Lesson Plan: Explaining Death to Young Children
II. While Reading Activities
Word Inference
- unexpectedly |ˌənəkˈspektədlē| adverb in a way that was not expected or regarded as likely: he died unexpectedly of a heart attack | [as submodifier] : unexpectedly high visitor numbers.
- grieve |ɡrēv| verb [no object] suffer grief: she grieved for her father. cause great distress to (someone): what grieves you, my son? | [with object] : it grieves me to think of you in that house alone.
- avoid |əˈvoid| verb [with object] 1 keep away from or stop oneself from doing (something): avoid excessive exposure to the sun.
- urgent |ˈərjənt| adjective (of a state or situation) requiring immediate action or attention: the situation is far more urgent than politicians are admitting.
- concern |kənˈsərn| anxiety; worry: such unsatisfactory work gives cause for concern.
- age-appropriate adjective suitable for a particular age or age group: some of her outfits should be more age-appropriate | the organization provides age-appropriate materials for teachers to use in their classrooms.
- cliché |klēˈSHā| (also cliche) noun 1 a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought: the old cliché “one man’s meat is another man’s poison.”
- heart-wrenching adjective extremely sad or distressing: this heart-wrenching drama revisits the early days of the crisis | it’s so heart-wrenching to see them go.
- honest |ˈänəst| adjective free of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere: I haven’t been totally honest with you.
- vivid |ˈvivid| adjective 1 producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind: memories of that evening were still vivid | a vivid description.
Source: New Oxford American Dictionary
Grammar Focus: Structure and Usage
I 1 -too
It is never too early to speak to children about death.
II – 3 – to
It is important to know that kids grieve differently than adults.
III – 1-to
When speaking to children about death, it’s important for parents to use clear terminology.
Reading Comprehension Identify The Speakers
Cara Mearns-Thompson, a licensed clinical social worker focused on grieving children and the co-founder of the Grief Club of Minnesota.
“Many parents — like my father — avoid speaking to their children about death because they want to protect their kids from sadness and pain.”
Vicki Jay, chief executive of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief.
“…there’s more than concern for their children that holds many parents back. It’s our own uncomfortableness with [the topic] that prevents us from opening up the discussion.”
American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Children’s grief will also vary depending on their developmental stage.”
Linda Goldman, a therapist in Maryland whose work focuses on children and grief.
“It is important to know that kids grieve differently than adults. And oftentimes, what may appear to be a frivolous play activity for children may actually be a very worthy way that they are working through grief.”
Annie Sperling’s husband died of a virulent type of brain tumor in 2020 when her two children were ages 4 and 8.
“Sometimes “my [younger] daughter will say to me, ‘Is Daddy ever coming back?’ And as heart-wrenching as it is to tell her “no, Daddy isn’t coming back.”
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