Here’s a whopper of a wonder for the Tuesday following a wonderful three-day weekend! How do you help your students make new friends? Granted, “forming friendships” probably doesn’t appear in many district or state standards. However, the teacher in each of us understands the straight-as-an-arrow connection between learning and self-esteem.
Would you agree that younger students make friends faster? My theory is that little ones don’t get bogged down with likes and dislikes as much—they simply want to have fun. Hmmm, makes me think of my pooch, Lexie. After a quick how-do-you-do, she’s ready to romp! Maybe we could learn a little something from our canine buddies?
Yikes! Get me back on point! See what happens when I get a day off? 🙂 In all seriousness, the start of the school year is an awesome time for forming friendships. I’d sure like to learn how you encourage friendships in your classroom!
Your friend,
Diane
I teach kindergarten, and we read Fox Makes Friends.
This little fox tries to “make a friend” with sticks and berries. So after we read this book together, we go outside and gather nature items to “make friends”. It’s a great way for students to work together. Plus, they get to use their creative imaginations.
In Prek its pretty easy for the kids to make friendships. When I see a child who is having a hard time entering a group activity I assist them and they are soon playing with the rest of them.
1. You can plan fun activities and games that require the children to play and share together.
2. You can also pair up a shy child with an out-going child and they can become friends.
3. Play a lot of non-competitive games and friendships form though games also.
I agree that it seems easier for younger children to make friends. It also seems much easier for them to forgive & forget when issues arise.
If a child does happen to be having a difficult time, I will ask another student to be a good pal & pair up with the child.
My son has received special services since the age of 2. Yet, when it came time for kindergarten, his support team felt attempting a mainstream setting was in his best interest.
At Meet the Teacher, a gracious kindergarten educator observed my son for a few minutes as he rocked and repeated two words about a hundred times. When she asked to see me in the hallway, I thought “uh-oh.” And then, she shocked me by saying she would need the support team’s help to reach my child academically, and she wasn’t sure what she could promise in that realm. She went on to give her word that she would help him make at least one friend, since friendship sometimes means more to a body than any other comfort.
In no way was this a cop-out. She was sincerely dedicated to my son’s development. And, a decade later, so is the friend she worked so hard to help him make. I wish I could tell all the teachers in the world what her secret was, but I wtill can’t fathom how she did what she did. What I can say is share is a giant “thank you” to all the teachers that recognize what a valuable part of “hidden” curriculum friendship is!