2274.K, Resource, Gordon, D. Belita Gordon's 2nd Favorite Mentor Text for Building Character and Supporting School Climate in Kindergarten

Dr. Belita Gordon has selected another one of her favorite mentor texts for kindergarten that build character and support school climate.  Knowing how to Persist (aka Persistence) is an important life skill. It is necessary for achieving goals and solving problems. The six Mentor Texts in this set introduce students to Persistence and the related traits of Resilience, Stamina, and Flexibility.  In addition, they cover problem-solving strategies and planning.

Persistence is the determination to achieve a goal in spite of difficulties, problems, or delays. The goal may be something to accomplish/achieve or a problem to be solved. Persistence is necessary for success in school and life.

Persisting requires more than “sticking-to-it.” Our students need to also acquire the character traits of resilience, flexibility, and stamina. They need a set of problem-solving strategies:  creating a plan, maintaining focus on the task, monitoring progress in achieving the steps in the plan, knowing when to seek assistance, and making changes when needed. Some plans are complex while others are simple.

Summary Book Background for the Teacher for Taste Your Words by Bonnie Clark

Amera demonstrates both the negative and positive aspects of Persistence. She continues the blaming and name-calling that started at school when she gets home, complaining to her mother, refusing to share with her little brother, to apologize and help. She experiences her mother’s advice to “taste your words before letting them out of your mouth.” When she is unkind and selfish, she tastes dirt, spoiled milk, and rotten eggs. Taking time to think about her behavior, she decides to try out several kind and helpful words. She learns that they taste delicious--birthday cake, peppermint, and oranges. Amera evaluates the first part of her informal plan as a success and decides to continue it at home and school. She apologizes, helps, and shares, tasting watermelon, cherries, and other fruits. 

The Message for Students

The reader learns that Amera’s initial behavior creates problems rather than solving them. Amera shows the value of flexibility and  adapting as she makes changes based on evaluating her behavior and the effectiveness of her simple plan--trying out tasting her words before she speaks.

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