This is a nice way to get kids to see the positive in their peers while building self-esteem.
Objective: The learner will practice sentence writing by creating a paper stocking and writing compliments about four other students.
Materials: Class set of Stocking reproducible, markers, crayons, pencils, lined paper, scissors, board, chart paper or electronic whiteboard
Procedure:
- Explain to students that they will be decorating a paper stocking. Hold up and show blank stocking to students. Ask for suggestions of colors, ways to decorate etc.
- Allow students time to decorate and cut out their stockings.
- When complete, tell the students that one of the best gifts they can give to another is the gift of being a friend. Ask them what friends do. Write responses on board.
- Once there has been a response like, “a friend says nice things,” tell them that they are going to do just that. They are going to think of nice things to say, then write about each other.
- Assemble the students into groups of four or five. Instruct them to think of nice things about the people in their group.
- Review what a sentence is, that it must have a subject and a predicate or who and what they do. Also remind them about capitals and periods. If cursive is an area of focus review correct formation of some troublesome letters.
- Instruct students to first give oral compliments to the members of their group before writing them down. Invite them to be creative and focus on the uniqueness of each person.
- Allow time for students to write sentences.
- Once sentences are complete the students cut them out in strips and paste them onto each other’s stocking as if a gift were spilling out.
Evaluation: Were students able to come up with compliments for each other? Were they able to write in complete sentences?
Follow up: Stockings could be displayed on wall and different compliments read by teacher or students.