Another Mai, Kayla, and Mr. Jazzman story, titled "Wild Excuses," introduces this SEL lesson to pre-kindergartners. Here, Kayla makes up wild excuses instead of owning up to her mistakes. But in the end, she learns the importance of being honest to herself and to others.The story teaches pre-kindergartners how making up excuses is a way to be dishonest to themselves. The “Kayla,” “Mai,” and “Mr. Jazzman” visual aids are displayed for this.
The teacher engages the students in a fun and relatable class discussion, after the story. Follow-up questions are raised to exercise the students’ understanding of the lesson concepts. The students are thrilled to learn what making up excuses is and how to practice self-honesty.
"It is important to teach pre-kindergartners that even though admitting to their mistakes is a positive step, making up excuses is unacceptable."
After the discussion, the class sings another Mr. Jazzman song about refusing to make excuses as a social-emotional positive action for self-honesty. One by one, the students promise to practice this positive action, then they mark their Positive Behavior Chart.
Making up excuses is a dishonest act of justifying one’s misdeeds to protect their self-image or get out of trouble. This is common among pre-kindergartners who are still learning about the consequences of their actions and the value of self-honesty.
It is important to teach pre-kindergartners that even though admitting to their mistakes is a positive step, making up excuses is unacceptable. Through this lesson, they learn that telling themselves and others the truth about their mistakes and not making up excuses are positive actions for self-honesty.
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