Today I'm excited because I'm hosting my first Lunch 'n Learn with retired teacher and friend April Darling, who'll share ideas to enhance our Morning Meetings.
I'm also delighted to share today's PPBF pick,
the perfect springboard for class circle discussions.
Title: What Does It Mean To Be Kind?
Author: Rana DiOrio
Illustrator: Stéphane Jorisch
Publisher: Little Pickle Press
Date: August 25, 2015
Suitable for: grades preK-3rd
Non-fiction
Themes: kindness, courage, empathy
Brief synopsis: In this fifth book of the author's What Does It Mean? series, children can cultivate ideas about how people of all ages can show and experience kindness.
Opening page: What does it mean to be kind?
Resources:
*Read a Forward Review {here}.
*Check out this comprehensive Cool Mom Picks review.
*Download the Publisher's Discussion Guide {here}.
*Download The Kindness Game at Edutopia {here}.
*Revisit this post about Teaching Kindness at Edutopia.
*Prepare to be wowed by these beautiful Kindness Tree visual displays gathered by my friend Lisa at Ripple Kindness blog.
Why I like this book: Who wouldn't love the focus of this treasure's actionable suggestions for making kindness a verb. And because kindness knows no calendar, this book is positively perfect for any time of year, especially right now as we're about to kick of National Character Counts! Week.
We know that we get more of what we focus on, so putting the spotlight on kindness is spot on. And because of its contagious quality, kindness creates a win-win that can serve as a powerful antidote to apathy, meanness, and bullying. After reading this gem aloud, look up the word kindness using Sign Language. Then research the signs using other words in the book to enrich the text's vocabulary and bring it to life.
My friend Heather made this sign for the threshold to our Hero Headquarters; use it to inspire a Kindness: It's A Sign campaign. Encourage your students to create a sign, a billboard, or a bumper sticker to advertise kindness and post them around the classroom, cafeteria, and hallways.
Check out this book: it's a beautiful reminder of the charge of James M. Barrie: For today, be a little kinder than necessary.
What's your favorite practice for intentionally showing kindness?
