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1st Grade Character Education Resources

47 1st grade character education resources: 23 songs, 19 videos, 6 activities and more. How teachers use these

1st Grade Character Education Resources

47 1st grade character education resources: 23 songs, 19 videos, 6 activities and more. How teachers use these

1st GradeBullying Worksheet

Using this Bullying Worksheet, students write a description explaining how the person could have reacted in a kind way rather than a mean way.

Video
Video1st GradeCommunity Song

The Community Song teaches kids how to be a good citizen in the community. This is a fun citizenship song that teaches kids about being a citizen and being part of their community.

Video
Video1st GradeCommunity Song (MP3)

Using the Community Song (MP3), students learn how to be a good citizen in the community by listening to this catchy song.

Worksheet
Worksheet1st GradeGood Classmate Worksheet

A good classmate worksheet that has 1st graders sort six classroom behaviors into kind and unkind, then choose the kind response to two real situations. Answer key included for fast, no-prep character practice.

Video
Video1st GradeGood Morning Song (MP3)

UsingGood Morning Song (MP3), students will have a great day at school after listening to this song in their morning circles.

Workbook
Workbook1st GradeCharacter Reading Comprehension Workbook

UsingCharacter Reading Comprehension Workbook, students can have all of the passages about different character traits all in one workbook.

Flash Cards
Flash Cards1st GradeBack to School Behavior Flash Cards

These back to school behavior flash cards show preschool to 3rd grade children twelve classroom expectations with clear pictures and simple words. Answer key included, so every child starts the year knowing what to do.

1st GradeGive Me Five Poster

UsingGive Me Five Poster, students can know what to do when they hear their teacher say "Give me Five" and follow directions.

Video
Video1st GradeResponsibility Song (MP3)

Using the Responsibility Song (MP3), students learn how to show responsibility at home and at school while listening to a song.

Video
Video1st GradeCaring Song

Using the Caring Song, students learn how to care for others at home. This song will help build confidence and your kids will want to show kindness to others. Our students need a lot of practice and examples of how to treat each other kindly. This song will help your…

Video
Video1st GradeTruth Song (MP3)

Using the Truth Song (MP3), students learn how to speak the truth and how to be honest while listening to a song.

1st GradeBathroom Door Signs Enter and Do Not Enter

Using these Bathroom Door Signs - Enter and Do Not Enter, students improve their bathroom procedures by using these signs to know if the bathroom is occupied or not.

Bundle
Bundle1st GradeSongs for Kids (MP3 Album)

Songs for Kids Download by Have Fun Teaching has 18 fun and educational songs for kids.

Bundle
Bundle1st GradeCharacter Songs (MP3 Album)

Using the Character Songs (MP3), students learn different character skills that build caring and thoughtful individuals home and at school while listening to a song.

Video
Video1st GradeRespect Song (Classroom Mix Version)

Using the Respect Song (Classroom Mix Version), students learn how to treat each other with respect at home and at school while listening to a song.

1st GradeStudent of the Day Reward Certificate

Using the Student of the Day Reward Certificate, your student will feel celebrated and recognized for doing good deeds in and outside of the classroom.

Activity
Activity1st GradeExpress Your Feelings Character Education Activity

This express your feelings character education activity helps K-2nd grade students name six feelings with bracelets, charades and talk cards, then speak in full sentences. Answer key included.

Video
Video1st GradeFairness Song (MP3)

Using the Fairness Song (MP3), students learn how to treat each other fairly at home and at school while listening to a song.

From our teachers' playbook

Kindness, practiced out loud

What do 1st graders learn about character education?

First grade is where "be nice" turns into real words kids can use. Six- and seven-year-olds learn to name traits like respect, responsibility, honesty, patience and caring, and, even better, what each one looks like at the lunch table or on the carpet. They practice saying "please" and "thank you," taking turns, owning a mistake with "I'm sorry, I'll fix it," and noticing how a friend feels. The click moment comes when a child spots a trait in someone else and names it: "That was responsible, you put the markers back!"

Our favorite ways to make good character stick

Character grows through repetition and real moments, not one big lecture. These are the moves we lean on all year.

Sing the mistake, then fix it

Mistakes feel huge to a first grader. Play the Oops I Made A Mistake Song at morning meeting, then pause and ask, "What could you say after an oops?" Keep the chorus as a class signal: when someone spills or stumbles, a friend can start humming it and everyone remembers that mistakes are how we learn.

Why it works: a catchy, repeating tune gives the brain a hook to hang words on, so sung text is remembered better (Wallace, 1994).

Oops I Made A Mistake SongTry it withOops I Made A Mistake SongSongsOpen it →

Draw a good classmate

Ask kids to show what a good classmate does, not just say it. They draw a friend sharing, helping or listening, then label it with one trait word. Hang the drawings in a "Caught Being Kind" hallway and add new ones whenever you spot the real thing.

Why it works: the U.S. Department of Education's guide for teaching elementary math recommends moving from hands-on objects to drawings to numbers.

Good Classmate WorksheetTry it withGood Classmate WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

One trait, one short story

Pick one trait a week and read one short passage about it every other day. Kids answer a question or two, then tell a partner when they did the same thing. Short, repeated visits beat a single character day, and the reading practice comes along for free.

Why it works: the brain holds on to what it meets again and again over time; spaced practice was rated among the very best methods (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

Character Reading Comprehension WorkbookTry it withCharacter Reading Comprehension WorkbookWorkbooksOpen it →

Questions teachers and parents ask

What is character education in 1st grade?

It's teaching kids the traits that help them get along and do their best, like respect, honesty, responsibility, patience and caring. In first grade it's very concrete: what each trait sounds like and looks like in class and at home.

How do I teach respect to a 6-year-old?

Name it every time you see it. Model respectful words, practice them in quick role plays, and point out real examples: "You waited until she finished talking. That's respect." Kids repeat what gets noticed.

How long should a character lesson be in first grade?

Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty. A song, a short story or scene, and one question to talk about. The real practice happens all day, so short and frequent wins.

How can parents reinforce character traits at home?

Use the same trait words your child hears at school, and praise the behavior, not just the result. Ask at dinner, "Who was kind to you today? How were you kind?" It keeps the conversation going.

Do songs really help kids learn character traits?

They help kids remember the words and the message. A catchy chorus gives children a quick reminder they can recall in the moment, like humming the patience song while waiting in line.