fix moments like this.
You want something. Put please in your sentence.
Please lend me your rubber.
Somebody gives you something. Say thank you.
Say it to a friend, to your teacher, to the seller at the market.
You need to pass somebody. You must cough. You want to speak to a grown-up.
That word is excuse me. It comes before you do the thing.
You hurt somebody. You broke something. You made a mistake.
That word is sorry. It comes after.
Careful! Many children swap these two. Step on a foot and you say sorry, not excuse me.
Somebody offers you something you do not want.
Say No, thank you. You said no, and you stayed kind.
Two people are talking. You have something to say.
Wait for a quiet gap. Then say Excuse me and speak.
Cutting into other people's words is not polite.
A song about the magic words: please, sorry and thank you.
Tip
Excuse me before. Sorry after
Before you cough or squeeze past: excuse me.
After you bump, break or forget: sorry.
Choose the word, then tap Show answer to check.
You want to borrow Mutesi's pencil. What word do you use?
Answer: please. Say, Please lend me your pencil.
You step on somebody's foot in the queue.
Answer: sorry. The foot was hurt already, so the word comes after.
You feel a cough coming in class.
Answer: excuse me. It comes before the cough.
Habimana gives you a mango.
Answer: thank you. Say it while you look at him.
Two grown-ups are talking and you need one of them.
Answer: wait for a gap, then say excuse me. Never shout over them.
What you learned today
Here are two short books to read with a grown-up.
Inshuti is written in Kinyarwanda. It is about Rugwiro and the friends he lives beside. It comes from African Storybook.
Ni nde wamfasha? is also in Kinyarwanda. A child needs help and goes from person to person to find it. It comes from The Asia Foundation, on the Global Digital Library.
Quick check
Match each moment to the word.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
