A friend is someone that makes you feel special and that you like spending time with. You can have fun with a friend - laugh and be cheered up by them, share and play with them. Young children need opportunities to practice building friendship by learning the skills of turn taking, resolving conflicts and thinking about how their actions affect others.
Friends are also important for our mental health and happiness. They provide comfort, prevent isolation, give a sense of belonging and build self esteem.
Team one studied how to be a good friend this term. As an assessment tool we looked at what friendship "looks" like, "sounds" like and "felt" like. I thought these might be quite hard concepts for the children to grasp but the following are some of the points they made in their assessment discussions.
"Looks like"
*friends have a smile because they are happy together
*they hold hands
* they hug
* they play nicely with each other
* they are excited
* they listen to each other
* they are helpful and kind
*they are excited to be with each other
"Sounds" like
* have kind voices
* have a happy voice
* use a quiet voice
* laugh together
* say nice things
* use a calm voice
* use an excited voice
"Feels" like
* happy being with a friend
* not lonely
* calm and kind
* cheerful
* grateful
* sharing
* always together
With all these wonderful sentiments shared, it shows the children are well aware of how to be a good friend and were able to express their feelings very well.
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