English Language Arts Kindergarten
Reading: Literature Standard 9
English Language Arts Kindergarten
Reading: Literature Standard 1
English Language Arts Kindergarten
Reading: Literature Standard 3
Sharing quality literature provides the teacher with great opportunities for the class to discuss the interactions and feelings of people. It also allows the students to make connections based on their own feelings and experiences.
One per group:
One per student:
Additional Resources
Books
CD
The enduring understanding for Standard II is for students to be able to discuss "What is the relationship?" Therefore, students need to know what the word relationship means. Relationship can be defined as a connection between ideas and/or people. Perhaps the best way to help our young students see the relationships between people and their feelings and ideas, is to begin by developing empathy for one another. Empathy is the ability to identify with, and feel another person's concerns. The six basic emotions include happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust. Students need to learn to respectfully listen to one another in order to identify how another person is feeling. Students may need to adjust their behavior to help a peer that may be in need of some extra care at the time. Rich conversation and good role models, provided by the teacher, can give students the chance to learn how to positively interact with friends and family. Sharing quality literature provides the teacher with great opportunities for the class to discuss the interactions and feelings of people. It also allows the students to make connections based on their own feelings and experiences.
2. Develop social skills and ethical responsibility.
3. Demonstrate responsible emotional and cognitive behaviors.
Invitation to Learn
Tell the students that you are going to read a story to them about a
girl who gets teased. Her name is Molly Lou. Ask the students to
think in their mind the answer to the following three questions.
Discuss each question with the class. Ask the students, “As we read the story together listen to find out how Molly Lou solves her problem. Let’s see if our ideas are the same or different from the character in the story.”
Instructional Procedures
Now students are ready to listen to the teacher ask each question.
Character Study
Another way to look at the relationship of characters in a story is to
use a Character Study Guide (pdf). Follow the same procedure as
described previously. Use the following guide words to discuss the
actions of the characters: 1. Who? 2. Did what? 3. When? 4. Where?
5. Why? Once again, ask the question, "What is the relationship between
the characters and why?"
What Is The Connection?
After reading a story to your class, encourage them to make their own
personal connection to the story. Teachers may use a What is the Connection? (pdf) schema guide to record student responses.
Students may identify a text to self, text to text, or text to world
connection. The teacher, or the student, may write and draw the response
on a Post-It® note and place it on the corresponding space of the class
chart.
Emotions Cards (pdf)
Family Connections
These activities and many others can be found in Building Moral Intelligence by Michele Borba, Ed. D.; ISBN 2381239194.
After reading a variety of stories in which the children share responses to the character’s actions and feelings the following kind of assessment may be given. Tell the students you are going to read a story about a character who has a problem. Tell them at the end of the story they will be asked to draw and write their ideas about the story on a Feelings chart of their own. A teacher or volunteer helper could be a scribe for the student if the writing portion is too difficult for them. This assessment could be given at different times throughout the year to determine comprehension in this area.
However, the ultimate way to show proficiency in Standard II, Objective I is by having students demonstrate positive care and concern for each other in their daily experiences together. For example, do they share? Do they listen respectfully to each other? Do they take turns?, etc.