Telling Isn't Tattling

Many children and adults occasionally have trouble differentiating between “telling on someone” and tattling. This resource presents 13 typical examples of children telling or tattling, and asks young readers to judge whether the characters are “tattling” or “telling.” Ultimately, it helps children learn when to tell an adult that they need help and when to deal with a problem themselves, and it teaches adults about when to pay attention to kids’ requests for help, especially in possible cases of abuse. Alternatives to tattling and additional suggestions for telling round out each story.