Do you feel like getting your students to say please and thank you is an impossible task? Well, these books and videos are here to help with that! Each of the following resources is focused on teaching little ones to use good manners in their daily lives, making your life a little bit easier.

BOOKS That Teach Manners

This collection of books about manners pairs extremely well with The Social Emotional Learning curriculum. Each book teaches kids how to have good manners in a unique way, which will further solidify their understanding of the effectiveness of a simple please or thank you. Within The Social Emotional Learning Curriculum, you will also find question and answer sheets that are super helpful post-read if that is something that interests you!

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1. Do Unto Otters by: Laurie Keller

In her smart, playful style Laurie Keller highlights how to be a good friend and neighbor―simply follow the Golden Rule!

2. Time to Say Please by: Mo Willems

Groups of ebullient mice narrate this humorous text as young children try in vain to get what they want, learning along the way that it is helpful to say “Please,” “Thank you,” “Excuse me,” and “I'm sorry.” Oh, and you have to mean it, too.

3. The Monsters’ Monster by:  Patrick McDonnell

In this playful tale from bestselling picture book author Patrick McDonnell, a very BIG monster shows three very BAD little monsters the power of boundless gratitude.

4. Rude Cakes by:  Rowboat Watkins

Mixing hilarious text and pictures, Rowboat Watkins, a former Sendak fellow, has cooked up a laugh-out-loud story that can also be served up as a delectable discussion starter about manners or bullying, as it sweetly reminds us all that even the rudest cake can learn to change its ways.

VIDEOS That Teach Manners

Each of the videos below shows how having good manners makes the people around you feel. You may even find your kids humming along to some by the end! In The Social Emotional Learning Curriculum, we provide follow-up questions for each of these videos, so class discussion is now easier than ever!

1. Use Polite Words

Learn about using polite words in this WonderGrove Kids animation featuring sign language from Signing Savvy.

2. Sesame Street, Monster Manners

Help your little monsters learn to mind their manners! Can Cookie Monster control himself around cookies long enough to join the prestigious Cookie Connoisseurs Club?

3. Good Manners | Songs for Kids

This song is full of helpful reminders on how to be polite in our everyday lives!

Manners Activities for the Classroom

We have found that the following activities are super helpful when it comes to teaching your kids about how to have good manners in your classroom. All of these activities can be found inside of The Social Emotional Learning full-year curriculum. There are a total of 12 different character traits and each module includes, daily lessons, songs, videos, read alouds with questions, art projects, home connections, and more! You can also find video trainings about Calm Down Corners, Breathing Techniques, Morning Meetings, Self Regulation, Developing Student Relationships, and other great extras within the curriculum!

1. Manners Poster

Print and hang this poster on your character wall or on your whiteboard.  It's a great tool to use to introduce the focus of the month. 

2. Manners Scenario Cards

Use these as a tool for a whole group discussion or even writing prompts!  There are 8 scenario cards included.  Each scenario is relatable to your students and prompts them to decide what they would do if they were faced with the same scenario.  We have also included full page scenario card options for you to display on your SMART board.  These are great to use for morning meeting discussions! 

3. Read and Respond Passages

These read and respond passages include a 1st grade and 2nd grade set with correlating text level complexity.  Students can do this independently, in a small group, or whole group with the teacher walking them through the activity.  Students read the passage.  The passage has a difficult situation with no ending.  The students need to decide how to respond to the situation.  These are similar to the scenario cards except with a longer passage and guided opportunities to respond with writing. 

4. Manners Monster

MONSTER CREATION

• Print enough pieces for students to create their own monster. Each student needs a body, arms, legs, and eyes. They can be creative and add hair, horns, etc. if you wish.
• Print one copy of the speech bubble for each student.
• Students assemble the monsters and draw a mouth.

USING THE MONSTERS

• Students assemble the monsters.
• Students draw or write in the speech bubble how their monster has good manners.