Teaching children about respect for self and peers is so important. This can be accomplished through both books and videos. This collection will be sure to grab your students' attention and open up the conversation to ways respect can be shown and demonstrated.
Books that Teach Respect
Books are a great way to teach students about something. These books are a collection of our favorite books that teach respect. We have question and answer sheets available for these books in our Social Emotional Curriculum if you're interested.
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1. The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill
A fresh and original twist on the common issue of bullying. Kids will relate and parents and teachers will appreciate the story's handling of conflict resolution (which happens without adult intervention).
2. That Rule Doesn't Apply to Me! by Julia Cook
Whether you are a parent, counselor, therapist, teacher, psychologist, or just someone who spends a lot of time with kids and wants to teach them manners, this book is here to help!
3. All Are Welcome Here by Alexandra Penfold
A warm, welcoming picture book that celebrates diversity and gives encouragement and support to all kids. All Are Welcome lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, they are welcome in their school.
4. The Way I Act by Steve Metzger
The Way I Act explores thirteen ways of behaving. The friendly verses and bold illustrations convey many positive ideas of how to act in a variety of situations. In the companion book, The Way I Feel, children learned that feelings come and go and simply are.
Videos that Teach Respect
Children love animated videos. Here are a list of videos that teach respect that your students will be sure to love! If you are interested in follow-up questions to extend the conversation after showing the videos in your classroom, we have these available inside of our Social Emotional Curriculum.
1. “Bridge” by Ting Chian Tey
Crossing a bridge is easy without pride or stubbornness getting in the way, unfortunately this one has an abundance of both! Enjoy another Disney Shorts favorite, Ting Chian Tey's animated short, “Bridge.”
2. Care Bears- Being Respectful of Others
The Care Bears always know the importance of showing respect to other people. This sweet video will hold your students' interest all while teaching some valuable lessons.
3. Respect Others
Sometimes young children can cross other kids' body boundaries. It's never too early to learn that everyone has the right to refuse unwanted touch have have boundaries.
4. Show Some Respect
Teaching our kids about respect, begins with treating others as we want to be treated. Morgan provides us with some helpful tips and tells us three awesome stories about respecting others. We can show respect in many different ways. We can act and speak kindly, listen to others, respect people for who they are, express gratitude, and on and on. But, it comes down to one thing: Being Nice! So go be nice, people. Show some respect to others.
Respect Activities for the Classroom
We suggest the following activities to be used in the classroom to help reinforce the concept of respect. All of these activities can be found inside of Social Emotional Curriculum. There are a total of 12 different character traits, daily lessons, songs, videos, read alouds with questions, art projects, home connections, and more! Included in the curriculum are video trainings about Calm Down Corners, Breathing Techniques, Morning Meetings, Self Regulation, Developing Student Relationships, and more!
1. Respect Sort
Students cut behavior actions off the bottom of the page. Then they read and sort the actions into two categories: shows respect & does not show respect.
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2. Respect Anchor Chart
Use this anchor chart as a whole group activity, independent activity, or both! There are many options for this chart. You could display it on the SMART Board and fill it out with your class or even have your students fill out their version along with you! This could be done all in one day or over a span of a week.
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3. Respect Scenario Cards
Use these as a tool for a whole group discussion or even writing prompt! 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.
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4. Respect Mindful Coloring Sheets
Purposeful and mindful coloring can be therapeutic for children. These coloring sheets come in three different fonts and all of the designs are hand-drawn by an artist.
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Download the Social Emotional Learning Curriculum below!
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The books here are just great. I can definitely say that I have some vivid memories from kids’ books about such a simple but important issue as mutual respect. Here’s my takeaway on how to teach kids respect. Teaching children respect is a key part of parenting.
It is important to show respect to your children, so they learn how to show respect to others. Start by setting a good example. Be respectful to your children, even when disciplining them. Show them how to treat others with kindness and respect. Encourage your children to be polite. Teach them to say “please” and “thank you”, and to use kind words when speaking to others. Remind them to be courteous and to listen when someone is speaking. Teach your children to be tolerant of others. Help them to understand that everyone is different, If you want to look at more books that teach kids respect, you’re welcome to take a look at my selection here https://aliciaortego.com/books-about-respect/