Short Story & 3 Examples to Teach Kids Honesty and Integrity

So far, in Positive Action Unit 5, kindergarten students have been learning what self-honesty means, how it develops self-awareness, and why it is crucial to practice. While they have made commendable progress, they have yet to discover and understand how to tell themselves the truth and avoid deceiving themselves. In this kindergarten lesson on social-emotional learning, children learn how to demonstrate self-honesty with the help of an illustrative short audio story and three helpful examples.

In the story "The Whirlpool of Self-Deception," kindergarten students tag along with their jungle and forest animal friends in their adventure across Lake Self-Honesty. Their friend and queen of the lake, Sadie Sea Serpent, guides them through the rough parts of the water, especially around a great whirlpool, the Whirlpool of Self-Deception. Sadie explains that this part of the water traps creatures who say one thing but think of another and deceive themselves instead of being honest. As a result, they get trapped in a whirlpool of confusion.

The animals listen closely to the voices from the whirlpool and hear children who lie to themselves. One kid says he does not care if his friend does not like him, but he does care. Another boy refuses to admit that he is not doing well in sports as he is afraid to accept his limitations. Finally, a girl tricks her friend into playing with her, not because she enjoys her friend's company but because she likes her friend's toys. After listening to the voices, Sadie Sea Serpent reminds the animals not to trick themselves into believing their words when their thoughts speak of something else. Doing so will leave them trapped in self-deception and confusion.

Following the story is an insightful class discussion about the word and concept of "Deceive." The teacher introduces the word as tricking oneself by thinking one thing and saying another. When children trick themselves, they become confused, less confident, and have negative self-concepts. They look at three helpful examples to better understand the idea of self-deception.

In the first example, a girl deceives herself and her friend that she enjoys playing together. However, she only intends to play with her friend's toys and leave once she is over them. The second example shows a girl who pretends to be truly sad and sorry for breaking the cookie jar so her mother will not be so angry. Lastly, a boy lies about not liking his shirt to get the approval of his peers, even though he likes it.

These examples illustrate that self-honesty extends beyond telling oneself and others the truth. It also includes being sincere about one's intentions and actions. This way, a person avoids deceiving not only others but also themselves. Kindergarten students learn that being genuine and truthful in thoughts, words, and actions is how they can exercise honesty and integrity.

As educators, it is crucial to recognize that teaching young learners how to articulate their emotions and thoughts truthfully is vital to their social-emotional growth. By teaching this essential lesson, educators provide their students with the tools and support they need to successfully navigate their mission to integrity and self-discovery.