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Saying a Real Sorry

Malik and the tower

Play this lessonNarrated out loud. No account, works offline.

Also available in Spanish. The app stops after two lessons a day and suggests something to do away from the screen.

What it teaches

These are the lines the lesson comes back to, and the ones a child actually remembers afterwards.

A real sorry has three parts.

How it starts

This one is about a boy called Malik, a tower made of blocks, and the difference between saying sorry and actually fixing something. They are not the same thing, and by the end you will know why.

How the lesson goes

Why a fast sorry doesn't work

  1. It doesn't say what happened
  2. It doesn't notice how they feel
  3. It doesn't fix anything

The three parts

  1. What I did: I knocked your tower down
  2. How you feel: you're sad, you worked hard
  3. How I'll fix it: can I help build it again?

When they're still cross

  1. They don't have to say it's okay
  2. Give them a little time
  3. You still did your part

The question at the end

You bumped your friend's drawing and it ripped. Which one is a real sorry?

For the grown-up

Every lesson ends by handing the child something to do off the screen, and telling you what was taught so you can use the same words.

Try this today: Think of someone who is still waiting for a real sorry from you. Go and give them one, with all three parts.

Then: If nobody comes to mind, tell a grown-up the three parts so they know you've got them.

More in Other Kids

The whole library is free

Twenty-four narrated lessons for ages 4 to 9, in English and Spanish. No account, no sign-up, no ads, and nothing your child does in the app ever leaves the device — you can check that yourself with the network tab open. Open the lessons.