How to prepare a primary school lesson plan in Ghana

By TeacherPaddy · Primary school lesson plans (B1–B6) · Published 22 October 2026

A strong primary school lesson plan helps you organise what to teach, how to teach it and how to check learning in a Ghanaian primary classroom. For Primary 1 to 6, the curriculum is part of the Standards-Based Curriculum for Primary, and planning should stay close to the indicators in that curriculum. ^[2]

What a primary school lesson plan should do

A lesson plan is not just a form to fill. It should help you connect the curriculum to your class, your timetable and the learners in front of you. TeacherPaddy is a lesson planning app for KG, Primary and JHS teachers in Ghana, and it prepares Yearly and Term Schemes of Learning and Weekly Learner Plans from the curriculum around each teacher's own classes, timetable and school. ^[1]

For Primary classes, the curriculum includes subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Science, Ghanaian Language, Computing, Creative Arts, History, Our World Our People, Physical Education, and Religious and Moral Education. ^[2] When you plan well, you can see where the lesson fits in the week and what the learners should do by the end of the lesson.

Start with the curriculum indicator

The best place to begin is the indicator code and the statement attached to it. In the standards-based curriculum, indicator codes have the form class.strand.sub-strand.content standard.indicator, for example B4.1.1.3.3. ^[2]

How to use the indicator

1. Read the indicator statement carefully.
2. Decide what learners should know, say, do or show by the end of the lesson.
3. Keep the lesson focused on that one indicator or a small connected set of indicators.
4. Make sure your activities match the indicator, not just the topic title.

For example, in Basic 1 English Language, learners may need to talk about their school and places in the school under B1.1.6.1.3. In Basic 1 Mathematics, one indicator is about recognising Ghanaian coins by name and value, including one pesewa, five pesewas, ten pesewas, twenty pesewas, fifty pesewas and one cedi. ^[2] These indicators give you a clear target for planning.

Decide on the lesson objective and content

Once you know the indicator, turn it into a simple lesson objective in clear language. The objective should show what the learner will achieve in that lesson. It should be short, specific and suitable for the class level.

A useful approach is to choose one main learning outcome and then select the content that supports it. If the lesson is on local animals and plants in Basic 1 Science, the indicator asks learners to identify and name animals and plants in their locality. ^[2] Your content should therefore stay close to familiar examples from the school compound, home or community.

Keep the content manageable. A lesson plan works better when it covers one clear idea well than when it tries to teach too much at once.

Plan the teaching and learning activities

A lesson plan becomes useful when the activities are carefully matched to the objective. Break the lesson into a starter, main activity and reflection or conclusion. TeacherPaddy's sample Weekly Learner Plan shows each lesson's starter, main activity and reflection, with resources and assessment. ^[1]

A simple lesson flow

1. Starter: bring learners into the lesson with a short question, picture, song, oral response or quick revision.
2. Main activity: guide learners through discovery, explanation, practice or guided work.
3. Reflection: let learners respond, summarise what they learned or show understanding in a short task.

In a Basic 1 lesson on school places, you might begin by asking learners to name rooms or places they know in school, then move to guided discussion and naming, and finish with a short oral recap. The exact activity should suit the class size, age and subject.

Try to include learner participation, not only teacher talk. In Ghanaian primary classrooms, learners often understand better when they name, point, sort, draw, read, say, match or demonstrate rather than only listen.

Choose resources that support the lesson

Resources should make the lesson easier to understand. Use materials that are simple, available and linked to the topic, such as real objects, chalkboard drawings, flashcards, pictures, local items or learner-made work.

For example, if you are teaching coins in Basic 1 Mathematics, real or pictured Ghanaian coins can help learners connect the names and values to something familiar. ^[2] If the lesson is about worship or festivals in Ghana, pictures, oral examples and local discussion can support understanding without overcomplicating the lesson. ^[2]

Choose resources that you can actually use in class that day. A good plan is practical, not decorative.

Plan assessment before the lesson begins

Assessment should be part of the lesson plan from the start, not something added at the end. Decide how you will know whether the learners understood the lesson. This may be through oral answers, classwork, matching, drawing, explanation, group work, observation or a short written task.

TeacherPaddy says Weekly Learner Plans are drafted with AI for the indicators the teacher chooses, checked, and then the teacher's to edit and download as PDF. ^[1] That is useful because it keeps the teacher in control of the final lesson while giving a structured starting point.

Questions to ask yourself

• What will I look for during the lesson?
• What will show that learners have understood?
• Which part of the lesson will I use to check learning?
• How will I support learners who struggle?

A clear assessment step helps you teach with purpose. It also helps you decide whether to revise, practise more or move on.

Match the lesson to the week and term

A lesson plan should not sit alone. It should fit into the weekly plan and the wider term plan. TeacherPaddy prepares Schemes of Learning and Weekly Learner Plans from the curriculum, and its schemes are made from the curriculum without AI. ^[1]

If you are planning for the term, a useful guide is to map the content across the teaching weeks, sequence the learning and keep track of assessment. This helps you avoid rushing the syllabus or leaving gaps. For more detail on this wider planning, you may find the guide on how to plan a teaching term helpful.

If you need the lesson to fit neatly into a teaching week, the guide on how to plan a teaching week shows a step-by-step approach. For understanding how the code on the curriculum page works, the guide on curriculum indicator codes explains how teachers use the codes in schemes and weekly plans.

A practical checklist for your lesson plan

Before you teach, check that your plan answers these questions:

• Which curriculum indicator am I teaching?
• What is the lesson objective?
• What prior knowledge will help learners?
• What activities will learners do?
• What resources do I need?
• How will I assess learning?
• How will I close the lesson?

If your answer to any of these is unclear, adjust the plan before the lesson starts. A good primary school lesson plan Ghana teachers use is usually simple, specific and tied closely to the curriculum.

If you want a ready-made structure, you can view a sample Weekly Learner Plan and a sample Scheme of Learning to see how lesson planning can look in practice. You can also learn more about TeacherPaddy on the About page, or create a free account to start planning.

Next step

Start with one class, one subject and one curriculum indicator. Then build the objective, activities, resources and assessment around that indicator. If you want support from a planning tool, TeacherPaddy can help you prepare weekly plans and schemes from the curriculum. ^[1]