Back To School Read Alouds – Book 2: Kindness Snippet Jar

August 1, 2023

Learn how to use Kindness Snippet Jar to cultivate a culture of kindness. Make first week of school inviting with back to school read alouds!

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Welcome back to the exciting yet nerve-wracking anticipation that marks the beginning of a new school year. If you are done decorating your classroom and ready to plan your first week of school lesson plans, consider adding “Kindness Snippet Jar” by Diane Alber to your Back To School Read Alouds list.

This charming book provides a platform to explore kindness in a tangible, engaging way. It doesn’t merely tell our students to be kind; it shows them how, prompts them to think, and invites them to participate.

The first week of school is a special week because it sets the tone for the rest of the school year. As teachers, we understand that kindness isn’t merely an attribute; it’s a skill to be nurtured and developed. That is why I love to bring up the topic of kindness with students and have opportunities for students to practice being kind in the classroom.

Let’s dive into the book and how you can structure your read-aloud!

Kindness Snippet Jar Overview

Back To School Read Alouds - Kindness Snippet Jar — Grab a copy of the Kindness Snippet Jar

The word “kindness” has been thrown around quite a bit but you will be surprised that most students don’t truly understand how to be kind or knows what that looks like.

I love the “Kindness Snipper Jar” by Diane Alber because it encourages students to think about the question “What actions are considered kind?” It also gives teachers an opportunity to implement a kindness jar in the classroom. Let’s take a look at the lesson plan to help you get some ideas on how to use this book during your first week of school.

Back To School Read Aloud Lesson Plan: Kindness

Objective: Students will reflect on what kindness means and identify actions that are kind.

Pre-Reading

Start the discussion by talking about kindness. You can also pull out a KWL chart and see what students already know and what to know about kindness.

Additional Questions:

Ask students to define kindness in their own words.
How have they seen kindness in action?
Prompt the students to think about circles and their symbolic meaning, both literally and metaphorically.
Ask students to ponder why they think the author chose a jar to represent kindness snippets.

During Reading

Pause when Snippet is thinking about what he could do to be kind. It’s where his friend was about to return to the jar.

Ask students to help Snippet think of ways he could be kind. You can record your students’ answers on a whiteboard, or give them sticky notes to stick their answers on an anchor chart.

Additional Questions:

Ask students to note how the illustrations in the book help convey the message of kindness.
What do you think Snippet is going to do now?
Could you relate to Snippet? Have you ever wanted to be kind but just didn’t know how?

Post Reading

After reading, ask the students to think about how Snippet’s one act of kindness allowed others to also be kind with him. Ask them to think about different acts of kindness that will also allow other people to participate as well.

You can record your students’ answers on the whiteboard or post their sticky notes on an anchor chart.

Additional Questions:

How did Snippet’s understanding of kindness evolve? What did he learn?

Activity: Create A Class Kindness Jar

Materials Needed:

Jar or Shoe Box
Sticker Paper (cut into smaller pieces)
Markers
Scissors
Construction Paper (cut into smaller pieces)

Instructions:

Explain to the students that the class will start a kindness jar. This will be a place for students to deposit notes about acts of kindness they’ve witnessed or received.
Each student will get a chance to help decorate the kindness jar by creating their own sticker.
Give each student a blank sticker paper and let them create their own sticker.
Also, give each student a piece of construction paper to write out an act of kindness they’ve experienced this week. They can remain anonymous but make sure to write down that person’s name. It could be someone in class or their family.
Collect the stickers and decorate the kindness jar and allow students to add in their first notes!
Dedicate 5 to 10 minutes at the end of each week to read some notes from the kindness jar, fostering a regular practice of recognizing and appreciating kindness.

Using a Class Kindness Jar not only nurtures a culture of empathy and positivity but also allows students to recognize and appreciate acts of kindness. By focusing on positive actions, you can create a supportive and collaborative classroom environment.

If you love Social Emotional Learning and want to implement it throughout the school year, grab a FREE 1 month of SEL Daily Morning Meeting here.

Check Out Rainbow Mindfulness Books and More!

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Kindness Snippet Jar Read Aloud Lesson Plan:

Back To School Read Alouds Lesson Plan Summary — Back To School Read Alouds: Kindness Snippet Jar Lesson Plan Summary

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If you decide to implement the Kindness Jar or read “Kindness Snippet Jar”, tag me on Instagram @LittleYellowStarTeaches, and don’t forget to appreciate @DianeAlber for her wonderful book.

Here’s to a school year filled with learning, growth, and abundant kindness!

Thank you for reading, and welcome back to school!

Bye for now,

Prima from LittleYellowStar

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Back To School Read Alouds – Book 2: Kindness Snippet Jar

Table Of Contents:

Kindness Snippet Jar Overview