One Word Project For Kids
Aug 07, 2023
A Moment Of Reflection...
If you are like many people, you take time at the end of the year for a moment of reflection. You may look back on the good, the bad, and the in-between of that year. I have to admit that the moment I sat to reflect on the goodness of 2020, an awkward silence fell heavily upon me. This reflection was a bit different from previous years because as you know the year 2020 was a bit different overall. However, I truly believe that positivity exists in every situation if you dig deep within yourself and search for it. So, the fact that silence took over was out of the norm for me.
Good In 2020?!
Then it hit me and a light bulb went off. The good that I experienced in 2020 was all centered around my one word for the year. It was FOCUS! In January 2020, after much prayer, the spirit led me to the word focus, so the fact that this one word continued to show up in every part of my life was just the reassurance I needed that I was led to this word. It was amazing to see that the very word that I had written on my one-word activity page in my Prayerful Planner, was the word that guided me throughout the year.
Every month I chose a new scripture centered on the word focus. For example, one month I focused on my words, another month I focused on gratitude, another month I focused on my thoughts, and so on. I also completed monthly check-ins and by the end of the year, I was in awe of the amount of growth I had accomplished just from focusing.
Now just as I was wrapping up my year 2020 reflection, another light bulb went off. Why not have my students share this experience as well?
One Word Project For Kids
Genius! There was no way I could resist creating this activity for my students and I am so glad I did. This turned out to be by far one of the most impactful activities I have ever done. So, are you ready to dive in and get tips on how to implement it in your classroom? Let’s go!
- Introduction with a Read Aloud –
- Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page did a phenomenal job in the book “One Word for Kids” by introducing what the one-word concept was all about. In my opinion, they wrote this book with students in mind. It was engaging, provided excellent examples, and was super cute.
- Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page did a phenomenal job in the book “One Word for Kids” by introducing what the one-word concept was all about. In my opinion, they wrote this book with students in mind. It was engaging, provided excellent examples, and was super cute.
- Brainstorm a Class Word –
- Here is an example of the word we believed best fit our class and the chart we created. We also came up with examples of how to demonstrate our word and vowed to uphold these examples and to hold each other accountable for the examples listed.
- Bonus Tip – Use a mason jar and marbles to reward the class when students are displaying the positive traits of the selected word. When the jar is full, the entire class can enjoy a class reward, treat, or party.
- Independent Activity-
- Use this time to allow students to create their one-word independently. Click here to access the “My One Word” activity we used. Encourage your class to plan on the “My One Word Planner” and use the “One Word Ideas” handout if they can not think of a word to select.
- Share Out –
- Allow students to share their one-word triangle foldable at the end. There are so many benefits to oral presentations and this allows your students to practice for future projects/presentations. I highly recommend allowing students to share aloud. This not only benefits the student but also promotes a positive classroom environment.
- Time to Reflect –
- As the school year progresses, choose the reflection page that best fits your class. Keep these pages stored in a small folder for each student so they too can witness their yearly progression.
To close, remember that words have power. Place that power in the hands of your students and help them to have their best year yet! To be perfectly honest, this activity can be done at various times throughout the year.
- Back to School and/or Beginning of the School Year Activity
- New Year Activity for Students
- After Christmas Break Activity
- Brain Break Activity
You see, this activity can be done at anytime during the school year. Click here to find this activity. Please visit me on social media by clicking here to share images of your students’ completed work. I would love to feature it on our page and website.
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