Even though some students do not have a father, by implementing “special person” versions of Father’s Day, you ensure that every child feels acknowledged and appreciated, which is vital for their emotional and social development.
Here are some key points to explain why it’s important to still celebrate Father’s Day in kindergarten and first grade, even when some students do not have fathers, which is why I incorporate “special person” versions into the celebration.
- Inclusive Celebrations: By creating “special person” versions, you ensure that every child feels included and valued, regardless of their family structure. This inclusivity teaches respect and acceptance for all types of families.
- Honoring All Caregivers: Celebrating Father’s Day, along with “special person” versions, emphasizes the importance of all caregivers in a child’s life, whether they are fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or family friends.
- Building Community: These celebrations foster a sense of community and belonging among students. Recognizing the diverse family dynamics in the classroom helps children understand and appreciate different family backgrounds.
- Emotional Development: Discussing and celebrating various caregivers helps children develop emotional intelligence. It teaches them to acknowledge and appreciate the roles that different people play in their lives.
- Social Skills: Participating in these activities enhances children’s social skills by encouraging them to share their experiences and listen to others’ stories about their special persons.
- Positive Role Models: Highlighting various caregivers provides children with a broader range of role models. This helps them see the value in different kinds of support and guidance they receive.
- Empathy and Understanding: Celebrations that include “special person” versions promote empathy and understanding among students. They learn that everyone has unique experiences and that all types of love and care are important.
- Reinforcing Values: These celebrations reinforce core values such as gratitude, kindness, and appreciation. Children learn to recognize and celebrate the effort and love that go into their upbringing.
- Creating Happy Memories: Even for children without fathers, participating in these celebrations creates positive and happy memories associated with school and special persons in their lives.
- Educational Opportunities: Celebrating Father’s Day with inclusivity provides opportunities to educate children about different family structures. It broadens their understanding and prepares them to engage with the world in a respectful and informed manner.
This poem template can be used to create a wonderful keepsake for fathers and other “special people” in your students’ lives.
1) Father’s Day Poem Template
2) Special Person Poem Template
3) Grandfather’s Poem Template
4) Generic (Any Subject) Poem Template
❤️ There are templates for the rough drafts as well as the final copies.
✅ Students create a Father’s Day Booklet or Special Person Booklet as they choose from 20 pages to complete. Choice of plain lines or skip count baselines in both versions
Small Graphics remind younger learners about what is contained on each page. After completing a sentence, students illustrate their newly formed sentence.
❤️ This is always a big hit with dads and other special people and makes a great keepsake to cherish.
Use these 13 Father’s Day poems and songs, sung to popular tunes, ❤️ to celebrate your students’ dads or other special person! 2 versions: color and black and white for students to color.
1. Use during shared reading.
2. Let your students pick a song to use in their Father’s Day Card.
3. Teach your students the songs to take home and sing to their fathers.
4. Have a Father’s Day celebration, and invite fathers to come to see your class sing the songs.
This set of mini books about Fathers will be a perfect addition for guided reading during the month of June to observe Father’s Day.
3 Reading Levels, Color & BW, with and without clipart so students can choose to illustrate. Includes an illustrated Word Wall.
2 versions for student writing with just “Fathers can ________________” on each page ready for your students to write their own sentences and illustrate. One version has skip count baselines, and one version has simple writing lines.
Save 50% when you buy the bundle which includes all of the items above to use with your young learners year after year!
A Father’s Day Poem Template
Booklet for Dad or Other Special Person
Father’s Day Mini Books
Father’s Day Poems and Songs
Google Slides Presentation of the Mini Books and Poems
Looking for a FREE fun and easy Father’s Day gift your students can make that dads will actually want to keep? Just click on the image to download this gift!
Your kiddos will decorate a rock with a clothespin glued to the top, and—boom!—they’ve made a “You Rock!” paperweight gift that’s as useful as it is adorable. 💪💙
To make it even sweeter, I’ve added a heartwarming, original Father’s Day poem to go with it—ready to print and send home.
Happy almost Father’s Day—and thank you for being the rock your students count on every day! 😉
Rock on!
