This fall, we have been surrounded by election references, and so are the children in our classrooms. Recognizing how children perceive the process of voting can help us integrate it into the classroom curriculum and make meaning of this important concept. Here are a few things to bring up with your classroom to teach students about voting:
Different people have different ideas
Everyone has their own beliefs and differences, but just because people don’t agree doesn’t mean anything negative or should be looked down upon. Teach students how to respectfully listen to others and how to converse with them if they don’t see eye to eye. Leading by example and having walk-through activities can help maintain balance when having a difference of opinions. Reminding children that the option that wins in a democratic vote may not be the one that they chose, but we can teach them to have respect for others’ choices, and respect for the majority vote.
Talk about the issues with them
The bottom line is that national and local leaders will have an impact on a child’s life. The people we elect make decisions about everything from upgrades to education funding to bigger issues, like the environment. Choose a topic that’s important to the students in your classroom and talk it over. Ask them how they feel about it, and then talk about what candidate in the upcoming election agrees with them. Keep from taking sides and remain neutral when bringing up different concepts. It is not up to teachers to decide students’ political alignment, just inform them of their choices.
Reassure them
During election season, media stories about hard-to-understand issues may cause kid’s concern. One of the best tactics to alleviate worry is to focus on kid-sized solutions. For example, if children are concerned about people being healthy and cared for, give them opportunities to help in ways that are understandable and immediate like: “We can help people feel cared for by using kind words and offering to help”. Stick to age-appropriate topics and expand more for older students, and topics that can directly affect them.
Try voting activities
Even preschoolers can grasp the idea that voting is a way for people to make decisions. The essence of a fair vote is that one person means one vote. Young children often do not have one-to-one correspondence, and may, for instance, raise their hands to vote multiple times. So, it’s important to make a vote count stationary and visual like chips, ballets, or other concrete objects. Make initial voting activities about simple objects or ideas that directly affect the children but have no strong emotional or political attachment. For example, you might vote on the favorite of three shapes, or a book with multiple characters. Making the vote safe and nonpersonal ensures that the process does not disrupt any child’s feelings or standing in the classroom community when the child has not cast a vote with the majority.
What have you done with your class to teach about the importance of voting? Let us know in the comments!
Resources:
https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-young-children-voting/
https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/harperkids/children-importance-voting
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