Responsibility in the Classroom

One of the most important lessons a child learns in preschool and kindergarten is responsible behavior: following rules, finishing tasks, and accepting consequences.

Purpose

To help students take on responsibility and understand the consequences when a task is not completed.

Materials

Know Kit Cards Ages 3-4 (PDF)

Know Kit Cards Ages 5-6 (PDF)

Preparation

Print out the Know Kit Cards and scatter them in the center of the classroom.

Procedure

Have students discuss ways the Building Blocks' friends show responsibility. Invite students to take turns selecting a card that illustrates how one of the friends demonstrates responsibility. For each card selected, students should describe what is shown and how it demonstrates responsibility. For example:

Have the class make a list of responsibilities they have at school and/or at home.

For each task listed, have students talk about what happens if the job is not done. For example:

• If I don't set the table for dinner, we can't eat together.
• If I don't empty the pencil sharpener, no one can have a pencil with a sharpened point.
• If I don't put away the class library books, others won't be able to read them.

Teaching Note: If you don’t already have a "jobs list," create one for classroom tasks. For example:

As a class, select a task and work through a sequence of "what ifs" that might occur if someone doesn’t take responsibility and complete the task. For example:

If I don’t put away the glue, then it will dry out.
If the glue dries out, then when we try to make our puppets the eyes won’t stick on.
If the eyes don’t stick on our puppets, then we can’t put on our puppet show.
If we don’t put on the puppet show, then the other classes won’t know the great story we wrote about taking responsibility.

Related Family Article: Rules and Responsible Behavior

Resources:

• "Parenting.org (Girls’ and Boys’ Town)." It’s never too early to teach responsibility, if your expectations are reasonable and clear.
• "KidSource.com." Find tips, how-to’s, and activities to guide you as you help your child learn responsible behavior.
• "Teaching Honesty and Responsibility to Your Child." Parenting tips on how to build and foster responsibility in children, from toddlers to teens.

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