Words That Hurt

Gr 3–5—Three skits performed by elementary-school age actors dramatize the ways in which words can hurt fellow students. The vignettes are narrated by two teenagers who provide the same three suggestions after each segment: speak up, be assertive, and ask a grownup for help. The situations are typical of school behavior problems, although the acting is perfunctory. "Teasing Ends When You Find New Friends" features a boy getting hassled about being dyslexic. "Truth Beats Rumor" deals with the unforeseen consequences of gossip. "Words That Exclude Are Rude" explains how words can hurt feelings when people are deliberately left out. Colorful graphics provide an unchanging, busy backdrop for the narrators, and a recap reviews what to do in each challenging situation. Chapter headings can be accessed for easy reference. The best resource, the comprehensive teacher's guide prepared by special education teacher Leanne Arnow, is available in PDF format when you insert the disk into a DVD-ROM with Adobe Acrobat Reader. It includes program summaries, pre- and post-assessments, lesson plans with extensions and adaptations for special needs and gifted students, parent fact sheets, and many useful printable items. The top-notch follow-up ideas would be a great help for counseling sessions as well as classrooms.—Lonna Pierce, MacArthur and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, Binghamton, NY