Open Circle- Including Others/Cooperating

Dear Family:

The topic of one of our recent Open Circle lessons was including one another. We talked about how it feels to be left out and why it is good to include others at recess, during free play time at school, and in the classroom. We did some role plays about finding ways to include others. Perhaps you could share with your child a time when you were left out and how it made you feel. Ask your child if he/she has ever been excluded or noticed that other children were left out. Encourage your child to find
ways to include children who want to join in an activity or a group at play.

In another Open Circle, we talked about cooperating, or working together to get something done. We discussed what we can do to cooperate in the classroom, on the playground, in the lunchroom, and at other times during the day at school. We also talked about why it is important to cooperate and what can be hard about cooperating. Ask your child what he/she does to cooperate with his/her classmates at school. Find opportunities at home for your child to cooperate to get something done, and compliment him/her on good cooperation. Encourage your child to cooperate with other children in activities and groups outside of school.

Literature Connections

Here are some books that relate to the topics we discussed in Open Circle. You might want to check out one or two at the library and read with your child:

Hills, Tad. Duck and Goose. Schwartz and Wade Books, 2006.
A duck and a goose squabble over the ownership of what they think is an egg. They work together to care for their “egg” until they discover that they are taking care of a soccer ball!

Howe, James. Horace and Morris, but Mostly Dolores. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1999. 

Three friends try to decide which club to join. One club is “boys only,” the other “girls only.” Horace, Morris, and Dolores don’t like the idea of leaving anyone out, so they form their own club which includes boys and girls. 

Keller, Holly. Help! A Story of Friendship. Greenwillow, 2007.
Mouse’s friends cooperate to find a way to rescue Mouse when he falls into a hole. 

Lionni, Leo. It’s Mine! Dragonfly, 1996.
Three frogs bicker and squabble about many things until heavy rain and the resulting threat to the frogs’ safety force them to cooperate.