Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
(Formerly known as Educators for Social Responsibility)
475 Riverside Drive Suite 550
New York, NY 10115
Program Description
The 4Rs(Reading, Writing, Respect and Resolution)
Morningside Center's 4Rs Program integrates conflict resolution into the language arts curriculum for grades K-5. Through the program, we train and support teachers in implementing the 4Rs curriculum, •which uses high-quality children's literature as a springboard for helping students gain skills and understanding in the areas of community-building, handling anger, listening, assertiveness, cooperation, negotiation, mediation, celebrating differences, and countering bias.The thrust of the 4Rs is creating a caring classroom community. Each grade, K-5, has its own teaching guide with seven units:
• Building community
• Dealing with feelings
• Becoming a better listener
• Learning to be assertive
• Dealing well with conflict
• Celebrating diversity & countering prejudice
• Making a difference
Each unit is based on a children's book, carefully chosen for its high literary quality and relevance to the theme. All of the units have two parts. Book Talk suggests activities — discussion, writing, and role play — for deepening students' understanding of the book and connecting it to their lives. Applied Learning consists of conflict resolution lessons related to the theme.
By highlighting universal themes of conflict, feelings, relationships, and community, the 4Rs curriculum adds meaning and depth to literacy instruction. Since reading and writing are excellent tools for exploring conflict, feelings, and problem-solving, the 4Rs approach enriches conflict resolution instruction as well.
The 4Rs includes a parent component, 4Rs Family Connections, which consists of activities children do with their parents at home. Each activity sheet includes a summary of the book used in the unit, a related activity for the parent (or other adult) and the child to do together, and suggestions for further activities related to the book and the theme.