Teacher’s Corner
The following are writing prompts and discussion topics you can use to help students understand the difference between tattling and getting an adult’s help with a situation.
Children can learn the difference between tattling and getting an adult’s help with a situation by asking “When you go tell an adult about what someone is doing, are you trying (and hoping) to get that person in trouble? If you are, it is tattling. If instead, you are trying to get help because you are afraid about something, it is not tattling.
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Do you think all children tattle? Why or why not?
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Write or discuss a situation that if reported would be an example of tattling. You can see an example below for someone your age.
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Write or discuss a situation that if reported would NOT be tattling because the report is trying to prevent someone from getting hurt.
For young children:
Tattling: When a child reports that a friend is eating more candy than he is supposed to, the child is hoping to get the friend in trouble. This is tattling.
NOT Tattling: When a child reports that a friend is hitting her brother, the child is getting help from an adult because he is scared that someone will get hurt. This is NOT tattling.
For older children:
Tattling: When a child reports that a friend is not sharing the playground equipment, the child is hoping to get the friend in trouble. This is tattling.
NOT Tattling: When a child reports that a friend is riding a bike in the street after being told that it is very dangerous, he is getting help from an adult because he is scared that the friend will get hurt. This is NOT tattling.
For teens:
Tattling: When a teen reports that a friend is playing hooky, the teen is hoping to get the friend in trouble. This is tattling.
NOT Tattling: When a teen reports that a friend is talking about suicide, he is getting help from an adult because he is scared that the friend will hurt himself. This is NOT tattling.
Teachers, you can use this blog in classrooms. Here are two ideas about how.
- For middle or high school parenting or child development courses:
- Use the blog for discussion topics
- Require students to research the topics and agree or disagree with what the blog is suggesting.
- For all courses, especially English Language Arts:
- Use the blog for writing prompts for paragraphs, theme papers, journal entries, class starters, etc. Have students read the blog and respond to:
- Do you agree with what is being said about kids? Do kids really act, think or feel that way?
- Do you agree with what is being said about parents, grandparents, teachers and child caregivers? Do or should they act, think or feel that way?
- What would be your advice on this topic?
- What was left out of this article?
- If you were a parent, would you use any of this information? How?
Why can this blog be a useful teaching tool?
- Students that see connections between their coursework and their lives do better in school.
- Most students will either be parents one day or have children in their lives that they care about, so the topical information can help them build their knowledge about children and parenting and develop a positive image of the type of parenting they want to do.
- The new core literacy standards adopted by most states call for frequent writing in all courses.
- Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can think critically. These prompts help students practice critical thinking.
- Newly developed end-of-course assessments to be used by many states will require that students demonstrate that they can analyze what they read. These prompts help students practice analysis.
Picture Book Parenting 