2nd grade after-school: using the flashcard set (Monday–Friday)
The group uses one large flashcard to talk about a thank-you situation before anyone writes. This Monday–Friday plan is for 2nd grade children in a after-school group.
about 7 and 8- 5 to 10 minutes missions
- Monday–Friday
Using the flashcard set for 2nd grade in a after-school group
The group uses one large flashcard to talk about a thank-you situation before anyone writes. In this after-school room, 2nd grade children (about 7 and 8) practice with “The story on the porch.” Grandpa Luis, the grandparent, he told a short story and let a child sit close until it ended. The Monday–Friday calendar is the one that fits: This is the Monday–Friday format from the first half of the Operation Thank You Manual. You see the same children on five school days. Each day is one mission of 5 to 10 minutes. The note is the work of the later days, not of Monday.
The after-school leader leads. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward. Children answer in a flashcard on the rug or the board, then quiet writing. The spoken line is “Thank you for telling me that story..” The note line is “Thank you for the story on the step..” Alison Gilham’s program supplies the manual, the activity book, and the flashcards; this page is the plan for this group and this kindness.
What Grandpa Luis's lesson needs
The flashcard set has 30 cards, 8.5 by 11 inches, colorful, with rounded corners. The cards mirror the activity book so the group can look at one situation before writing. Each child needs Why and How To Say “Thank You,” the classroom edition: a saddle-stitched activity book with situations for saying thank you, the How To Write A Thank You Note template, and extra pages to practice. The Operation Thank You Manual is 98 pages. The first half is the Monday–Friday classroom sequence. The second half is the once-per-week sequence for clubs. The manual, the activity book, and the flashcards are available in Spanish. The MISSION Reminders Supplement can be added when some children speak Spanish. Extra activity books are sold in packs of 10. For “The story on the porch,” also set out the step where they sat. Hold one card. Ask what the person did. Match the card to the page in the activity book only after the children have said the kindness in their own words.
If the books are not here yet, 2nd grade children can still say “Thank you for telling me that story.” in the after-school room. A sponsor request is free for the leader. Shipping is included on full and partial packages, and the leader is called before anything ships.
Five 2nd grade missions in the after-school room
Monday in the after-school room belongs to the after-school leader. Look only. Put the step where they sat where 2nd grade children can see it. Name Grandpa Luis, the grandparent, and say the kindness: he told a short story and let a child sit close until it ended. It happened at a porch step. Ask “What did he give that you cannot hold?” Stop at 5 to 10 minutes. No note yet. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward. If they freeze, Tell one sentence of a story and stop. Ask what the teller gave in that sentence.
On Tuesday, 2nd grade children (about 7 and 8) stay with “The story on the porch.” Say the line. 2nd grade children tell a partner, “Thank you for telling me that story.” Hold one card. Ask what the person did. Match the card to the page in the activity book only after the children have said the kindness in their own words. If the kindness disappears, point back to the step where they sat. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward. If they freeze, Tell one sentence of a story and stop. Ask what the teller gave in that sentence.
Age tips for 2nd grade (about 7 and 8)
Second graders can handle a fuller thank-you note. They still need the flashcards, because a picture keeps the talk on one kindness instead of a lecture about manners. The same situations appear in the activity book, so the class can discuss and then write with more independence. For this after-school plan, keep the mission inside 5 to 10 minutes. a flashcard on the rug or the board, then quiet writing.
The note for Grandpa Luis
Ask them to read the note aloud to a partner before it is finished. The partner’s only job is to point out whether the person and the kindness are both clear. For this kindness the sentence is “Thank you for the story on the step.” It has to mention a porch step or the step where they sat, not a general compliment to the grandparent.
Words to say about Grandpa Luis
This is a script the after-school leader can say with 2nd grade children during using the flashcard set. It uses “The story on the porch,” a practice situation for this plan. It is not a list of the 30 printed flashcards. Those cards stay in the set and match the activity book. Use this script when you need the words in the room.
Copy-ready lines for “The story on the porch”
Spoken line to practice: “Thank you for telling me that story.” Reply children may hear: “I like telling it to you.” Note line to write: “Thank you for the story on the step.” Spanish line for the same kindness: “Gracias por contarme el cuento.”
Home work after The story on the porch
Ask a grandparent or older relative for one short story, then thank them for that story, not for “everything.” Write that in the activity book so the family sees Grandpa Luis's kindness, not a blank “say thank you.” Ask them to read the note aloud to a partner before it is finished. The partner’s only job is to point out whether the person and the kindness are both clear.
Classroom and group notes for the after-school room
After-school groups are tired. The mission has to be shorter than the day’s homework help and more concrete than a talk about character. Flashcards give the group something to look at. The weekly format fits programs that do not meet every weekday. Children have already been in school. Skip silent copying drills. Say the line, act the kindness, and write only the note the program is building toward.
Who is in the after-school room
After-school groups are tired. The mission has to be shorter than the day’s homework help and more concrete than a talk about character. Flashcards give the group something to look at. The weekly format fits programs that do not meet every weekday.
If 2nd grade children stall on Grandpa Luis
Tell one sentence of a story and stop. Ask what the teller gave in that sentence. A child who keeps thanking the after-school leader is avoiding Grandpa Luis. Send them back to the grandparent and the moment at a porch step. Whispering “Thank you for telling me that story.” counts.
Books for this after-school 2nd grade group
Spoken practice about Grandpa Luis can start in the after-school room today. The activity-book template matters when 2nd grade children are ready to write “Thank you for the story on the step..” If a sponsor is funding this after-school group, parents get a sample letter, and shipping is included on full and partial packages. The leader can ask at no cost.
Spanish materials in this group
If any child in the after-school room speaks Spanish at home, order the Spanish activity book for that child and keep the same situation. The Spanish line for this plan is “Gracias por contarme el cuento.” The English line remains “Thank you for telling me that story.”
Questions leaders ask
Let's Grow a Culture of Thank You.
Whether you're a parent, teacher, organization, business, or individual looking to make a difference, there's a place for you in the Culture of Thank You.
Let's help the next generation learn to recognize kindness, appreciate others,
and say “Thank You” with meaning.