Children Learning About Helping Others

We are in the season of being “thankful” and “giving” to our fellow human beings.  As pre-k teachers ponder culturally developmentally age appropriate activities to engage preschool activities to engage preschool age students (4-5) on the content of “helping others” that will be continued into adulthood can be a challenge.

One of the teachers I evaluate selected to present her students with the goals to gain a deeper understanding of homelessness and purpose of soup kitchen.  After an in-depth conversation to see what the students knew on the concept of “helping others” and “giving” that was continued with questions of what they had to better understand and make interconnections to their lives.  Therefore, the teacher introduced various center related center activities.

Here are some pictures of the planned activities where the children went to centers to manipulate materials and engage in conversations on topic.  As the teacher circulated, she engaged students to ensure they were understanding and demonstrating concepts of “helping others” and “giving”.

The block center was changed to homeless shelter and/or tent for those who did not want to stay inside.  Also, there’s a sign of Homeless Shelter, truck bringing in food items, and on blocks persons gone to bed with covers

. 

Housekeeping center was changed into a Soup Kitchen with the server line where the students wore hair nets, plastic gloves and reminder of sanitation/health issues.  There were paper plates with glued foods representing food groups and serving quantity.

While I was observing some of the students asked, “Do you have a place to stay?”  Then they showed me the Homeless Shelter and the tent for my choice.  One child took my hand to the Soup Kitchen and said, “Enjoy the food”.  From my conversations, I had was evident the students were making connections to “helping others” and “giving”.

It should be noted that this teacher incorporated the “Tree of kindness acts” where the students told the teacher fellow classmates acts then a heart was placed on the tree.  In addition, the teacher wrote the act on a post it note (name, act, date) to different acts of kindness had been shown in class, outside and on walking fieldtrip to nursing home facility (next door).  Here’s a picture of how she incorporated the concept of kindness.

Even though this is the season to reiterate “helping others” and “giving” these are acts that should be reinforced all year long.  I truly hope that these activities presented by this teacher assist you going forward with your students for the need to “helping others” and “giving.

Special thanks to teacher Susan Blanton, NC pre-k teacher in Wake County, NC.