This game integrates singing and polite language. Place a seat at the front of the class. Pick a child to be Miss Bea. She sits with her back to the class with closed eyes. Place an eraser under her chair. The eraser is the imaginary stand-in for the "honey treat." Pick a student to take the eraser. The children sing "Miss Bea Polite, you're very sweet. May we please have a honey treat?" She sings "Yes, you may" and the class sings "Thank, you, thank you." She gets three chances to pick the student who took the eraser.
Create a good manner reward program. Every time one of your students uses polite language or behavior, give them a small star. Polite behavior can include saying "please," apologizing for bad behavior, sharing toys, raising their hands before speaking or saying "excuse me" after belching. They place this star on a chart on the bulletin board. Every time they learn a set number of stars, reward them. For example, if they earn five stars, you can give them an extra serving at snack time. If they earn 10, you can give them first toy choice at free time.
Try to model great manner behaviors for your preschoolers every day. Have them sit on the floor in front of you. Repeat polite phrases, such as "thank you" and "you're welcome" with them several times. Also model polite activities, such as sneezing or coughing into their hands. Immediately after doing this activity, have a "Polite Time Play Period." Your students must be polite a set number of times during play time. Polite behaviors can include sharing toys, walking instead of running and listening to you immediately and without complaint. If a student is polite the proper number of times, give them a reward.
Write a short play for your students to act out proper behavior. The play should be no more than four or five minutes long. You can act as the narrator. Pick a few students you know can handle a few simple lines of dialogue. One student in the play should use improper, impolite manners. Impolite manners can include bossing students around, insulting others or stomping their feet loudly. Another should use proper and polite manners. These can include speaking quietly indoors and praising other students. Stop the play to ask the children which student is using good manners. Write the play so that the student using good behaviors gets rewarded in some way.
Good manner songs are a perfect way for your preschool children to learn manners. They love to sing and will have a lot of fun while singing these songs. There are CDs available at educational stores that feature such songs. However, you can also write your own simple songs. These songs should use polite phrases and even discuss proper behavior. Base your lyrics around melodies your children already know, such as "London Bridge." This helps make the songs instantly memorable.