How to teach a child of any age the meaning of 3 very important words: I Like Me.

by Babs Hadjusiewicz May 11, 2009

Happy Funday Monday! Got babies? Got preschoolers? Got elementary, middle schoolers, or high schoolers? Regardless of your kids' ages, our goal today is the same: to help you TALK and connect verbally with your child while having fun with language and knowledge. So get ready for some interactive fun while two very important things are happening: communication and real learning! You see, over Mother's Day weekend, I heard several parents' comments that they'd tuned in to this blog, but that their kids are older. "You say I can adapt those good ideas to my age child. But HOW do I do that?" they asked. So let's look at one way today (with more tips for adapting ideas in days to come...and tons of tips in my resource books available at www.ilikeme.com, books and materials like my three Poetry Works kits; Words and More Words; Words, Words, Words; and more). Today's concept?

I Like Me! This morning, I stood up and said, I like myself from toes to head! I like the way I look today! I like the way I work and play! I like the way I act with friends! I like the way my body bends! I like who I was born to be! I like myself! Hey! I like ME! Copyright © 1997 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

Got Infants & Toddlers? Say the poem again and again, dramatizing and pointing to yourself to accent me. Try saying the poem to yourselves in a mirror!

Got PreSchoolers or Any Agers? Invite an echo as you TALK one line at a time. Once repetition has everyone knowing the poem verbatim, you be the echo. TALK today about the many ways you like yourself. What specifics do you like about the way you look, work, play, bend, etc. Oh, and look at all the exercise you're getting as you TALK and dramatize this poem together! Be sure to say the poem to yourselves in a mirror! In fact, this is a good poem to post onto bathroom mirrors, refrigerators, computer areas, and other spots that get a lot of eye time! Please don't forget to keep my Copyright © tag attached to this poem and any of my poems you find useful to keep around in your heads or in print. I don't need to see my work purported to be written by an anonymous person! Deal? Added tip, if your young child becomes infatuated with the echo idea, that's a sure-fire invite to play an echo game which you just make up as you go along. OR do what I've needed to do tons of times in all-school assemblies during my school author visits: Invite your echos to keep right on to echo these lines you say at the end of the poem:

This morning, I sat down and said, I like the way I'm listening. I like the way I'm all done being an echo. Copyright © 1997 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

Oh, and while you're having fun TALKing and THINKing with language and knowledge all across the span of ages, enjoy building everyone's self-esteem with this poem today...and every day! Tune in tomorrow for TALKing Tuesday! See ya!

Babs Hadjusiewicz

Author

Hey, thanks for stopping by. Check out our digital downloads right here in my store at www.babsyb.com. You'll also find many of my publications in my Bee with Babsy B store on Teachers Pay Teachers' site. Come back often!