Kindness is rooted in culture and forms a foundation for positive human interactions and continuity of community. While environment and early development clearly play a huge role in a child’s sense of kindness, how can teachers and parents in schools, churches, and families explicitly foster this attitude?
Stuart Stotts’s book “Beyond Nice: 149 Ideas to Nurture Kindness in Young Children” published in 2015, is available here on Amazon. Geared for those who work with kids ages 3-6, the book begins with an exploration of kindness and its history in culture, psychology, neuroscience, language, and religion. The bulk of the text consists of specific activities designed to build awareness and practice of kindness through over twenty themes, windows, and perspectives, including drama, music, generosity, environmental awareness, inclusion, and gratitude.
Filled with hands-on opportunities for learning and connections to research and further resources, “Beyond Nice” will be a valuable tool in promoting kindness for children and the adults who love and care for them.
Chapter Related Resources on the Web
Introduction
How to Use This Book
What is Kindness? And Why Does it Matter?
- School Improvement Blog Post
- Teaching Kindness at Different Ages
- Documentary on Kindness: Good Virus
- Early Childhood Article on Caring
- Why Be Kind article
- Raising Nice Kids – Washington Post article
What Not To Do
- Alfie Kohn’s work on intrinsic/extrinsic rewards
- Benefits of praising character versus behavior: Another view
Role Modeling
Professionalism
Beauty and Wonderment
Positivity
Language
Listening
Empathy and Compassion
- RSA Short on empathy
- Neuroscience of Empathy
- Stop Breathe Listen Respond
- Compassion The Appleton Compassion Project
- Dalai Lama on Compassion (1 minute)
- Article on Empathy
- Young Children intervening and demonstrating a sense of Justice.
Manners
Welcoming and Inclusion
Video about one school’s response to including a boy with autismWhat I like about You
Food
- Daniel Barash has a nice blog about baking bread and giving it away.
Kindness and Culture
Touch
- Psychology Today article on Need for Touch
- How Physical Affection Helps with Discipline
- Study about Physical Contact between Teachers and Students
- Fist Bump Variations.
- Other Cultural Touch Greetings
Movement
Mindfulness
- Just Breathe Film — Fantastic!
- Center for Investigating Healthy Minds
- Article on developing Mindfulness
- CBCT Training for kindness
- Center for Investigating Healthy Minds
- Tips for Teaching Mindfulness
- Mindful Parenting
- Teaching Mindfulness to Children
- Teaching More Mindfulness to Children
- More Mindfulness for Children
- Susan Kaiser Greenland Interview about Mindfulness and Children
- Mindful Schools
- Mindfulness Practice and Sleep.
Songs
- Feels Good to Help Somebody
- Peace In My Fingers
- Each of Us Is Kind
- Rainbow
- Walk a Mile in Your Shoes
- If You’re Happy and You Know It Take a Breath
Stories
Visual Art
Puppets
Animals
Helping
Generosity and Gratitude
- David Brooks article on gratitude.
- Talk by Pavi Metah
- Article about how to give to have the greatest impact.
- Interview with Rick Hanson and Bob Emmons
- Study of generosity, children, and income level
- Behind the Scenes
- Article on Generosity Teaching
- The Science of Paying it Forward
Teaching Children Generosity
Forgiveness
- Setting the Peace Table: Children and Conflict Resolution
- A process for apologizingAnother Process for apologizing
Finale
Appendices
Resources by Chapter
- How We Learn
- Standards
- Brains
- Ted Talk on mirror neurons
- Differences between Boys and GirlsGender
- Differences to Facilitate Early Learning
- Edutopia article about Kindness and The brain Role of oxytocin in the brain
- Research
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