Teaching Kindness in the Classroom Through Stories

Teaching kindness in the classroom through stories is such a fun and powerful way to build empathy and other important social skills. As we know, kids live in a world of imagination and curiosity. They respond to stories wholeheartedly, making lasting connections to the characters and emotions portrayed. And that’s why stories are the perfect avenue for teaching such important life lessons like kindness.

Luckily, there are some amazing books out there that are perfect for promoting kindness in the classroom, and at home.

Be sure to grab your FREE Kindness Quotes Posters at the bottom of this article!

Before we dive in, let’s chat about why it’s so important that we are teaching kindness in the classroom, and making it a priority.

Why is Teaching Kindness in the Classroom Important?

We often assume that kids should just naturally know how to treat others with care and compassion. We sometimes forget that these qualities are partially learned behaviors that must be taught. And what better way to do so than through engaging, heartfelt stories?!

After all, don’t we want these next generations to blossom into kind, compassionate beings who love and care for each other?

We also need to remember that our kids experience stress, too, and that having a more positive, compassionate mindset can help them navigate rocky terrain.

Kindness also leads to amazing relationships that can be crucial, especially during the more challenging times. With kindness, comes compassion, generosity, teamwork, and just overall GOOD VIBES!

Countless studies have shown that kindness towards others also promotes our own happiness and health, so that’s definitely a HUGE added bonus!

It’s no doubt that equipping our kids with the tools they need to be kind to themselves and others is absolutely paramount in today’s ever-changing world. And that’s why teaching kindness in the classroom is such a crucial element of educating our children, socially and emotionally. With kindness, comes good communication, healthy relationships, better emotional well-being, and the list goes on…

How to Teach Kindness in the Classroom

So you might be wondering just how to teach kindness in the classroom…What are the best tools and methods?

I can definitely say that throughout my years of teaching, stories have consistently been my “go-to” when it comes to learning valuable social skills like kindness and empathy. First of all, who doesn’t like being read to??! I still love being read to and I was born in the 80’s (you do the math…lol!). When you can get those kids sitting, listening, engaging, imagining, feeling, then you’re rockin’ it!

There’s something so naturally calming about being read to. When we read to our kids, we help them drift into their imagination, to feel and understand emotions, to make connections to their lives.

Thankfully, there are some wonderful books out there that are perfect for teaching kindness in the classroom! I’ll tell you a little bit about some of my favorites…

Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen

Our Class is a Family is an adorable book that serves as such a great aid in teaching kindness in the classroom. It’s all about creating a sense of community and belonging within your classroom and school – a community based on love and mutual respect. It’s grounded in the idea that kids really do need to feel safe, comfortable and loved in their classrooms and schools so they can enjoy each day together and be their true selves – accepted unconditionally. Our Class is a Family looks at our school community as a special kind of “family” that we belong to, outside of our home. This adorable story is such a great way to teach kindness in the classroom by really promoting a safe, secure, welcoming learning environment.

How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer

How Full is Your Bucket? is another awesome book for teaching kids about kindness and perspective-taking. The cool thing about this one is that the main character has a sort of revelation as he realizes how his actions affect others – both negatively and positively. I love how this story helps promote empathy in our little ones, to really put themselves in someone else’s shoes. Children learn about how amazing it feels to do nice things for others. It really helps kids understand that being kind is good for others AND ourselves.

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

All Our Welcome is such a positive way to promote diversity and acceptance in our communities and in our world. It really encourages us to celebrate our differences, no matter where we’re from, what languages we speak, how we dress, whatever it is that makes us unique. It shows how even though we are all different, we can connect and bond in so many wonderful ways.

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud

Have You Filled a Bucket Today does such a great job of teaching our kids about kindness, empathy, generosity and appreciation, which leads to happiness all around us. This beautiful story really promotes positive thinking and positive actions, which we ALL need to work on at times!

Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller

Be Kind is an awesome story for introducing acts of kindness and thoughtfulness. It’s cute and playful tone wonderfully demonstrates how our actions impact others in our community and world. If you’re looking for a more subtle, gentle approach to teaching kindness in the classroom, this story is just what you need!

Teaching Kindness in the Classroom Recap

Teaching kindness in the classroom can be quite an enjoyable, memorable experience when you use stories to illustrate your points.

Like I said, kids absolutely LOVE being read, and they are so great at connecting to characters and their emotions. That’s why stories are the optimal avenue for teaching crucial social skills like kindness.

I hope this helps you with your kindness adventures!

If you’d like a copy of any of the books mentioned, just click on the pics or purple links above.

Grab these FREE Kindness Quotes Posters! to motivate your students even more!