Power of Positive Social Behavior

  Children who come to school with some experience of rules, kindness, and respectful behavior will have an easier time getting along and be happier in school. Adults can help children form good manners by setting an example at home and helping them practice some of the basics as they interact with others. Life will be easier at home too!   

Suggestions from Teachers

 Learning these social skills can be fun by using little routines and games.

1. Use the words “Please” and “Thank-you.” Besides setting the example, you may need use gentle reminders often.

2. Remind children to “use words to ask for help or express your feelings.”  Be sure you are listening patiently as this might take some time.

3. “Listen quietly when someone else is talking.”  Practice during conversations at mealtime.  Praise when someone is being a “good listener.”

4.  Participate in helping to pick up toys, craft materials, etc. or clearing the table.  Make it a game by singing a pick-up song, playing  favorite music, or having a little contest as a part of an established routine. Pick up together when you can. Point out that when materials are picked up they are easier to find next play time. This is known as a “kid reason” for doing something.

5.  Share willingly with others. You can start out by asking your baby for a bite of his food or one of the Cheerios. Little ones love this “game”.  Later talk about cutting treats in half to share or sharing space on the couch.

6.  Use an “inside voice” when playing in the house.  Demonstrate and PRACTICE the difference between inside, outside, and whispering voices.

7. Take turns with others. Try this with simple games where taking turns is expected (cards, Candyland, etc.). Practice “Now it is your turn.” at meal time, sharing crayons or choosing a TV  show.

9.  Use kind language with other people.  Talk about how kindness makes others feel good and they are more likely to help you.  Adults may need to make some words children hear  “off limits” as they are inappropriate in your family and at school.

11. Hang up your own clothing or backpack. Make this easy by setting a good example and providing pegs and containers kid-friendly.

12.  Don’t be a “tattle-tale” unless it is important for safety.

13. Use polite phone behavior when answering and saying good-bye.

14. Greet people and look at them.  Say “good-bye” in a friendly way.

  While adult modeling and PRACTICE are probably the best way for children to learn good social behavior, here are some library books  to help adult/child discussion:

“Little Blue Truck Leads the Way” by A. Schutle, “Please Say Please,” by Cuyler, the Berenstain Bear books, “You Are Friendly” by Snow.

Look for more activities like these online at Grandparents Teach, Too and at WNMU Public Radio Learning through the Seasons Podcasts 

Photo: Melinda. kids1.jpg. May 2003. Pics4Learning. 28 Apr 2013  

Mixing Colors for Rainy Day Projects

 Rainy days can be fun too! Mixing two primary colors to make a secondary color helps young artists build vocabulary and skill creating designs. 

Materials:

  Plastic cloth, coffee filters, red, yellow, and blue food coloring, a small watercolor brush, clothespins (not the pinch kind) or thin wire, and a container of water, pipe cleaners (optional)

What to do:

  Cover the work area with the plastic cloth. Pick a color and paint on a coffee filter. Pick a second color and continue to paint on the coffee filter. Discuss what happens to the colors. Continue to experiment with a third color and discuss what happens. Take the opportunity to talk about “primary colors”(red, blue, yellow) and “secondary” (mixed colors). After painting on several coffee filters, let them air dry before proceeding.

  Once the filters are dry, choose one and scrunch the middle together and place it inside a clothespin or wire. Fan out the sides of the filter to make the wings of a butterfly.  Cut the pipe cleaner in half and wrap that around the knob of the clothespin for antennae. Use the other filters to make more butterflies.

Books to share:

 “Mouse Paint” by Ellen Stohl Walsh, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle, “Charlie the Caterpillar” by Dom Deluise, and “Where Butterflies Grow” by Joanne Ryder.

Find more activities:

For more projects see the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” online information at 

http://www.grandparentsteachtoo.org/. Hear audio podcasts or our activities also online at WNMU Radio 90. 

Illustrations: Mark Nowicki

Weather Observation

Observing, investigating, and reporting the weather are good ways to nurture science thinking because weather affects play activities and clothing choices. By observing weather, many clothing arguments may be avoided.
What to do
Check out the weather every morning before breakfast to help plan for the day. Adults will be setting the stage for good breakfast conversation and building scientific vocabulary.
Check the temperature. Step outside or observe through a window. Will we need jackets, hats, and mittens today or can we dress for warm weather? Is it sunny or cloudy? Will we need to wear our sunglasses and hat?
Look at the sky. Is the sky really cloudy, partly cloudy, or clear? Are there clouds coming in? Observe the kinds of clouds. If the clouds are thick like a blanket and it’s rather gray, stratus clouds are holding lots of possible moisture.
If it’s a blue sky with some big white cotton ball cumulus clouds, it could be a nice day to play outside with proper clothing. If these puffy clouds are gray or black, we could have a storm.

If the sky is clear with just a few wispy cirrus clouds, we probably won’t have moisture.
Observe the trees. Is it really windy, a little breezy, or a calm day? By observing weather many clothing arguments are avoided.
What else can I do?
Children love to paint weather pictures to hang on the refrigerator. You can also draw clouds, sun, or raindrops on a calendar to report weather. Compare your observations and predictions with professional forecasters.
If children have questions, like how clouds block the sun or what causes wind, go to http://www.ask.com or Google®. Ask the librarian for help finding nonfiction (true) weather books with lots of colored pictures. Children also like Judi Barrett’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Tomie de Paola’s The Cloud Book. Some children’s museums have a TV weather studio to play weather reporter.
Find more activities to help young children learn go to Learning Through the Seasons at: http://www.grandparentsteachtoo.org/ webpages or listen to these activities on the WNMU Radio 90 podcasts at: http://www.wnmufm.org/learningthroughtheseasons 
Illustrations by Mark Nowicki