Tattle Tail, Tattle Tail...FREEBIE

...or in this case, Tattle Tongue! I just love this book!   You have to ask yourself...Why do kids tattle?   I don't think there is one answer to this question.   I think several things come into play. 1.  Some tattlers want to be in charge.  Tattling makes them feel important, especially for the child that has a strong-willed personality. 2.  Some tattlers do it for attention.  They don't want to be left out and they feel this will make them look better. 3.  Some tattlers are just out for revenge.  They tattle because they are trying to get back at someone that they feel wronged them at some point. 4.  For some tattlers it is about following set rules.  They have come to a point to where they understand the rules, and they expect everyone to follow them.  They see the rules as inflexible. 5.  And lastly, many tattlers just lack the skills to problem solve.  We, as educators, need to spend time with our students to help them learn these skills, instead of dismissing them to "go work it out" on their own. I just found this book this year {thanks to my cohort over at Juggling Genres}and the kiddos love it!  I like the way that "tattling" and "warning" is defined.  However, I like using "reporting" instead of "warning".  I made a cut and paste activity for my kiddos to do after we shared the book, and made a "tattler rules" page for their C.A.N.O.E. notebook.  

You can download it here if you'd like it! Waving from The Teacher's Chatterbox,