Introduction
Sharing is an essential social skill that helps children develop empathy, build relationships, and create a sense of fairness. For PreK students, understanding the importance of sharing and its impact on others’ feelings can be difficult. This blog post will explore a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help educators teach PreK students the value of sharing and how it affects the emotions of those around them.
No-Prep Activity
This no-prep activity requires no materials or preparation from the educator, making it an easy and effective way to teach sharing and its impact on feelings. Begin by having the students gather in a circle. Choose one student to start with a small object, such as a ball or a toy. Explain that the student should pass the object to the person on their left, but before doing so, they should say, “I’m sharing this with you because I care about your feelings.” The next student should then repeat the process, passing the object along and saying the same phrase until it has made its way around the circle. This activity allows students to practice sharing while also emphasizing the connection between sharing and caring for others’ feelings.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it important to share with others? How does sharing make others feel?
- How do you feel when someone doesn’t share with you? What can you do in that situation?
- Can you think of a time when you shared something with someone else? How did it make you feel? How do you think it made the other person feel?
- What are some ways we can practice sharing at school, at home, and with friends?
- How can we remind ourselves to think about others’ feelings when we are playing or using something that others might want to use too?
Related Skills
Teaching the importance of sharing and its impact on feelings is just one aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. Other related skills that can help students develop empathy and build strong relationships include:
- Active listening: Teaching students to listen attentively to others and respond appropriately.
- Empathy: Helping students understand and share the feelings of others.
- Cooperation: Encouraging students to work together towards a common goal.
- Conflict resolution: Guiding students in resolving disagreements in a peaceful and respectful manner.
- Assertiveness: Supporting students in expressing their needs and feelings in a respectful and confident way.
Next Steps
As an educator, it’s essential to provide opportunities for students to practice sharing and to reflect on its impact on others’ feelings. The more students engage in these experiences, the better they will become at understanding the importance of sharing and considering the feelings of those around them. To help you continue teaching these valuable skills, be sure to sign up for free samples of sharing activities and other Social-Emotional Learning resources at Everyday Speech.
