Quick question: do your children always pick up after themselves, and always tell the truth? If yes, then go ahead and skip on past this post, because you don’t need these great books from Free Spirit Publishing.
Respect and Take Care of Things
These books are written in simple text (just a couple of lines per page) but the illustrations are detailed enough to show children what’s happening. I’ve read this book to my girls, and I also used it the very first day of school with my class, as an attempt to justify my obsessive-compulsiveness with my students. (“Mrs. Winn just wants you to learn to respect and take care of things. It’s not that she has any sort of neat-freak issues!”) Not just about tidiness, the book also extends to not touching things that belong to others, not littering, etc., and the reasons why these habits are so important. “Respect” is also our Catholic Virtue of the Month for September, so it fits in perfectly with the curriculum.
This book teaches children that honesty isn’t just about not lying, but also owning up to your mistakes, doing your own work, and keeping the right things private. It also touches on the ‘white lie’, and when it’s better to not tell everything. There’s an illustration of a little girl receiving a pair of striped socks for a gift…the same ones she’s already wearing. “Thanks! I like them!” she says. Not “I already have those!” like my daughter has announced in the past. (“Honesty” is June’s virtue, so I’ve filed this one away to share with my class then!)
At the back of each book, there are also suggestions for reinforcing the concepts, with page-by-page discussion questions, and ideas for activities and games which work on the book’s skill. These titles are great starting points for discussions about the expectations in your own home, or to reinforce what’s being taught at school. They also tie in very nicely with Character Education (or Catholic Virtues).
Other books in this series include: Accept and Value Each Person, Reach Out and Give, and Try and Stick With It (only $10.95 each). Next on my list is Share and Take Turns, which I think I should buy for Frannie’s teacher. My daughter has so very many wonderful qualities, but this area could use a little work, and she’ll listen to her teacher more than me (yes, she’s been an official student for one day, and already her teacher is the ultimate authority).
You must visit Free Spirit Publishing and check out these titles. Unless, of course, your children are perfect. In which case, maybe you should be writing for this series instead!
Disclaimer: I was provided with the two titles named above for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own. “Be Honest and Tell the Truth” wasn’t lost on me!
These look great! I think I need to pick up "Be Honest and Tell the Truth". My three year old is having difficult grasping the concept of honesty.
I'm following you back from FMIC. Great blog. I'm sure I'll be checking back here often.