Say It Right: How to Include Others
Week 1-4
Introduce this topic and discuss with children:
“What does it mean to include someone?”
“How does it feel to be included in something?”
“How does it feel when you are left out?”
Have group discussions with children. Ask:
“When you see someone feeling left out, how can you include them in your play?”
“What would you like someone to do to make you feel included?”
Children are ready for play with peers, encourage and help facilitate this:
“I see [CHILD’S NAME] wants to play in blocks too, why don’t you ask them ‘Do want to play with me?’”.
Bring children together often for moments of play and social interaction with their peers. Model sharing, offering toys or books, and including them in your activities.
Encourage but do not force sharing.
“[CHILD’S NAME] I see you have three green crayons here and [OTHER CHILD’S NAME] is looking for a green. Do you think you could pass him/her one to use?”
If a child says “no” to sharing something, they simply are not ready or done with it. Try:
“[CHILD’S NAME] I see you are not ready to share the car yet. Can you let [OTHER CHILD’S NAME] know that when you are all done you will pass it to them?”
Sing songs together that draw individual attention to each child.
Ex. Welcome songs that use their names
Let children “help” care for peers in distress:
“Oh I see that [CHILD’S NAME] is sad, why don’t we see if he/she needs something!” Prompt the child to ask their friend: “are you okay?”, “do you need something to feel better?”, “can I help you?”.
Set the tone for your classroom by modeling inclusive behavior:
If you see a child upset, playing alone, or seemingly feeling left out make every effort to include them.