April 2015 - Grade 4: Discussing Diversity

This month in grade 4, we will be watching a powerful DVD about diversity. Some students may have questions or want further discussion about this topic and the video, so I want to provide families with the specifics.  Below is a detailed description from HRM, the producers of this video:

Walk This Way: Exploring Tolerance, Diversity and Difference covers a wide range of social and emotional issues. To ensure that students are not overwhelmed by the material, each subject area has been carefully designed to create a clear, lasting impression. Through a mixture of individual reflection, classroom discussion and creative activity, students will gain a better understanding of the character traits necessary for a caring, tolerant society.

While using Walk This Way: Exploring Tolerance, Diversity and Difference, students will:

• explore social problems such as racism, sexism and stereotyping.

• learn to recognize discrimination, prejudiced attitudes and the unfair treatment of others.

• understand the responsibility of all people to work toward a society of tolerance.

• investigate strong feelings such as fear, sadness, anger, joy and love.

• practice positive ways to deal with difficult people and situations.

• learn how to strengthen their self-image and build good character traits.

• discover their own biases and unhealthy behaviors.

• gain perspective on the importance of good character over looks, money, popularity, etc.

• develop healthy judgement skills and problem-solving techniques.

• recognize the importance of respecting diversity.

• understand how differences can enrich our lives.

• develop pride and respect for their families.

• understand the potential of all people, including those with disabilities.

• develop healthy communication methods.

• recognize the value of friendship.

• relate the lessons to situations in their own lives.

Walk This Way

Each video in Walk This Way: Exploring Tolerance, Diversity and Difference features three young people relating personal stories about discrimination and intolerance. In their own words, they share their struggles to overcome challenges and learn more about kindness and understanding.

Each story is framed by colorful animation and a poetic story about peace, hate and the universal power of difference.

Part 1

We are introduced to Massimo, a young person with a bi-racial background. He talks about the importance of diversity in the world and the value of his own unique identity. Massimo’s mother also shares a story about neighborhood kids and their reaction to Massimo’s skin tone.

Next we meet Jessica, a young girl with an adopted African-American brother named Alexis. Jessica explains that Alexis is her brother in every way, even though they are not related by blood. She talks about the doubts of others who believe that a family is limited to people who are physically related.

In the final story, we meet Carl, a 9-year-old diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Carl shares his feelings of sadness and frustration as he describes the way other students teased him. After he is diagnosed with ADD, Carl is treated medically and makes great improvements at school.

Part 2

In the first segment, we meet twins Matthew and Justin. Justin has cerebral palsy. He gets a lot of special care from his family members. Matthew explains that Justin can communicate with smiles, not words. Justin feels pain and joy like everyone else.

In the next story, we are introduced to Melissa, a young girl who lost her hearing as a baby. Melissa has learned to communicate through sign language, although she still faces challenges. She shares her insecurities about meeting hearing people, while her sister talks about the challenges of living with someone who is deaf.

In the third segment, we meet Yanili, a girl who moved to America from a Spanish-speaking nation. Since she couldn’t speak English, Yanili had a hard time making friends. Then Patricia, a girl who moved from Mexico, introduced herself to Yanili and began teaching her English. Both girls talk about the importance of friendship and the ability to learn new things.

Part 3

First we hear the story of Alice, whose grandmother was raised in China during a time when men controlled everything. Alice explains her shocked and angry reactions to the stories told by her grandmother. She admires her grandmother’s triumph over sexism, even as she sees examples of the same problem in her own life.

In the second story, we meet Anthony, a boy who is teased because of his clothing. With the support of his grandmother, Anthony learns to respect himself for who he is, not for the clothes he wears.

Finally we are introduced to Nicole, an 11-year-old girl who describes her reaction to a hate crime in her

town. After seeing “KKK” painted on a nearby house, she realizes that racism exists almost everywhere, even

in a town that seems peaceful and happy.

HRM ©

April 2015 - Grade 3: Fostering Friendships

Third grade is a pivotal year in terms of friendships and social relationships as children are developing more as individuals with differentiated interests. Furthermore, students are expected to work more independently and cooperate in small groups. Learning to recognize that not all kids will be friends, let alone best friends can make it easier for students to learn to work with new people. It can also ease some of the jealousy that arises when a best friend chooses to work with someone else.  This month, third graders are watching (a kind of goofy, but the message is good!) video called Fabulous Friends.

Today’s video and subsequent discussion raised the following points:

• Every day you have a chance to meet new friends and be a good friend.

• Good friends are kind, don’t lie, listen to you, are trustworthy, and share interests.

• There are best friends who you are closest to, there are everyday friends and there are acquaintances.

• It’s important to be a good friend to the friends you already have, but meeting new people and making new friends is important, too.

• As you grow and change, your friends may change as well, but some friends will stay with you for a long time.

• Some friends are met at school, through groups, sports teams, or through family activities.

• Most people appreciate other people being interested in them.

• Friends are an important part of your social life.

• Friends help you, advise you, and have a good time with you.

• To find a friend, choose kids that have the qualities that you’d like to have yourself or choose

someone who you enjoy being around.

• To have fabulous friends for life, show respect, be open-minded, and show interest in them.

• Laughing together is a good way to make friends.

Your child may be interested in hearing some of your own friendship stories – those that faded as well as those that have stood the test of time.

April 2015 - Grade 2: Firing up Friendship Skills

This month, 2nd graders are viewing a program called “All About Friends.” This topic is important because having friends is critical to a child’s happiness and well-being. Friendships matter to children for the support and sense of belonging they provide, and it is through the give-and-take of relating to others that young children learn valuable social skills that can last a lifetime.

Designed to provide children with lessons about friends and friendships, this program first asks “What makes a good friend?”, then shows through three easy-to-understand stories bracketed by appealing song lyrics that:

• a friend is someone who makes you feel good about yourself, who doesn’t put you down.

• you don’t always have to do what friends tell you to do; you have to know what’s right and wrong, and do the right thing.

• it’s okay to have lots of friends and play with them at different times.

Ask your child to tell you about the stories in the program and the lessons that the characters learned. Ask if he or she knows of or has ever been in a situation like one of those dramatized, and how he or she feels about it. Reading books together about friends and friendship can help you enlarge your child’s understanding of what it takes to have and be a friend. Here are some books, one for you and two for your child, to help you jumpstart discussion:

Elman, Natalie Madorsky, Ph.D., and Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Ph.D. The Unwritten Rules of

Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Make Friends. Little, Brown & Co., 2003.

Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Are Friends. HarperCollins Children’s Books, 1979.

Elliott, Laura Malone. Hunter’s Best Friend at School. HarperTrophy, 1985.

April 2015 - Grade 1: How Would You Feel?

This month, Grade 1 is focusing on empathy, and we're watching “How Would You Feel?” Learning About Empathy. Designed especially for young children, this program introduces kids to one of the most important skills for establishing and managing social interactions and relationships: how to look at a situation from another person’s point of view, to imagine how one would feel in another person’s place.

Here are some suggestions you might use to further encourage your child to develop a sensitivity to, and compassion for, the feelings of others.  You might begin by talking about the way people feel in certain circumstances. For example, you might say, “Your brother was upset when you borrowed his new CD without asking. How would you feel if he did the same to you?” Or you might suggest that when your child breaks a play-date with a friend, that she imagine how she would feel if her friend did the same to her.

Here are some points about empathy that your child learned in the program:

• When someone is unhappy, imagining yourself in that person’s place can help you decide what to do.
• Asking yourself how you would feel in that situation helps you see it from another point of view.
• If you want to make it clear you understand how someone feels, try to say something that makes the situation better, not worse.
• Imagining how someone else feels and responding in a caring way makes you a better friend.

Reading books about empathy together can reinforce your child’s understanding of how best to respond to other people’s feelings. Here are two suggestions:

McBratney, Sam. I’m Sorry. HarperCollins, 2000.

Tolan, Stephanie. Sophie and the Sidewalk Man. Simon & Schuster, 1992.

March 2015 - Kindergarten: Name Calling!

During this month's lesson, Kindergarten classes viewed a short video called Don’t Call Me Names.  In this lesson, students saw vignettes illustrating a variety situations that involve calling someone a name or names. When name-calling is insulting and mean, it is easy to identify as wrong.  But what about nicknames that aren’t inherently cruel, but that bother us nonetheless? Sometimes nicknames that are seemingly flattering can take on a sarcastic or mocking tone. Even affectionate nicknames can become uncomfortable.

Key points in this lesson:

• Name calling hurts
• Hitting doesn’t solve problems, it makes them worse
• Discussing how you feel may help
• Ignoring the behavior, not acknowledging the name-calling is another strategy
• Asking a trusted adult for help if you need to

Our class discussion touched upon many of these issues. Several students related personal experiences of being labeled with a nickname they didn’t like or felt they had outgrown. Respect was the underlying theme in this discussion. Students brainstormed ways to be assertive without being combative when another person uses language or names that they are not comfortable with. Using a calm, firm tone, looking another in the eye and sticking up for oneself takes practice. Open a dialogue with your child on how they can respond constructively in these types of situations. Ask them what resonated from this lesson, and maybe try some role-playing to give them practice.

March 2015 - Grade 3: The Screaming Mean Machine

This month, we read a book by Joy Cowley called The Screaming Mean Machine, about a girl finally growing tall enough to ride the biggest roller coaster, only to discover that she's now a little afraid to do so. 

This is a story about anticipation, worry and fear. We often forget that excitement and/or anticipation are both forms of anxiety, and that even when we're looking forward to something, it's bound to cause some nerves.

This is also a story about overcoming our fears, and why it's important to do so. I was very impressed with the class discussions about how and why we challenge ourselves every day. We talked about accepting challenges (and failures) in the classroom, and what it means to take risks with our learning. 

Perhaps best of all - I got to hear about all the crazy rides our third graders have been brave enough to go on!

March 2015 - Grade 2: Is it Just a Game?

We all know video game usage among young children is on the rise, and that many children have a difficult time separating from their technology. Many video games have an interactive component that allows players to connect online with one another and play together. This type of play should not be  considered a substitute for face to face interactions. 

In Grade 2 this month, we read the Julia Cook story called But it's Just a Game. This book tells the story of Jasper, a boy who just can't get his head out of his video game. 

Our classroom discussion focused on how students can manage their 'screen time' so that it doesn't interfere with other areas of their lives. EVERY CHILD agreed that they really needed adult help to manage this for them. Children who said they had screens in their bedrooms (tv, computer, ipad or tablet) expressed having the most difficulty in staying off their screens, even after bedtime. 

As adults, it is our responsibility to impose boundaries, set limits and enforce rules that are in the best interest of children. If you notice your child is having trouble 'disconnecting' from screens, and 'connecting' with peers, it's time to help them unplug!

March 2015 - Grade 1: My Mouth is a Volcano!

Julia Cook is another favorite author of mine, as many of her books deal with the social-emotional dilemmas children face in their every day lives. Our story this month focused on why learning to wait our turn to speak is so important. As a social skill, conversational reciprocity is a necessity as children get older. It's the stepping stone by which we develop the nuances of knowing when to switch topics, or give others the chance to voice a differing point of view. 

The story also does a nice job of acknowledging why it can be SO HARD to wait our turn to give voice to our thoughts!

Book Summary from Amazon: 

'All of Louis thoughts are very important to him. In fact, his thoughts are so important to him that when he has something to say, his words begin to wiggle, and then they do the jiggle, then his tongue pushes all of his important words up against his teeth and he erupts, or interrupts others. His mouth is a volcano! My Mouth Is A Volcano takes an empathetic approach to the habit of interrupting and teaches children a witty technique to capture their rambunctious thoughts and words for expression at an appropriate time. Told from Louis’ perspective, this story provides parents, teachers, and counselors with an entertaining way to teach children the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak.'