3 Ways to Teach Kindness This Valentine's Day With Clifford

From Scholastic: 3 Ways to Teach Kindness This Valentine’s Day With Clifford

As a teacher, there are few things more important than teaching your students about kindness. While you hope they’ll walk out of your classroom at the end of the school year with a host of new educational skills, instilling kindness in them along the way is a truly invaluable gift that will stay with them for all of their lives.

Valentine’s Day brings the perfect opportunity to teach your students about the importance of being kind. And Clifford, everyone’s favorite Big Red Dog, is the perfect pup to help you get the job done! With his loveable face and his amusing antics, he’s a great way to bring lots of kindness—and lots of laughs—into your classroom.

Here are 3 fun and easy ways you can teach kindness through Clifford this Valentine’s Day. Plus, check out more top Clifford books.

1. Think big, but start small.

Just like in Clifford’s Puppy Days: Puppy Love, lots of students—especially younger ones—may not yet fully understand what words like “love” and kindness” truly mean. Read the story to your class and spend some time defining these words, giving lots of examples along the way. Start small with these discussions from the beginning of the school year, so by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around, kindness conversations are a regular part of your school day. Here are a few ideas and discussion questions to kickstart your lessons:

Post it. Write out simple definitions of “love” and “kindness” on large, easy-to-read poster boards. Place the posters in a prominent spot in your classroom; this way, students will be able to see them every day, all year long.
Give examples. Talk about what it means to be kind and why being kind is so important. Regularly ask students to give an example of something they can do to show kindness towards others.
Start a kindness jar. Keep track of your students’ kindnesses, and catch them in the act! Give each student a small pom-pom each time you notice them doing or saying something kind to drop into a jar. When the jar is full, celebrate with a party or special treat.

Read on for the full list of 3 Ways to Teach Kindness This Valentine’s Day With Clifford on Scholastic.

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