Teaching the Concept of Sharing

Have you ever wanted something, and you didn't want to share? Of course you have! But there are many things you had to learn to share when you started school. Schools and teachers have to work hard to promote the concept of sharing, even when students might not be wholehearted supporters.

There are many ways to make this happen. The first way is to work with younger students in a role play situation to show them how they should behave. This will show them what it looks like to share with someone else and get feedback from their peers and their teacher on how they did. They could participate in a simulation in which one student uses a classroom item and another student asks if they can use it as well. The two students practice using it together. This can be done with the rest of the students watching, or each of the students practicing it with another student.

Once students know how to share, they can practice it in centers in which they are forced to share items. Students can work in small groups with a limited number of supplies for the task they are trying to accomplish. In this way, they can practice sharing to get the task accomplished. This will promote sharing, compromising, and communicating effectively with each other.

Another way teachers can address the concept of sharing is to pair up and create a time for their classes to meet with older or younger buddies. Students can do art projects together in which they need to share the supplies with their buddy from another class. The buddy classes could also go outside and practice sharing equipment on the playground, since this is where a lot of the sharing problems seem to occur.

The school as a whole can work together to give rewards to students who demonstrate that they share at school. One way to do this is to give a student a ticket when you see them practicing good sharing skills. They could turn this ticket in for a prize. Another way would be for teachers to write down when they see someone sharing, and have it announced during the morning announcements. Students love this, and it makes them want to share even more.

Sharing is something that most people have to practice because it's natural to want to keep things for yourself. But if we can all work together to share with one another from an early age, our classrooms will be pleasant and productive and your students will become giving and happy adults.

Sharing Activities and Lessons:

Sharing and Caring

Students read a story and sing a song about sharing and caring. This would be more appropriate for the lower grades. They can discuss how the characters shared in the end.

That's Not Fair! How Do We Share?

In this sharing lesson, students brainstorm what to do when there is not enough goods to go around. Then they practice sharing with a limited amount of goods.

Sharing with Others

Students express their feelings on sharing and how it feels when someone does not share with them. They also complete sentences and draw pictures of people sharing. This also has a home connection in which they talk about sharing at home.

A Time to Share

This is a math worksheet in which students read a paragraph about a class bringing in canned goods to share with those in need. Then they answer math word problems about it.