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Showing posts with label Kindness. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Montessori-Inspired Kindness Activities Using Free Printables

By Deb Chitwood from Living Montessori Now

Even though I've published many kindness activities, especially at at my BitsofPositivity.com blog, this is our first full kindness unit! There's also a kindness-themed pack for newsletter subscribers at LivingMontessoriNow.com!

You'll find many activities for preschoolers through first graders throughout the year in my previous posts at PreK + K Sharing. You'll also find ideas for using free printables to create activity trays here: How to Use Printables to Create Montessori-Inspired Activities.

At Living Montessori Now, I have a post with resource links of Free Printables for Montessori Homeschools and Preschools.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Montessori Shelves with Kindness-Themed Activities

Montessori Shelves with Kindness-Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired kindness numbers, letters, and and more (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)

Go to my Free Kindness Printables and Montessori-Inspired Kindness Activities post at Living Montessori Now for the free printables and activity ideas you see on the shelf and collage above!

Free Montessori-Inspired Kindness Pack

Montessori-Inspired Kindness Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, DIY Movable Alphabet, and Creative Writing (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber).

More Kindness Resources

Friendship Resources (which fit well with a kindness theme)

If you'd like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout November and December, see my November Themed Activities for Kids and December Themed Activities for Kids.

Be sure to go to my Free Kindness Printables and Montessori-Inspired Kindness Activities post at Living Montessori Now for lots of free printables and activity ideas!

I hope you have a happy and kind holiday season! :)

Deb Chitwood is a certified Montessori teacher with a master’s degree in Early Childhood Studies from Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England. Deb taught in Montessori schools in Iowa and Arizona before becoming owner/director/teacher of her own Montessori school in South Dakota. Later, she homeschooled her two children through high school. Deb is now a Montessori writer who lives in San Diego with her husband of 47 years (and lives in the city where her kids, kids-in-law, and grandkids live). She blogs at Living Montessori Now.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

28 FREEBIES & Resources for Teaching Kindness and Empathy

Life on Planet Earth has challenges. Darkness. Difficulties. Set-backs. Heart ache. Grief. Unfairness. The unthinkable happens.

If you haven't experienced any of the above, you must be new here.

Now more than ever, it is time to talk specifically to children {and to ourselves} about developing the tools our world needs right now. Let's start with concepts within EVERYONE'S reach: kindness, empathy and mindfulness. Let's get back to basics.

My hope is that this roundup of resources, improves your little corner of the globe.... and that together we launch our own movement: from the littles on up! The time to start is today!

Last night on Twitter I shared this old image of kindergarten hearts given to me on the occasion of my author school visit here in Florida. They still warm my heart and I'm sure they warm yours, too. {You can click over to my blog to get a step by step tutorial.}

No sooner did I tweet my image of the hearts above, but my fellow moderator, Kristen responded by sharing hearts that she had just made with her kinders. They strung the pipe cleaners with some small beads for further embellishment. Isn't it amazing that a simple idea grows and transforms by sharing! What twist will your students create?

This simple keepsake would be treasured by any recipient. What a great way to pay-it-forward. If you know me at all you know how I LUV the possibilities of collaboration that come from quilt projects. Here's a beauty from my school visit in Colorado. Simplicity.

Build your own wreath by adding ribbons for observed kindness in action. The wreath gets more color and beauty by each example being demonstrated within the classroom.

Digging through the web I have gathered these goodies.
Bookmark them. Download them. Return to them.
Make your children kinder by demonstration and example.

Let's start with the website: Doing Good Together.
*Warning. You may get there in a click and not leave before tomorrow.

Click on this image below to go directly to their FREE Printable Section.

http://www.doinggoodtogether.org/free-kindness-printables/

NEXT STOP: The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation!

Head's up. You will either need to create a quick profile or sign in with your FB account to access FREE lesson plans. Here's the screen shot of what is available for kindergarten. [Go to the "Educators" tab on the site.]

I hope that you're familiar with the amazing blog, "No Time for Flashcards" where there are amazing collection of picture books assembled for your inspiration.

Now for a LOT of printable FREEBIES on Kindness and Empathy

(click each picture for the direct link)

This first one has been downloaded over 115,000 times, so let's start here. You create a Kind Kids Club and there is a printable page for membership and many more suggestions.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Packet-We-Are-Kind-Kids-Random-Acts-of-Kindness-441517

Random Act of Kindness Freebie by my friend Denise!

BRAG TAGS: Random Acts of Kindeness {Freebie}

Classroom Full of Kindness Freebie--Kiddos Connect to Kind

FREE "Work Hard and Be Kind" Digital Prints

{FREEBIE} Kindness is Contagious Bulletin Board

Throw Kindness Around Like Confetti- - - FREEBIE! Sign, Po

Compare and Contrast ~ We Are Different, We Are Alike #kin

ANTI-BULLYING {POSTERS} FREEBIE: #kindnessnation and #weho

You Are So Loved Letters & Banner #kindnessnation #weholdt

Growth Mindset Interactive Mini-Book {Freebie}

FREE Yoga Calming Visuals for Early Childhood or Special E

Yoga in the Classroom FREEBIE Sample Pack

Yoga for Kids: Editable student/parent info sheet to teach

Freebie: Songs and Chants to Line Up and Brain Break Activities

I am in a Facebook group where one of the kindergarten teachers experienced the death of one of her students over the weekend, from an unexpected tragedy. I had written this poem earlier for little Carter who died during his kindergarten year. Perhaps you know someone who could use this resource. I hope that you never need it. Knowing that others have had this experience puts everything else into perspective.

In the face of the unthinkable, we must give ourselves time to grieve. Then as we begin to regroup and rebuild it is helpful to tap into our laughter collection.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

KINDNESS - Be Kind, Teach Kind - Part II

How to Be Kind, How to Teach Kind

Ms. Brigid here, from Merit School of Music in Chicago. Thank you for joining me!

In a month that celebrates love and friendship, I’d like to revisit last month’s topic – Kindness. As part of my January post, I put out a call for books and activities that helped foster kindness in the Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms, and received many thoughtful suggestions. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My favorites for use in music class:

Because of You by B.G. Hennessy is a sweet picture book. The text and bright, cheerywatercolor illustrations make easily understood points for younger Early Childhood kiddos. I created a musical chorus that I inserted every few pages. It’s not rocket science, but the kiddos learned and sang the simple chorus easily and with great sincerity.

Because of you, because of you,

You make the world a better place.

Because of you, because of you,

You put a smile upon my face.

Flora and the Penguin by Molly Idle, is a book without words – but nevertheless, it documents perfectly how misunderstandings occur between friends, and the reparations needed for a thoughtless response. I pair the book with a post-reading paper plate skating session to an excerpt of Waldteufel’s The Skater’s Waltz and encourage fancy stuff like twirling, skating backwards, etc.

If you have more time, the next three books are great for small groups: Helen Lester’s All For Me and None For All about the reformation of a greedy overbearing pig: Iza Trapani’s Baa Baa Black Sheep, recommended by friend Anna Stange, about giving and misgivings: and Kadir Nelson’s If You Plant a Seed, the alarming yet beautifully illustrated (eek) picture book drawing the similarity between planting a garden and planting seeds of kindness.

For older kiddos in First or Second Grade, I recommend Trudy Ludwig’s The Invisible Boy. Patrice Barton’s beautiful illustrations perfectly capture the essence of the poignant story about a boy who is overlooked and ignored by his classmates until...well, I’ll let you find out for yourself! From the book jacket: “…this gentle story shows how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish. Any parent, teacher, or counselor, look for material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children will find ‘The Invisible Boy’ a valuable and important resource.’ I agree completely.

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Lewis, is also highly recommended for older kiddos. I shared this with one of my Second Grade teachers, and she read it to her students. They commented that the book embraced the same theme – inclusion - as R.J. Palacio’s book, Wonder, but with a fraction of the pages! There is no resolution, but the protagonist comes to a greater self-realization, and is “…stung by the opportunity that’s been lost. How much better could it have been if she’d just shown …a little kindness and opened her heart to friendship?” (from the book jacket).

SONGS

The Children’s Music Network’s Peace Songbook: Peace Songs for Children yielded a number of wonderful song, among them, Pam Donkin’s Kindness is Everywhere, which my kiddos loved singing.

I Will Be Your Friend, published by Teaching Tolerance, yielded more treasures, among them, Bob Blue’s Courage – which still brings me to tears. It is not a song for Pre-K, or even K, though others may hold another opinion, but definitely a song to hold in your heart. This book is out of print, but may be found quite easily on secondary book markets. It originally came with a CD of the songs in the book – and if you find a copy with a CD, you have truly struck gold.

ERASE MEANNESS SITE

Lastly, I stumbled upon a site called Erase Meanness. The brainchild of Eric Johnson, a 6^th grade teacher in Mishawaka, IN, his original idea has grown into an international movement involving thousands and thousand of students in over 15 countries and six continents - and going strong!

Merit School of Music, Chicago

Call on Merit School of Music! Our onsite school is in the West Loop. We work in the schools throughout the area providing band, orchestra, percussion, choir, early childhood, and general music instruction with project based units including Recorder, Music and Storytelling and Songwriting. We do great work! YoYo Ma is a supporter!

Chicago Families

Please come to Merit’s Storytime sessions. It’s free, fun, and facilitated by singers and storytellers Amy Lowe, Irica Baurer, Janet Janz, & Brigid Finucane. Stories and songs start at 11am, and we end with time for family networking. Storytime is be offered once a month on the 2^nd Monday. The next session is March 14, 2016.

I am continually inspired by the Children’s Music Network (CMN) community, an international group of socially conscious musicians, educators, librarians, families, songwriters and good people, who “celebrate the positive power of music in the lives of children by sharing songs, exchanging ideas, and creating community.” Please visit CMN, and find a gathering in your region.

http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com

@booksinger1

Blog History

Jan. 2016. Kindness – Be Kind, Teach Kind

Dec. 2015. Star Light, Star Bright – Exploring Counter Chants

Nov.2015. Thanksgiving Songs to Be Thankful For

Sept.2015. Starting the Year with a Song – Part II

Aug.2015. Starting the Year With a Song – and CMN

July 2015. Transitions: Unsung Heroes of the Musical Classroom

June 2015. Summer Songs

May 2015. Crescendo II! Chants & Games for Music Foundation

April 2015. Crescendo -And Sites to Sigh For: edWeb & CMN