Teaching Kids to Be Responsible Through Literacy Activities

I’ve been starting to add responsibilities into my preschoolers’ days. It is wonderful to see them feeling empowered and I know that this will take them far in life. And, you can tie literacy skills into teaching little ones to be responsible.

Here are five literacy activities to build responsibility.

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1  Choosing Breakfast

This really was initiated by my 4 year-old after we read [easyazon_link identifier=”0823433080″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]Jack and the Hungry Giant[/easyazon_link] from our Picky Eaters Book List. He began to check that his plate looked liked like the giant’s plate and included different food groups.

 

I made each of my kids a  MyPlate (click on the MyPlate coloring sheet) with the five food groups.  Then, we cut out pictures of each food we generally have available for breakfast.  We found many of the food items in our [easyazon_link identifier=”0312504926″ locale=”US” tag=”groboobyboo-20″]favorite sticker book[/easyazon_link].  I color coded the border of each food to match the sections on the plate.  I also labeled each food so that my kids can start to associate the word with the food.  I made two sets so that both of my kids could use the materials.  I laminated everything for durability and added velcro.

Each morning, my kids select what they would like for breakfast.  I remove choices for items that we don’t have on hand or don’t have time to prepare.  Then, my kids ask if they need help with something that needs to be prepared such as eggs or pancakes.  Otherwise, they get out the things they have decided to have for the day.

The kids are learning to make well balanced choices, thinking about what their bodies want, and preparing their own breakfast if it is something that doesn’t need to be cooked.

2  Collecting Books

My kids are also now in charge of collecting books that need to be returned to the library.  They check each room for books. We have a special library bag that holds all the books.

3 Book Choice

Speaking of books, my kids have always had the responsibility of picking out their bedtime books.  They get to pick out three books each night to have read to them before bed.  This task also builds counting skills!

4.  Read

Read books about responsibility.  You might start with some on this list from Meaningful Mama or this list from Pragmatic Mom.

5.  Lists

Cleaning up time is still a struggle for us.  I’m loving the idea of creating routine cards.  I first read about them at One Creative Mommy.  You can find bedroom routine cards on her site.  I love that they include the written direction along with a picture cue which is perfect for preschoolers.  And, they help to work on sequencing and following directions.

I made one for our Lego table/room.  I’ll gradually add more cards to help us be responsible for keeping things tidy!

So there you go!  Five tips for teaching kids about responsibility with a literacy twist.

For more responsibility ideas related to early childhood, visit our #TeachECE  co-hosts posts.

Teaching Responsibility in Preschool through Practical Life Skills via The Preschool Toolbox Blog
Teaching Responsibility: Use a Morning Routine Checklist via Mom Inspired Life
Morning Routine Chart for the Preschool Classroom via Fun-A-Day
Teaching Responsibility: Simple Daily Routine Chart for Kids via Learning 2 Walk
Using Group Goals to Teach Responsibility in Kindergarten and Preschool via Capri + 3
Responsibility Interactive Mini-Book and Memory Game for Preschoolers via Life Over C’s
 Homeschool Lesson Plan Checklist via Still Playing School
Teaching Children How to Be Responsible for their Own Backpack by The Educators’ Spin On It

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