Looking for a great way to teach your students about friendship and kindness? You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book activities to go along with the book by Taraji P. Henson are perfect for that! This story follows TJ, a little girl starting at a new school who learns how to be a good friend, even when things get tough. It’s a great read-aloud to kick off discussions about being kind and making friends.
“You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!)”- Quick Summary
In You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!), TJ is nervous about starting at a new school. She faces some challenges but learns from her grandma that being herself and showing kindness can help her make new friends. By the end, TJ realizes how important it is to be a good friend, no matter what.
“You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!)” – Discussion Questions
After reading, spark some conversations with your students using these questions:
- How does TJ change from the start to the end of the story? What does she learn about being a good friend?
- Why is it important to be yourself when making new friends?
- Have you ever helped someone who was feeling nervous or sad? What did you do?
“You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!)” book writing activities
Keep the lesson going with these simple writing activities:
- Write a Letter to a New Friend: Have students pretend they’re TJ and write a letter to a new friend. What kind words would they use?
- Friendship Flower: Students can create a flower, writing reasons they’re a good friend on each petal. It’s a fun way for them to reflect on their own qualities as friends.
Want more writing activities? Students can complete one of the three differentiated prompts available in my TPT resource. These prompts are designed to help students connect with the story and build their writing skills in a way that best suits their needs with multiple differentiation options available.
Why “You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!)” book activities are perfect for back to school read aloud sessions
Back to school can be exciting, but it can also be a little scary for students. You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) is an ideal read-aloud for back-to-school season. The story of TJ’s journey in a new school resonates with kids who might be feeling nervous about new classrooms, teachers, or classmates.
Starting the year with this book sets a positive tone for your classroom, emphasizing the importance of kindness, empathy, and being a good friend—key values for a strong and welcoming classroom community. I like to pair the book with emphasizing the classroom or school policy on bullying and negative attitude from other children.
Lesson Plan
Here’s a quick and easy lesson plan to organize “You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!)” book activities in an engaging and comprehensive lesson play:
- Start with a Chat (5 minutes): Talk about what it means to be a good friend. Ask students to share how they’ve been good friends to others.
- Read-Aloud (15-20 minutes): Read the book to the class. Pause to ask questions and make predictions.
- Discuss (10 minutes): Use the discussion questions to dive deeper into the story’s themes.
- Writing Activity (15-20 minutes): Choose one of the writing activities. Students can work alone or with a partner.
- Wrap-Up (5 minutes): Have students share what they wrote or created. Reflect on what it means to be a good friend.
This plan is a great way to keep your students engaged and thinking about friendship.
Grab More Activities on TPT!
Want even more activities for You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!)? Check out my resource on Teachers Pay Teachers for a day filled with activities to go along with the book. It’s packed with ideas—from writing prompts to crafts—to help you make the most of this book in your classroom. Plus, it’s all ready to go, so you’ll save time and have everything you need to teach these important lessons.
Final Thoughts
You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) is a fantastic tool for teaching friendship. With the discussion questions, writing activities, and lesson plan ideas above, you’ll have everything you need to bring the story to life in your classroom. And don’t forget to visit my TPT store for even more great activities!
