Each week our school focuses on a new life principal word. These words represent important concepts that will help your child be successful in school. Please talk about and use each word as often as you can during the week. Because most words represent abstract concepts it is important to create experiences and give concrete examples to help your child fully understand the meaning of the word. The more exposure your child has to these words and concepts the greater their academic vocabulary will be enhanced. While many of the words may challenging for your child, you will be amazed at how quickly his or her vocabulary will grow!
October 21st Fortitude: strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage. You can teach your child this concept by pointing out when they are being strong, especially in difficult situations such as when they have to go to the doctor to get a shot.
May 5th Generosity: doing good for others without expecting anything in return. You reinforce this concept by acknowledging when your child is doing something nice for others such as letting a friend play with one of your their toys, sharing toys or treats, etc.
April 28th Honesty: telling the truth. Honesty is an important character trait that helps build trust. Encourage your child to tell the truth when you ask them a question. Young children often lie, not to be deceitful but to simply get out of trouble. If you believe your child is lying to you, express your feelings about the matter and let them know that lying is not okay. There may be times when you need to impose a consequence for lying such as missing a favorite activity (playing games, watching T.V.). As always, it is important to model honest behavior too.
April 21st Commitment: keeping a promise or a pledge. You can help children learn the meaning of this word by pointing out and making your child accountable for their promises. When your child follows through with a promise, let them know that they were really committed to doing the act. For example, "You said you would clean your room after dinner and you went right in your room and cleaned it after dinner. Good job! You were really committed to getting the job done."
April 14th Perseverance: to keep trying; to not give up. You can help your child learn the meaning of this word by acknowledging when you see them persevering and stating that they showed great "perseverance".
April 7th Excellence: to stand out with valuable qualities. You can help your child learn about the concept of excellence by recognizing traits that you value in others such as dependability, friendliness, hard-working, persistence, loving, caring, honesty, etc.
March 24th Charity: kindness or help for the needy or suffering. You can help your preschooler understand the concept of charity by having them donate some old or no longer needed toys or clothes to the local shelters. You can also encourage them to be kind to others no matter how people look or act. This is best learned by modeling from others.
March 10th Temperance: moderation in action, thought, or feeling. Preschool is an important time in which children are learning to control their actions and feelings. It won't be until they are a little older before they learn to recognize thought patterns. However, you can help them learn temperance by positively reinforcing prosocial behaviors by saying such things as "I can tell you are really mad and you did a great job walking away, going to your room to calm down and then coming back to play again". Modeling is an important way to teach most skills to our children so be sure that they see you demonstrating positive ways to cope with feelings and actions. Remember, children mostly learn social skills by watching others. If you tend to scream, yell, throw things, or withdraw when you are upset, they will think that this behavior is acceptable and that that is what they are supposed to do when they are upset. One of the first steps is to teach children to recognize their feelings. At this age we focus on the four main feelings: happy, mad, sad, and scared. You can find many different kinds of "Feelings" charts on the Internet. You could begin by asking your child each day to point to the picture that shows how they feel and then teach the child the name of the feeling. If the child says that he/she is angry, sad, or scared you could further explore what is going on and teach the child what to do when he/she is experiencing these feelings. These are the types of activities that I teach when I teach my weekly guidance lessons. It is always helpful when they are reinforced at home. As always, if your child is having particular trouble in this area I would be happy to meet with you to give you some more ideas in how to work with your child.
March 3rd Forgiveness: to give up the wish to punish; pardon. It is important to emphasize with our child that everyone makes mistakes, including adults. When you find that you have made a mistake with your child or family member, model for your the asking for and accepting forgiveness. Children are more likely to forgive others if they know that they are forgiven for their mistakes and if it is modeled at home and school.
February 24th Service: To help others. You can teach your child the concept of service by acknowledging when they are helping around the house or any other time they are helping you or others.
February 17th Common Sense: thinking before you act. You can help your child learn this concept by talking to your child about their behavior when it is occurring and asking them if they are making a good "choice". It is important that children learn that their behaviors have consequences, both positive and negative. It's also important that parents are consistent with consequences when disciplining their child. This will also teach children to be responsible for their actions.
February 10th Compassion: the ability to know how someone else feels and show that you care. Parents can model this by commenting when they notice their preschooler is upset and then comforting them.
February 3rd Loyalty: faithfulness to another. Because we live in a military community many of our students are familiar with the concept of loyalty. You can help your preschooler understand the concept better by pointing out situations in which others or family members are being faithful to one another perhaps by helping out with chores, following rules, sticking by one another, etc.
January 27th Courtesy: consideration, cooperation, and generosity; thoughtfulness for others. To reinforce this concept with your child, acknowledge times when he/she is being courteous e.g. "Thank you for helping mommy with the dishes; Thank you for holding the door open for dad, you were really being courteous" etc.
January 20th Courage: strength to act even when afraid or uncertain. Help your youngster to learn when he/she is showing courage by acknowledging when he/she is being courageous. Because preschoolers are learning to label their feelings it will be helpful if you recognize when they are afraid of something and acknowledge when they were brave e.g. "You were really scared to go to sleep in your own bed but you turned on your night light and stayed in bed all night. You were showing great courage!"
January 13th Resiliency: recovering from or adjusting easily to misfortune or change. You can help your preschooler understand this concept by pointing out when he/she is able to recover after something unexpected happens such as when they get hurt or scared about something.
January 6th Propriety: a standard of what is socially acceptable in conduct or speech. You can help your preschooler understand this concept by discussing the topics of manners and rules. For example, you might mention that we address our teacher's by their formal name such as "Mrs. Harris" rather than their first name. You could also talk about the importance of using such manners as saying "please" and "thank-you" or discuss why it would not be appropriate to scream or run in the hallways at school or wear our pajamas to a birthday party or store, etc.
December 9th Dependability: reliable; trustworthy. You can help your preschooler learn the meaning of this word by pointing out situations in which they can count on you (like when they know you are going to pick them up after school) and when you can count on them (like when you tell them to brush their teeth, clean their room, get dressed etc. and they follow through).
December 2nd Diligence: steady and energetic effort. One way to help students understand this concept is to acknowledge when they are working towards a goal and to talk about how they are spending time and energy by working towards their goal.
November 25th Giving: to care for and devote oneself to another. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to teach kids about thankfulness and giving. If you happen to invite someone new to Thanksgiving dinner this year talk to your child about the importance of giving. There is also an opportunity to bring this up as children buy or make something special for someone for Christmas. Any time your child gives of his time or resources please point out that they are "giving" to others. You should also mention how you give of your own time and resources by preparing a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, volunteering, helping those in need and/or buying presents for others.
November 18th Thankfulness: the act of being grateful; glad. This is the time of year when we celebrate all of our many blessings. As you go through the holidays help your child take the time to be thankful for all of the wonderful things he or she will experience this season.
November 12th Patriotism: love for or devotion to one's country. One way that preschoolers can show patriotism is to participate in the pledge of allegiance and the salute to the flag of Oklahoma. Practice these pledges with your child and encourage them to stand with their right hands on their hearts and face the flags. Because we live in a military community there are many opportunities to discuss the sacrifices that military families make on our behalf. As you come into contact with our military soldiers and families talk to your child about how their service in the armed forces is a way of showing love for and devotion to our country.
November 4th Flexibility: the ability to make adjustments or alter plans. As you go through your day, whenever you notice that something unexpected comes up that affects your child, discuss the concept of flexibility. For example, when having to unexpectedly stop by the store before going home after school you might comment: "I like how you are being flexible since our plans changed. We were supposed to go straight home but mommy has to stop by the store and get some milk. You are helping mommy by being a good sport."
May 5th Generosity: doing good for others without expecting anything in return. You reinforce this concept by acknowledging when your child is doing something nice for others such as letting a friend play with one of your their toys, sharing toys or treats, etc.
April 28th Honesty: telling the truth. Honesty is an important character trait that helps build trust. Encourage your child to tell the truth when you ask them a question. Young children often lie, not to be deceitful but to simply get out of trouble. If you believe your child is lying to you, express your feelings about the matter and let them know that lying is not okay. There may be times when you need to impose a consequence for lying such as missing a favorite activity (playing games, watching T.V.). As always, it is important to model honest behavior too.
April 21st Commitment: keeping a promise or a pledge. You can help children learn the meaning of this word by pointing out and making your child accountable for their promises. When your child follows through with a promise, let them know that they were really committed to doing the act. For example, "You said you would clean your room after dinner and you went right in your room and cleaned it after dinner. Good job! You were really committed to getting the job done."
April 14th Perseverance: to keep trying; to not give up. You can help your child learn the meaning of this word by acknowledging when you see them persevering and stating that they showed great "perseverance".
April 7th Excellence: to stand out with valuable qualities. You can help your child learn about the concept of excellence by recognizing traits that you value in others such as dependability, friendliness, hard-working, persistence, loving, caring, honesty, etc.
March 24th Charity: kindness or help for the needy or suffering. You can help your preschooler understand the concept of charity by having them donate some old or no longer needed toys or clothes to the local shelters. You can also encourage them to be kind to others no matter how people look or act. This is best learned by modeling from others.
March 10th Temperance: moderation in action, thought, or feeling. Preschool is an important time in which children are learning to control their actions and feelings. It won't be until they are a little older before they learn to recognize thought patterns. However, you can help them learn temperance by positively reinforcing prosocial behaviors by saying such things as "I can tell you are really mad and you did a great job walking away, going to your room to calm down and then coming back to play again". Modeling is an important way to teach most skills to our children so be sure that they see you demonstrating positive ways to cope with feelings and actions. Remember, children mostly learn social skills by watching others. If you tend to scream, yell, throw things, or withdraw when you are upset, they will think that this behavior is acceptable and that that is what they are supposed to do when they are upset. One of the first steps is to teach children to recognize their feelings. At this age we focus on the four main feelings: happy, mad, sad, and scared. You can find many different kinds of "Feelings" charts on the Internet. You could begin by asking your child each day to point to the picture that shows how they feel and then teach the child the name of the feeling. If the child says that he/she is angry, sad, or scared you could further explore what is going on and teach the child what to do when he/she is experiencing these feelings. These are the types of activities that I teach when I teach my weekly guidance lessons. It is always helpful when they are reinforced at home. As always, if your child is having particular trouble in this area I would be happy to meet with you to give you some more ideas in how to work with your child.
March 3rd Forgiveness: to give up the wish to punish; pardon. It is important to emphasize with our child that everyone makes mistakes, including adults. When you find that you have made a mistake with your child or family member, model for your the asking for and accepting forgiveness. Children are more likely to forgive others if they know that they are forgiven for their mistakes and if it is modeled at home and school.
February 24th Service: To help others. You can teach your child the concept of service by acknowledging when they are helping around the house or any other time they are helping you or others.
February 17th Common Sense: thinking before you act. You can help your child learn this concept by talking to your child about their behavior when it is occurring and asking them if they are making a good "choice". It is important that children learn that their behaviors have consequences, both positive and negative. It's also important that parents are consistent with consequences when disciplining their child. This will also teach children to be responsible for their actions.
February 10th Compassion: the ability to know how someone else feels and show that you care. Parents can model this by commenting when they notice their preschooler is upset and then comforting them.
February 3rd Loyalty: faithfulness to another. Because we live in a military community many of our students are familiar with the concept of loyalty. You can help your preschooler understand the concept better by pointing out situations in which others or family members are being faithful to one another perhaps by helping out with chores, following rules, sticking by one another, etc.
January 27th Courtesy: consideration, cooperation, and generosity; thoughtfulness for others. To reinforce this concept with your child, acknowledge times when he/she is being courteous e.g. "Thank you for helping mommy with the dishes; Thank you for holding the door open for dad, you were really being courteous" etc.
January 20th Courage: strength to act even when afraid or uncertain. Help your youngster to learn when he/she is showing courage by acknowledging when he/she is being courageous. Because preschoolers are learning to label their feelings it will be helpful if you recognize when they are afraid of something and acknowledge when they were brave e.g. "You were really scared to go to sleep in your own bed but you turned on your night light and stayed in bed all night. You were showing great courage!"
January 13th Resiliency: recovering from or adjusting easily to misfortune or change. You can help your preschooler understand this concept by pointing out when he/she is able to recover after something unexpected happens such as when they get hurt or scared about something.
January 6th Propriety: a standard of what is socially acceptable in conduct or speech. You can help your preschooler understand this concept by discussing the topics of manners and rules. For example, you might mention that we address our teacher's by their formal name such as "Mrs. Harris" rather than their first name. You could also talk about the importance of using such manners as saying "please" and "thank-you" or discuss why it would not be appropriate to scream or run in the hallways at school or wear our pajamas to a birthday party or store, etc.
December 9th Dependability: reliable; trustworthy. You can help your preschooler learn the meaning of this word by pointing out situations in which they can count on you (like when they know you are going to pick them up after school) and when you can count on them (like when you tell them to brush their teeth, clean their room, get dressed etc. and they follow through).
December 2nd Diligence: steady and energetic effort. One way to help students understand this concept is to acknowledge when they are working towards a goal and to talk about how they are spending time and energy by working towards their goal.
November 25th Giving: to care for and devote oneself to another. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to teach kids about thankfulness and giving. If you happen to invite someone new to Thanksgiving dinner this year talk to your child about the importance of giving. There is also an opportunity to bring this up as children buy or make something special for someone for Christmas. Any time your child gives of his time or resources please point out that they are "giving" to others. You should also mention how you give of your own time and resources by preparing a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, volunteering, helping those in need and/or buying presents for others.
November 18th Thankfulness: the act of being grateful; glad. This is the time of year when we celebrate all of our many blessings. As you go through the holidays help your child take the time to be thankful for all of the wonderful things he or she will experience this season.
November 12th Patriotism: love for or devotion to one's country. One way that preschoolers can show patriotism is to participate in the pledge of allegiance and the salute to the flag of Oklahoma. Practice these pledges with your child and encourage them to stand with their right hands on their hearts and face the flags. Because we live in a military community there are many opportunities to discuss the sacrifices that military families make on our behalf. As you come into contact with our military soldiers and families talk to your child about how their service in the armed forces is a way of showing love for and devotion to our country.
November 4th Flexibility: the ability to make adjustments or alter plans. As you go through your day, whenever you notice that something unexpected comes up that affects your child, discuss the concept of flexibility. For example, when having to unexpectedly stop by the store before going home after school you might comment: "I like how you are being flexible since our plans changed. We were supposed to go straight home but mommy has to stop by the store and get some milk. You are helping mommy by being a good sport."
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