Do you ever wish you could wave a magic wand and your students would lose their voices for a few minutes? I actually have a magic wand pointer I wave in class when I have a secret wish I'd like to come true. The kids wonder what I'm doing when I come over to them and wave it over their heads, but the physical waving of the wand seems to make things a little better for me to handle...
One of those times I need my wand is when little Keisha comes over and needs to tell me what Marisa is doing wrong. Or when Jamal has to tell me that Ethan took his pencil and won't give it back. Oooh, those are magic wand moments for sure. But now, in those times, I simply say, "I think you're growing a tattle tongue!" and the students get the picture.
Read on to learn how to
A few years ago, I stumbled across the book,
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue,
written by Julia Cook. It was that year, my headaches from students coming up to tattle, magically went away. And I owe it all to this book and a little imagination!
The book focuses on a boy named Josh who is known as "Josh the Tattler" by all his classmates. He tattles at school and at home, for any reason. Finally, his mother (in rhyme) tells him that if he doesn't stop tattling, he'll get the Tattle Tongue! He'll know he has it when his tongue turns yellow with purple spots and grows longer, and longer, and longer.
Josh worries he might have Tattle Tongue and he gets a visit from the Tattle Prince. The Prince breaks it down for Josh, giving him all the Tattle Rules for him to remember and practice. He tells of 4 Tattle Rules that will help Josh know if he's giving a warning or tattling, when he tells on someone.
This book is now on my Top 5 list to read during the first week of school because there are so many behavior management issues that can be tackled by using this literature as a lead in! I created some materials and activities to go along with the book that I think will be helpful for you too!
There are vocabulary terms to use on your word wall and a vocabulary book for students to keep track of the meanings of the words. I always like to have the students keep a vocab journal because sometimes writing and drawing things out helps them to remember.
To hit the story home in another manner the students can relate to, I included a tattle sort which the students decide whether the statement they told the teacher is a Warning or a Tattle. This helps the students to understand better the difference between a warning, which means someones in danger, and a tattle.
A variety of no-prep printables are included also. I like to over teach this subject over a week time span so the students really get it! There are story elements printables to focus on the literacy component of the book, along with printables that the students can apply the tattle rules.
This is when the students are learning how to "do" centers, so I have them do the Tattle Task Card Center because by this time it's a topic they've been learning about. These are cards that test the students' comprehension of the book with questions from the story. A recording sheet is included!
There are a set of full-page posters of the four rules that I hang up for the students to refer to when they run up to me to tattle! I can just point to the posters and they can think first about their tattle and if the student is in danger or not. Usually they'll just walk away, realizing they were going to tattle, not give a warning.
There are over of 66 pages of Tattle Tongue goodness in this product and it costs $4.50, which is nothing compared to the headaches from tattling that you'll be relieved from!
You can purchase it here from my blog by clicking the button below:
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