Rules!

Hey Kinder Friends,

This time of year it is pretty common to discuss rules as you build a community within your classroom. And by this time you are probably well on your way and lots of wonderful things are in full swing in the classroom. But what happens when you have a few that still need some more guidance in this area? As I was ordering books for the coming week I ran across these books. It was the book preview that really caught my eye. In the Learning to Get Along Series, young children learn how to behave responsibly and respectfully towards others. It got me thinking...we set goals for reading and math but what about social skills? What I liked about the books in the series was that there were some great guided questions to ask after reading several pages. Honestly, I thought these books would be perfect for some great discussions about classroom and personal expectations. These books would be beneficial for everyone but could also be used in a small group setting as you discuss, model and practice the expectations presented in the book. I liked the way the books are broken down...read a few pages and discuss. One book could provide enough lessons for a week. And if needed there are extension activities. I liked the sort for the book Listen and Learn. The sort is about careful listening and listening better. At the end of the book and lessons, the culminating activity could be a little personal goal setting.

Out of the series I have picked these two titles for a few of my friends. These seem to be the titles that stood out to me. I have a feeling these books will be new favorites of mine and might be borrowed a time or two. And they are going on the lesson plan starting on Monday. One book and one social skill focus a week with some special small group activities. I will let you know how it goes... Because before any great learning can occur, sometimes we have to address the issues...