Building Kindness Skills

Lesson 1: Introduction to Kindness

Grade: 1st
Time: 60 minutes
Class Size: 8 students
Unit: Building Positive Behaviors Together (1 of 12)

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Learning Objectives (Aligned to Common Core & Social-Emotional Learning)

Students will be able to:

• I can explain what kindness means and why it is important in making and keeping friends. (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1)
• I can participate in role-playing to practice kind behaviors. (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4)
• I can listen to my classmates and share my ideas about kindness respectfully. (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1.A)

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Success Criteria

• Students use kind words during discussions and role-plays.
• Students can name at least two ways to show kindness.
• Students work cooperatively in group activities, demonstrating listening and sharing skills.

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Standards Alignment

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1: Participate in collaborative conversations about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas clearly.
• Social-Emotional Learning Competency (CASEL): Social Awareness & Relationship Skills - recognizing others’ feelings and showing empathy and kindness.

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Materials Needed

• Kindness storybook or dyslexia-friendly text (e.g., simple sentences, clear font like Dyslexie or OpenDyslexic)
• Emotion and kindness word cards (large font, bright colors)
• Role-play scenario cards
• “Kindness Tree” poster and paper leaves
• Markers, crayons
• Visual schedule or timer

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up Circle Time (10 minutes)

• Objective: Create a safe space and activate prior knowledge.
• Gather students in a circle and introduce the topic with the prompt: “What does kindness mean to you?”
• Use visual emotion cards to help students express feelings related to being kind and receiving kindness.
• Scaffold ideas by offering sentence starters: “Kindness is...”, “I feel happy when...”, “I show kindness by...”

Differentiation:

• Support ELL students and those with speech delays by pairing visuals with words.
• Use gestures and sign language for non-verbal students.

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2. Read-Aloud & Discussion (15 minutes)

• Read a short dyslexia-friendly story about kindness (e.g., “Kindness is Cool” with simple sentences, large font).
• Pause to ask questions: “How did the character show kindness?”, “Why is being kind important?”
• Encourage students to share if they have done kind things before or seen someone kind to them.

Differentiation:

• Pair stronger readers with peers to model fluent reading.
• Provide the text as a take-home reader with audio support if possible.

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3. Kindness Role-Play Activity (20 minutes)

• Divide students into pairs or groups of 3.
• Give each group a kindness role-play card (e.g., “Share your toy,” “Help a friend who fell,” “Say something nice to someone”).
• Model one example role-play with a student.
• Groups practice and then perform their kindness scenario for the class.
• After each role-play, ask “What did you notice about how they showed kindness?”

Differentiation:

• For students needing extra support, provide a scripted dialogue or visual cues.
• For advanced students, challenge them to add “what could happen next” or “how the friend might feel” to role-plays.

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4. Kindness Tree Craft and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Each student writes or draws one kind act they can do on a paper leaf. For students who struggle with writing, offer a helper or allow drawing.
• Attach leaves to the “Kindness Tree” poster in the classroom to serve as a visual reminder.
• Prompt reflection: “How does helping others make our classroom a better place?”

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5. Closing and Review (5 minutes)

• Use a calming signal to gather students for closing.
• Review “I can” statements aloud together.
• Ask students to share one thing they learned about kindness today.

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Assessment

• Informal observations during discussions and role-plays.
• Check students’ leaves on the kindness tree for understanding of kind acts.
• Use a simple “thumbs up/down” to quickly assess if students feel confident in showing kindness.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Have students create their own kindness story or comic strip.
• Assign “Kindness Helper” roles to students to encourage leadership and ongoing practice.

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Additional Scaffolding Tips

• Use visuals and consistent routines to reduce cognitive load.
• Repeat key vocabulary daily to build familiarity.
• Break activities into smaller steps for students who need it.

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Summary

This lesson offers hands-on, scaffolded opportunities for first graders to understand and practice kindness in an interactive and inclusive way. It aligns with Common Core speaking and listening standards while embedding social-emotional skills essential for positive classroom community building.