“Friends Forever”

As the First Graders are now blooming in their independence and seeking deeper connections with their classmates, we have launched our first semester project, “Friends Forever.” Friends are everything to them and from a teacher’s and developmental perspective this is perfect! As Willard W. Hartup states in his article, Having Friends, Making Friends and Keeping Friends, “…friendships furnish children with the security to strike out into new territory, meet new people, and tackle new problems. Friends set the emotional stage for exploring one’s surroundings.” Within the English classroom what could we ask for more? Exploring and tackling a foreign language with the comfort of friends can only insure success. Additionally, peer correction, influence and even pressure are beneficial tools for learning when done respectfully within a secure learning environment. As a result, friendships are a great cognitive resource for critical thinking, problem-solving, and knowledge acquisition.





Yet as we all know, friendships among young children have their many inevitable ups and downs. One minute they are best friends and the next they are arguing over who is first in line or excluding the “third person.” Therefore, relating to classmates and exploring friendships according to a set of rules and standards helps the child master more formal skills of life; the social do’s and don’ts. The children will explore such topics as social conflict resolution, communication, compromise, appreciation for differences and compassion throughout our project. Enabling one to be a productive member of society later in life as well as initiate and maintain social relations is a broad objective we will cover. Overall, “Friends Forever” is an ideal long term first grade project.

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