Preschool classroom: noticing kindness (once a week)
Children point to a real kindness before they are asked to say or write thank you. This once a week plan is for preschool children in a classroom group.
about 4 and 5- 5 to 7 minutes missions
- once a week
Noticing kindness for preschool in a classroom group
Children point to a real kindness before they are asked to say or write thank you. In this classroom, preschool children (about 4 and 5) practice with “The paint cups set out.” Ms. Nguyen, the art teacher, she set out paint cups and left a brush at each place. The once a week calendar is the one that fits: This is the once-per-week format from the second half of the manual, written for groups and clubs that do not meet daily. One meeting carries the mission. A single home task goes in the activity book. Do not try to compress five school days into one hour.
The classroom teacher leads. The block has to end on time. Five to ten minutes is the whole lesson, not the introduction to a longer lesson. Children answer in one picture and one question, answered out loud in a small circle. The spoken line is “Thank you for setting up the paint..” The note line is “Thank you for putting a brush at my place..” Alison Gilham’s program supplies the manual, the activity book, and the flashcards; this page is the plan for this group and this
Words to say about Ms. Nguyen
This is a script the classroom teacher can say with preschool children during noticing kindness. It uses “The paint cups set out,” 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.
classroom teacher: “We are going to thank Ms. Nguyen. Ms. Nguyen is the art teacher. Here is the kindness: she set out paint cups and left a brush at each place. It happened at the art table. Look at a cup of paint and a brush.”
classroom teacher: “A thank-you that fits is ‘Thank you for setting up the paint.’ Say it with me.” The group repeats it. Then one child says it alone. If they drop the kindness and only say “thank you,” ask what Ms. Nguyen did, and have them put that piece back in the sentence.
The note for Ms. Nguyen
The note can be a dictated sentence. The child supplies the person’s name and the kindness. The adult prints it on the activity-book template so the child can see that spoken thanks and written thanks are the same idea. For this kindness the sentence is “Thank you for putting a brush at my place.” It has to mention the art table or a cup of paint and a brush, not a general compliment to the art teacher.
Age tips for preschool (about 4 and 5)
Preschool children can learn why thank you matters before they write much. They need a picture, a person, and one clear kindness. A long talk loses them. The leader shows the moment, the children say a short line, and the group stops while the words still feel friendly. For this classroom plan, keep the mission inside 5 to 7 minutes. one picture and one question, answered out loud in a small circle.
One once a week meeting in the classroom
This is the once-per-week format from the second half of the manual, written for groups and clubs that do not meet daily. One meeting carries the mission. A single home task goes in the activity book. Do not try to compress five school days into one hour. In the classroom, the classroom teacher has one sitting with preschool children, about 4 and 5. Do not replay a school week. The block has to end on time. Five to ten minutes is the whole lesson, not the introduction to a longer lesson.
Copy-ready lines for “The paint cups set out”
Spoken line to practice: “Thank you for setting up the paint.” Reply children may hear: “The brushes are ready. Use them with care.” Note line to write: “Thank you for putting a brush at my place.” Spanish line for the same kindness: “Gracias por preparar la pintura.”
If preschool children stall on Ms. Nguyen
Place one brush and one empty spot. Ask which seat shows the kindness. A child who keeps thanking the classroom teacher is avoiding Ms. Nguyen. Send them back to the art teacher and the moment at the art table. Whispering “Thank you for setting up the paint.” counts.
Classroom and group notes for the classroom
A public, private, or charter classroom can run the Monday–Friday missions from the first half of the Operation Thank You Manual. The same children are there each day, which is what the daily format was written for. The teacher keeps the manual. Each child keeps a classroom activity book. The block has to end on time. Five to ten minutes is the whole lesson, not the introduction to a longer lesson.
Who is in the classroom
A public, private, or charter classroom can run the Monday–Friday missions from the first half of the Operation Thank You Manual. The same children are there each day, which is what the daily format was written for. The teacher keeps the manual. Each child keeps a classroom activity book.
Home work after The paint cups set out
Thank the person who sets out supplies for a job at home, such as ingredients or clean clothes. Write that in the activity book so the family sees Ms. Nguyen's kindness, not a blank “say thank you.” The note can be a dictated sentence. The child supplies the person’s name and the kindness. The adult prints it on the activity-book template so the child can see that spoken thanks and written thanks are the same idea.
What Ms. Nguyen's lesson needs
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. 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 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. 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 paint cups set out,” also set out a cup of paint and a brush. Show the moment first. Ask what the helper did with their hands. Accept the action before you ask for the polite words.
Spanish materials in this group
If any child in the classroom 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 preparar la pintura.” The English line remains “Thank you for setting up the paint.”
Books for this classroom preschool group
Spoken practice about Ms. Nguyen can start in the classroom today. The activity-book template matters when preschool children are ready to write “Thank you for putting a brush at my place..” If a sponsor is funding this classroom group, parents get a sample letter, and shipping is included on full and partial packages. The leader can ask at no cost.
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.