Friends

This week we talked about friendship and how nice it feels to not only have a good friend but to be a good friend.  Friendship in kindergarten moves from playing side by side to playing with others. The children move from being largely self-centered to a world where sharing and compromise is expected. It is a joy to watch each child grow in his/her ability to be a friend.  We discussed what a friend "looks" like and what it might mean to be bullied.  We watched a Brain Pop Jr. video on Bullying. Bullying Video  It is a free video. - Annie and Moby described what bullying is, and why someone might do it. It told of some of the different forms that bullying can take, and some tricks that might help your child protect him/herself from it. We also discussed that Jesus is a friend that is with us always. 

I had the kids conduct a small survey of their new friends - their table partners.  In the pictures below you can see the survey and the kids asking each other questions.

 

 


I read or we listened to the following:

Rainbow Fish - The most beautiful fish in the ocean is asked to share one of his shining scales with a little blue fish, and to which he refuses. All the other fish in the sea leave him alone, and he wondered why. He goes to the wise octopus for advice, and she tells him to give away his scales. Rainbow Fish reluctantly does so, except for one. In the end, he is less beautiful then he was before, but he has new friends and is now the happiest fish in the sea.

The children made their own rainbow fish to remind them to share.
Ethan's is on top.  Elizabeth's is in the middle.  Cooper's is on the bottom.

Just Me and My Friend -       One day, a boy asked his mom if he could have a friend over because he didn't want to play alone. They climbed trees, played baseball and rode bikes, but his friend was not very nice to him. At the end of the day, he was happy just to be alone.

Ira Sleeps Over -Ira is thrilled to spend the night at Reggie’s, until his sister raises the question of whether he should take his teddy bear.What would Reggie think? Of course Ira’s big enough to sleep without his beloved bear . . . isn’t he?”

Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully -Chester Raccoon must learn to deal with another common problem of childhood: a bully at school.Chester, Ronny, and Cassy follow the spirit of Mrs. Raccoon's story when they next encounter the Bully. Approaching him as a group, they invite him to play, proving that the best way to get rid of an enemy is to make him or her a friend. 

Llama Llama and the Bully Goat - Following their teacher's lead, Llama Llama speaks to Gilroy Goat and tells him he should not act like a bully on the playground.