Teach kids how to be responsible in fun and interesting ways. These 15 responsibility books and videos do an excellent job of teaching this important characteristic in a way that kids can understand and connect to.
Responsibility is an important characteristic that all students need to learn. When you teach children ways of being responsible in the classroom, you’re teaching them something they’ll use for the rest of their lives. Here are great examples of books and videos you can use to teach responsibility for the classroom.
Responsibility Books and Videos for the Classroom
One of the best ways to teach responsibility is to use both books and videos to supplement your lessons. This will help kids learn how to be responsible in a way they can understand. Responsibility looks different for children than it does for adults, making books and videos a great teaching tool in your classroom or home.
Books That Teach Kids How to be Responsible
You can use books to build responsible kids. The great thing about using books is that children will enjoy hearing a story, all while learning about the important characteristic they need to know. Here are 10 books that will help you teach ways of being responsible in the classroom.
1. But It’s Not My Fault by Julia Cook
Part of learning responsibility is accepting responsibility for your actions. Your students will learn this important skill when they read this book. In it, the character always says it’s not his fault, including when he doesn’t finish his homework. Eventually, he learns that he needs to accept responsibility for his actions.
2. Someday by Eileen Spinelli
This book on responsibility does a wonderful job of showing responsibilities for today and in the future. It gives students the chance to see what they should be doing currently when it comes to responsibility, as well as what they might expect from the future.
3. Peace Week in Miss Fox’s Class by Eileen Spinelli
Peace Week is all about accepting responsibility for your actions. In it, characters learn that they are responsible for their own actions, that they don’t need to respond when someone else is mean to them.
Brainstorm ways that people can be responsible together as a group. Have children choose 5 ways they are responsible at school or at home and write them down. Record them on a “Things That I Am Responsible For” printable. Click here to here to check it out.
4. The Juice Box Bully by Bob Sornson
If another student is being bullied, the responsible thing to do is to stand up to the bully instead of simply sitting back and doing nothing. In this book, the students at a school learn this, finding out that it’s better to be responsible and kind than it is to do nothing.
5. Tease Monster by Julia Cook
This book will teach kids the difference between teasing and bullying. They’ll learn that friendly teasing is ok, but mean teasing is not. This will help students learn how to differentiate the two when they’re being teased, as well as when they’re teasing their friends.
6. “I’ll Do It” Taking Responsibility by Brian Moses and Mike Gordon
If you want to encourage students to take responsibility for their actions, this is the book for your classroom. This could be anything, from taking responsibility for chores they need to do to helping out around the house or classroom. It could even be helping with a sibling!
Offer “special” jobs for kids when they want it or when they are bored and looking for something to do. These cards work great in the classroom as extra tasks that teach kids how to be responsible. Click here to check them out.
7. Do I Have To? by Nancy Loewen
If you say you’re going to do something, then you’re responsible for actually doing it. This book will teach students this important characteristic, helping them know that taking responsibility is important, both inside and outside the classroom.
8. Berenstain Bears and The Blame Game by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Our favorite bear family is back and ready to teach kids how to be responsible. In this, the Berenstain Bears learn that there is enough blame to go around, so it’s pointless to blame someone else. By accepting responsibility, you can work towards solving the problem rather than trying to blame someone else.
9. Dog in Charge by K.L. Going
Can this special dog be responsible for keeping some cats in line? In this book, Dog has to take responsibility for some cats. Can he do it? Your students will love the silly story as they learn about responsibility.
10. Stanley and the Class Pet by Barney Saltzberg
What will happen when Stanley brings the class pet home? Stanley quickly learns that taking responsibility for another being is tough. It means being responsible all the time, even when trouble hits.
Empower kids when they act responsibly! Get them to make their own “super kid” responsibility tie that they can wear to show others how they are responsible. Click here to check it out.
Videos That Teach Kids How to be Responsible
Did you know that you can also use videos to teach kids how to be responsible? These 5 videos really help your students understand what responsibility is, whether it’s singing a song or watching a story.
1. Being Responsible | Little Mandy Manners
This kid-friendly video sings through what responsibility really is, including giving examples of what responsibility looks like. This is great for kids because it gives them real-life examples of age-appropriate responsibilities, such as taking care of pets or brushing teeth. Your students will quickly catch on with this catchy tune.
2. Sesame Street: Bruno Mars: Don’t Give Up
Bruno Mars joins Sesame Street to sing all about responsibility and not giving up. This video will show some of your students’ favorite Sesame Street characters, such as Elmo and Cookie Monster. Add in the fact that Bruno Mars sings this melodious responsibility song, and it’ll quickly become a classroom favorite.
3. Classroom Responsibility
The students in this video are here to share what their responsibilities are in the classroom. This is a great video to show students, especially if you want them to take responsibility for some classroom jobs. This video will make a huge impact on your students since it’s made by kids their age and includes responsibilities that are age-appropriate.
If you’re looking for more examples to share with kids on how to be responsible, try using these scenario cards. They work great as a class game and for role-playing different responsible kid moments. Click here to check them out.
4. Mr. Responsible
Mr. Responsible is a sock puppet and is the star of the show in this video. The students in this video sing about what it means to be responsible. This includes wonderful examples about picking up trash, cleaning off a lunch tray, and playing nicely with friends at recess. Your students will enjoy learning about responsibility with this video.
5. Responsibility Song
If you want your students to have a good grasp of which responsibilities are great for kids and which ones are typically for adults, this song will help. In it, they sing about responsibilities that the child has, including making their bed or cleaning up toys. It also goes through some responsibilities that parents might have, such as going to work.
Read More about Building Responsible Kids
Teaching Responsibility in the Classroom
Conflict Resolution Activities for the Classroom
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