36 minute read
Social and Emotional Learning Through Children’s Literature
by Allyssa Richardson
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Allyssa Richardson is a recent graduate of Bridgewater State University. She majored in elementary education and biology. In the future, she plans to teach in an elementary school classroom while working toward a Master of Education degree with a concentration in STEM education.
What Is Social and Emotional Learning?
Social and emotional competencies are crucial for success in modern society. These include both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, such as making responsible decisions, managing emotions, and maintaining positive relationships (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008). Teachers and employers alike realize the importance of these competencies, and advocate for their promotion in education (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). In recent years, school districts have begun to include social and emotional learning, or SEL, in the classroom. In the United States, benchmarks for social and emotional learning are even being set at the state level (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). SEL has been shown to be an invaluable addition to the school environment, as it leads to both short-term and long-term positive outcomes for students (Taylor, Oberle, Durlak, & Weissburg, 2017).
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which someone builds social and emotional competencies (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008). These competencies can be broken down into five categories: self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008). Selfmanagement skills include perseverance, delayed gratification, impulse control, and stress management (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). Individuals that have developed self-management skills will be able to set goals for themselves and work towards achieving those goals. Selfawareness means an individual will be able to accurately analyze their own feelings and maintain a growth mindset (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). Social awareness competency includes empathizing with others and understanding social norms
(Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). Relationship skills include establishing and maintaining positive relationships with all types of people. In order to do this, individuals must possess competent communi-cation and cooperation skills (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). Finally, responsible decision-making means that an individual is able to consider the consequences of their choices and how they will affect themselves and others (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). SEL should address all five parts of social and emotional competency to be most effective (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008).
Why Is SEL Important?
Research has shown that SEL impacts students positively through improved behavior over time (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). For example, the introduction of SEL into the elementary school classroom has been shown to support the development of executive function skills, like the ability to refocus attention, which is essential to learning. Specifically, mindfulness practices such as deep breathing help students selfregulate, which leads to building social and emotional competencies (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). SEL in schools has also been linked with less disruptive behavior in the classroom and lower rates of discipline like suspension (Nickerson, Fredrick, Allen, & Jenkins, 2019). Furthermore, the implementation of formal SEL programs in schools has been shown to lead to decreased rates of bullying and aggression, even years after the program’s start (Nickerson et al., 2019). Other long-term studies have concluded that the implementation of SEL has long-lasting positive impacts on students of diverse backgrounds and ages (Taylor et al., 2017). SEL can have a protective effect on students’ development and lives; for example, one study found that participants in an SEL intervention were more likely to graduate high school and less likely to use drugs (Taylor et al., 2017). SEL also has a positive impact on academic achievement for students (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008). Research has linked SEL integration in schools with test score increases of 11-17 percentile points (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008).
How Can SEL Be Included in the Classroom?
Since the benefits of SEL are so significant, schools need to have realistic, practical ways to implement it. There are structured SEL programs available for schools to take advantage of that include lessons, resources, and training (Low, Smolkowski, Cook, & Desfosses, 2019). Some programs have integrated SEL standards that provide goals and benchmarks from preschool to high school (Zinsser, Weissberg, & Dusenbury, 2013). The most effective SEL programs are SAFE programs. SAFE stands for sequenced, active, focused, and explicit (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008). These programs, sequenced in a developmentally
appropriate way, include active forms of learning like role-plays, are focused on exclusively teaching social and emotional skills, and teach explicit and specific social and emotional skills (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008). However, schools do not need to invest in a formal, structured SEL program for students to benefit from SEL. Teachers can integrate SEL into their classrooms daily (Nickerson et al., 2019). Research has shown that student perception is a powerful influence, and it alone can impact student outcomes. Students who perceive that SEL is emphasized in their school are more likely to experience its positive benefits (Nickerson et al., 2019). Teachers can begin working with their students toward social and emotional competency through SEL on any regular school day. One way for teachers to implement SEL in their classrooms is through children’s literature. Teachers do not need to take away from academic content time to integrate SEL (Doyle & Bramwell, 2006). By thoughtfully selecting quality books that include social or emotional content, teachers can build social, emotional, and literacy skills simultaneously (Britt, Wilkins, Davis, & Bowlin, 2016). Fiction contains an abundance of opportunities to integrate SEL and for students to make text-to-self connections. For example, a literary discussion of character motivation might lead to a conversation about empathy and point of view (e.g.. The Bad Seed by Jory John). Students can gain insight into their own lives and problems by empathizing with a character in a book (Britt et al., 2016). Additionally, by analyzing the conflict between two characters in a story (e.g., Enemy Pie by Derek Munson), students can consider how to resolve conflict in their own lives (Britt et al. 2016). Exposure to books containing SEL themes provides an opportunity for students to practice emotional vocabulary. Sometimes, children lack the language to articulate their emotions or to navigate complex social problems. Explicit instruction of emotional and social vocabulary through literature allow students to learn this language and gain more ownership over their social and emotional situations (Doyle & Bramwell, 2006).
Research has shown that when students engage in authentic social situations when learning literacy, SEL increases (Venegas, 2019). Students build social skills by interacting and communicating with one another, and they build emotional skills by practicing empathy when listening to someone else or considering another point of view (Schlund, 2019). Two strategies for combining SEL with literacy are interactive read alouds and literature circles (Britt et al., 2016; Doyle & Bramwell, 2006; Venegas, 2019). Read alouds are commonly used for literacy development in classrooms with young children. They aid in the development of vocabulary, fluency, and background knowledge (Britt et al., 2016). They can be used with a whole class or a small group. A read aloud is focused on SEL when the teacher intentionally selects a developmentally appropriate book that teaches a targeted social or
emotional skill (Britt et al., 2016). For example, Ralph Tells a Story by Abby Hanlon teaches perseverance, a self-management skill. Ralph has trouble thinking of a story to write, and the longer he is stuck the worse he feels. Before the read aloud, the teacher should preview the book and develop meaningful questions that encourage comprehension and making text-to-self connections. A question for Ralph Tells a Story could be, “Have you ever found it hard to do something in school? How did you feel?” Previewing the text also helps the teacher become familiar with the book in order to model fluent, expressive reading (Britt et al., 2016). During the read aloud with the students, the teacher should set a specific purpose for reading by directing the children’s attention to a particular feature of the story or giving them something to reflect on during the reading (Britt et al., 2016). For Ralph Tells a Story, this could be something like asking the students to think about how Ralph is feeling as he watches his friends write their stories. The teacher should also ask the students the purposeful questions, not only to build literacy skills but to build social interaction skills as well. After the read aloud, enrichment activities can provide additional opportunities for text-to-self connections that lead to SEL and growth (Britt et al., 2016). An activity for Ralph Tells a Story might be having the students write their own tips for someone who is struggling like Ralph to keep in the classroom as a resource, or having the students come up with strategies for themselves in areas where they sometimes struggle. Additionally, multiple readings of the same book have been shown to be beneficial to students (Doyle & Bramwell, 2006). When students are exposed to the same text multiple times, they gradually become more engaged in the text and are able to speak about it more elaborately (Doyle & Bramwell, 2006). Finally, read alouds can lead to opportunities to explicitly teach social or emotional skills. For example, a story about a character who is angry might lead to a lesson about strategies to calm yourself down (Doyle & Bramwell, 2006) For Ralph Tells a Story, the whole lesson could be focused on perseverance and growth mindset strategies. Literature circles are small groups of students that provide opportunities for students to practice both literacy skills and SEL skills (Venegas, 2019). These small groups of students meet periodically over time to discuss the book they are reading. Working in a literature circle requires students to employ a range of SEL skills. For example, they must be cooperative, be able to self-regulate, have self-confidence in their contributions, know how to resolve conflicts, and listen to others with empathy (Venegas, 2019). Literature circles are student-led and encourage higher-order thinking. Student grouping for a literature circle could be dynamic, meaning that the roles within the group change at each meeting, as well as which students are in the group (Venegas, 2019). One week, one student could be in charge of summarizing a section of text, while the next week they could be in charge of defining new
vocabulary. Using this dynamic grouping model, teachers can intentionally create heterogeneous groups of students with different SEL competency strengths and weaknesses (Venegas, 2019). The text selection can also be purposeful and intended for students to explicitly discuss SEL topics. For example, the book Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullally Hunt might be selected for students to discuss growth mindset, self-esteem, or self-efficacy. It is about a girl who has very low self-worth because school is difficult for her. She does not realize she has dyslexia and that is why reading and writing are so hard. By the end of the story, she develops better self-esteem and a more positive sense of self-efficacy. Many students would be able to make a social or emotional connection to this story, as everyone at some point has struggled with something in school, or with self-worth in general. The teacher can encourage students to make these personal connections to specific SEL topics just by selecting this book to read and discuss in a literature circle. When selecting any literature to use in a classroom to promote SEL, teachers must be thoughtful and intentional. As previously discussed, SEL should be SAFE: sequenced, active, focused, and explicit. Teachers can choose a sequenced text by ensuring it is developmentally appropriate for their students, and they can plan active lessons that explicitly teach a focused skill. By effectively integrating children’s literature to promote SEL in the classroom daily, teachers can significantly affect their students’ success in school and in life.
Selected Children’s Literature for Social and Emotional Learning Lower Elementary
Younger elementary students are still learning how to interact with others, recognize their emotions, and exist in a school setting. They sometimes need help understanding new, more abstract social and emotional concepts. The books included for this age group focus on naming and coping with feelings, modeling basic interactions with others, and promoting positive self-image and self-efficacy.
I Am Enough by Grace Byers
Illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo Self-awareness, Social awareness This book teaches self-love and acceptance, as well as respect for others. The illustrations show young girls from diverse backgrounds loving and celebrating themselves, and also working together positively. The message of the book is that every individual is powerful, special, and capable, and that we should respect everyone, even if they don’t look like us or agree with us. This book could be used to encourage young elementary students to view themselves as capable and valuable individuals. It could also be used to start conversations about respecting differences in a community.
When Sadness Is at Your Door by Eva Eland
Self-management, Self-awareness In this story, a blue figure depicting sadness shows up at a child’s door unexpectedly. At first, the child tries to hide the sadness, but that makes the child feel worse. Eventually, the child tries different strategies, such as doing something they both enjoy. These strategies help the child deal with sadness in a much more positive way. In this book, sadness eventually leaves. However, the purpose of this story is not how to make sadness disappear; it’s actually how to cope with sadness in a realistic and healthy way. This story gives physical form to an often overwhelming, abstract emotion. It also provides young children with useful language to describe how sadness feels, as well as some strategies they can use to recognize and deal with their own sadness in a constructive, healthy way.
Ralph Tells a Story by Abby Hanlon
Self-management, Self-awareness It is writing time in Ralph’s classroom, but he doesn’t know what to write about. He tries everything and looks everywhere for a story, but he is frustrated and embarrassed. His friend Daisy finds it easy to write, and it makes Ralph feel down on himself. When it’s time to share with the class, Ralph is nervous. He does not have a written story, but he begins to tell a story and gets a wildly positive response from his peers. After that, he is no longer afraid to write. Strategies are provided to become more comfortable with writing. Young children learn perseverance and a growth mindset. 70
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
Illustrated by Debbie Tilley Responsible decision-making, Social awareness This story is a conversation between a kid and the ant that he is about to squish with his sneaker. The ant tries to convince the kid that he shouldn’t be squished, and the kid provides reasons why it’s ok to squish him. The ant’s rebuttals teach empathy and tolerance for someone different than you. The illustrations show that the ant and the kid aren’t all that different at all. This book underscores the idea that it’s easier to be mean to someone you don’t relate to or know that much about. Learning about someone and being able to have empathy for them is an important social and emotional skill for young elementary children to practice. The book ends by asking the reader what they think the kid should do. This book could lead to lessons about right and wrong, as well as how to make responsible decisions.
The Bad Seed by Jory John
Illustrated by Pete Oswald Social awareness, Self-management, Responsible decision-making In this story, a sunflower seed introduces himself as a “bad seed,” and explains that it’s because everyone says so. The seed does bad things sometimes, like cutting in line or not washing his hands. He explains that he became a bad seed after being taken away from his family and sold as a snack in a bag of sunflower seeds. After he was spit out and discarded, he was sad and misbehaved. He decides to try to be a better seed by making changes in his behavior. In the end, other seeds start to see him as not so bad after all. The seed models using self-management skills and responsible decision-making skills to recognize his bad behavior and decide to make some constructive changes in his life. This book could also be used with young children to discuss how talking about other people negatively makes them feel, and how everyone has a story and experiences that affect how they act.
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Illustrated by Patrice Barton Social awareness, Responsible decision-making This is story is about a boy named Brian who feels lonely and invisible in his classroom. No one ever seems to notice him or his drawing skills, not even the teacher. When a new student comes to class, Brian is kind to him. By the end of the story, Brian is a celebrated member of a group. The illustrations in this book reinforce the feelings of the character. When Brian feels invisible, he is sketched in black and white. When he feels seen, he is drawn in full color. The Invisible Boy could be used with lower elementary students to teach empathy and social awareness, as well as model how to treat others with kindness and an open mind.
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud
Illustrated by David Messing Relationship skills, Responsible decision-making This book uses the metaphor of filling a bucket to represent social interaction. Everyone has a bucket that can either be filled or emptied through social interactions. The fuller a bucket is, the happier its owner. Buckets can be filled by making someone else feel good or doing a good deed. Buckets are emptied by negative interactions, like bullying. The book challenges readers to make sure they help fill others’ buckets every day. This explanation of social interaction takes something broad and abstract and turns it into something concrete and easy to understand for young children. This book teaches how to interact with other people in a positive way. It would be useful in a classroom to develop expectations for behavior or build community.
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
Illustrated by Tara Calahan King Relationship skills, Responsible decision-making The summer was perfect for one little boy until Jeremy Ross moved into town. Jeremy laughed at the boy when he struck out in baseball and didn’t invite him to his trampoline party. When the boy talks to his dad about his new enemy, the dad suggests “Enemy Pie” as a solution. Dad says that in order for the pie to work, the boy first has to spend all day playing with his enemy. Over the course of the day, they become friends and then enjoy a delicious pie together. They are no longer enemies. This book models constructive conflict resolution by showing the little boy seeking help from an adult and turning a negative relationship into a positive one. This story could encourage younger elementary children to give their “enemies” a second chance and provide them with strategies for conflict resolution.
My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing by Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor
Illustrated by Michelle Polizzi Self-awareness, Self-management This book teaches mindful breathing in a fun way. The book refers to breath as “magic,” because it is powerful and can change your emotional state. It gives times when you should use your magic breath, and then has the reader practice using it. For example, the book recommends using magic breath when you have a lot of thoughts running through your mind, or when you are nervous. The information in this book is useful for young elementary children because it provides them with a versatile strategy they can use to manage their own emotions whenever and wherever they recognize that they need to use it. Mindful “magic” breath is a great tool for students working on perseverance as well as growth mindset.
My Strong Mind: A Story About Developing Mental Strength by Niels Van Hove
Self-awareness, Self-management Kate is a typical young girl who sometimes gets frustrated, sad, or mad. She reads a book about making your mind stronger, and she decides to try out this new information in her life. Kate models multiple strategies that children can use to develop a growth mindset. For example, she writes down her to-do list and checks off completed tasks. She also counts to ten when she is angry to avoid acting in a way she would regret. Throughout this book, Kate demonstrates numerous strategies and skills that students should practice in order to develop a positive sense of self-efficacy and a growth mindset. These include positive self-talk, perseverance, and mindful breathing. This book could be used with younger elementary school children to empower them to make their mind stronger each and every day.
Upper Elementary
As children grow up, they are exposed to more of life and are faced with more difficult situations that they must figure out how to navigate. These books selected for use with older elementary school children address more complex social and emotional issues, such as peer pressure, bullying, family relationships, pressure and responsibility, and mental illness.
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones Responsible decision-making, Social awareness This book is about a boy named Jeremy’s burning desire to own a pair of the school’s trendy sneakers. He is jealous when he sees many other boys in the school walking around with the shoes that he is desperate to have. Unfortunately, his family cannot afford them. When he finds them at a thrift shop, he is ecstatic. The thrift shop shoes are too small for Jeremy, and he endures the pain of his too-small shoes in order to look cool at school. When Jeremy encounters a boy whose shoes are so worn that they are held together with tape, he gives his beloved shoes away. This story could be used with upper elementary students who are beginning to encounter peer pressure in their social lives. Jeremy wants the trendy shoes because he feels social pressure to fit in. However, in the end he makes a responsible decision and gives his shoes away to someone who needs them more. This story is an easy-to-understand introduction to making the right choice in the face of peer pressure.
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Self-awareness, Social awareness Melody is an extremely intelligent fifth grader who has never spoken a single word. She has cerebral palsy, which limits her physical abilities, but not her amazing mind. This book is written from her perspective. The reader is the only one who knows Melody’s inner thoughts, until about halfway through the book when she receives assistive technology to help her communicate everything that’s been stored in her head. Once she can demonstrate how intelligent she really is, she joins her school’s competitive quiz team. However, the other students and some teachers are not sure about having Melody there. This story deals with empathizing with people different from you, social relationships at school and at home, and being kind to others. Primarily, though, this book highlights the mental strength and self-awareness of Melody. She has realistic expectations about her abilities, but she also has a growth mindset and actively advocates for herself and what she knows she needs. This book could lead to discussions about self-reflection and knowing oneself.
The Energy Bus for Kids by Jon Gordon
Illustrated by Korey Scott Self-management, Responsible decision-making This book teaches how to choose and project positivity. George is having a bad morning and rides the bus to school with a new bus driver, Joy. Over the next few days, Joy teaches George five rules that will help him to stay positive and therefore be happier and more satisfied overall. These rules include things like creating positive visions, doing kind things for others, and not tolerating bullying. At the end, Joy knows that George is now a “positive driver” in the world that will spread positivity wherever he goes. This book is a good tool for teaching children how to make good choices and deal with general, day-to-day challenges, such as running late or getting a bad grade. It is important to note that this book would not be helpful for a child coping with a more serious problem, because in that case it would not be constructive to tell a child in that situation to simply “choose” to be happier. This story should be used to generally provide children with strategies to cope with their everyday problems and to become more giving members of their communities.
Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand
Self-management, Relationship Skills Finley, an eleven-year-old girl, is staying the entire summer with grandparents she has never met. Her parents need time to “figure things out,” which Finley knows means divorce. No one will tell her what happened between her father and his family that made her father leave. Over the course of the summer, Finley befriends her cousins and uncovers family secrets that have been buried for decades. Her coping mechanism is writing stories about the Everwood, a fantasy world she invented to work out how she feels and to escape. She slowly invites more and more people into the Everwood, and eventually asks for help dealing with her anxiety and depression. This story addresses coping with feelings of anxiety and depression, as well as strained familial relationships. Older elementary or middle school students could discuss self-management strategies and asking for help when faced with intense feelings like Finley. This book could also be used to discuss coping with difficult family members. 72
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Relationship skills, Self-awareness Ally is very bright and is a gifted artist, but she hates school. All of her past teachers have been frustrated with her, and Ally feels alone and worthless. When she gets a new teacher and he doesn’t treat her this way, she feels it’s too good to be true. Her new teacher realizes she has dyslexia, and that’s why reading and writing are so hard for her. The title of this book is derived from the phrase, “If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking that it’s stupid.” This book teaches about accepting yourself, being proud of your strengths, and knowing when to ask for help if you need it. Ally develops a growth mindset over the course of the story. She also makes great friends and learns that everyone struggles with something, it’s not just her. This book could start meaningful discussions with upper elementary or middle school students about believing in yourself and empathizing with others.
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Relationship skills, Responsible decision-making, Social awareness Auggie was born with a facial deformity. Due to his numerous childhood surgeries, he has always been home schooled. However, his parents decide that he should try going to school with other kids for fifth grade. Much of this story is written from Auggie’s perspective, as he navigates going to school and getting stares and mean comments from some of his classmates. Some of the story is told from the perspectives of people in Auggie’s life, like his friends and family. This is a great book to teach social awareness, because the reader not only sees the struggles of someone who is socially ostracized through their eyes, but through the eyes of the people who love him as well. This story could also start discussions about responsible decision-making. Auggie and his friends and family have to make a lot of decisions about the best way to behave in difficult situations throughout the story. Finally, this is a story about family and community, and there are examples of both healthy and unhealthy relationships to be considered.
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein
Illustrated by Mark Pett Self-management, Self-awareness Nobody calls Beatrice by her name; they call her “the Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes.” She does everything perfectly, from making her brother’s sandwiches with the exact same amount of peanut butter and jelly, to juggling in the annual talent show. Beatrice feels pressure to never make a single mistake. She even skips having fun with her friends because of the chance she will make that first mistake. When the talent show doesn’t go as planned, Beatrice has to figure out how to deal with mistakes. This story will resonate with children who feel pressure to live up to expectations or responsibilities that have been put on their shoulders, either by themselves or someone else. This story could lead to lessons about emotional regulation, as well as accurately assessing one’s own strengths and limitations. This book could be used to help develop a growth mindset.
Small Things by Mel Tregonning
Self-awareness, Self-management This is a graphic picture book that follows a young boy coping with anxiety and/or depression. Over the course of the story, evillooking tiny monsters follow him around and become more and more looming. His grades slip and his personal relationships are affected. He feels isolated and doesn’t know what to do about the monsters making him crack and crumble. In the end, his sister shows him that she struggles with the monsters, too, and he doesn’t feel so alone. The author of this story intended it to show a struggle with mental illness, but the spooky black monsters could represent any negative emotion that leaves someone feeling exhausted and isolated. Thus, many children with a wide variety of circumstances could relate to this book. The message of this story is that everyone has their own issues to deal with, and human connection is an important piece of coping with them. This book could be a great way of discussing how to recognize and manage more intense emotions, and how to empathize with and reach out to someone who is struggling.
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
Social awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-making This book chronicles the first week of fifth grade for two boys from different backgrounds. Ravi has recently moved to New Jersey with his parents and grandparents from India. In India, he was the top of his class and a star cricket player, and he expects to impress everyone on the first day of school. Things don’t go according to plan for Ravi. Joe is not new to the school, but his big stature and auditory processing disorder make him an outcast. He has low expectations for the schoolyear because of a relentless bully, Dillon. Over the course of the book, the two boys have to figure out how to navigate complicated social relationships with their fifth-grade peers, as well as their families. In the end, they are brought together by acts of kindness and friendship. This book could be used with older elementary students to discuss social relationships and the social structures that begin to form around that age. It could also be used to discuss responsible decision-making. Joe and Ravi are both faced with choices for how they treat others. Sometimes they do the right thing, and sometimes they don’t. Overall, this story is relatable and realistic for this age group, while addressing bullying, diversity, self-awareness, and choosing to do the right thing.
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated by Rafael López Social awareness, Relationship skills In the beginning of this story, several children of diverse backgrounds are shown feeling shy, uncertain, and excluded, because of things like their hair, their language, or their food. They feel unhappy and different than their peers until the day they begin to share their stories. Proudly sharing their stories helps the children in the book make connections with others and feel like they belong. This story underlines the importance of bonding over our similarities while also celebrating our wonderful differences. This book could be used in the classroom to help children feel that it is OK to be themselves, communicate their unique stories, and form friendships with classmates that they might think are different. It promotes self-esteem and confidence in oneself, as well as empathy for others.
SEL Lesson Plan – Self-Management and Self-Awareness
By Allyssa Richardson Grades 1-3 When Sadness Is at Your Door by Eva Eland
Learning Outcomes:
After reading this story, students will be able to explain that feeling emotions is not wrong. They will also be able to name and employ strategies for dealing with their own emotions.
Teacher Content Knowledge:
In this story, a blue figure depicting sadness shows up at a child’s door unexpectedly. At first, the child tries to hide their sadness, but that makes them feel worse. Eventually, they try different strategies, such as doing something they both enjoy. These strategies help the child deal with their sadness in a much more positive way. In this book, sadness eventually leaves. However, the purpose of this story is not how to make sadness disappear, it’s actually how to cope with sadness in a realistic and healthy way. This story gives physical form to an often overwhelming, abstract emotion. It also provides young children with useful language to describe how sadness feels, as well as some strategies they can use to recognize and deal with their own sadness in a constructive, healthy way.
PRE-READING
Activating Prior Knowledge ● Students will complete a quick draw activity to get them to think about sadness. ● Ask students to take five minutes and draw how they feel when they are sad. ● Discuss the drawings as a whole group: How did they draw sadness? What colors did they use? What did they draw themselves doing?
Building Background Knowledge ● Introduce students to the title of the book. ● Ask students, “What kinds of things would cause sadness to come to your door?”
DURING READING
Purpose Setting ● The purpose of reading is to learn that it is ok to be sad, and to learn strategies to cope with sadness. ● Students will predict what the child on the cover will do with sadness.
Mode of Reading The teacher will read the story in an interactive read-aloud.
Possible Questions 1. After the child tries to hide sadness, ask, “Did hiding sadness make the child feel better or worse? Why didn’t hiding sadness work?” 2. After the child begins to work with their sadness, ask, “Why did the child stop trying to get their sadness to go away? Is being with their sadness helping them feel better?”
POST-READING
Check Predictions The students will revisit their predictions about what the child will do with sadness. How was the book different than their prediction?
Possible Questions 1. What kinds of things did the child do to help the sadness? a) Name the sadness, listen to it, sit quietly together, draw, listen to music, drink hot chocolate, go outside, give it a hug. 2. Why did these things help? a) The child wasn’t afraid of it anymore. b) The child did things to make sadness feel better/more welcome. 3. Where did sadness go? Will it come back? a) Sadness went away because the child feels better. b) Sadness could come back but the child knows what to do now. 4. Is it ok to feel sad? Why? a) There are ways you can deal with feeling sad so that you feel better.
RESPONSE TO READING
The students will be given a choice of assessment to demonstrate learning and practice different social and emotional skills. 1. Students can work in partners to create and perform a skit about a strategy to deal with an emotion. They might pick anger, fear, or sadness. They have to choose how to represent that emotion, as well as a strategy to cope with it. They then have to perform their skit for the class. This option not only requires students to examine their own feelings, it also requires them to utilize social
awareness and relationship skills to work in a partnership. Strategies should not focus on getting the emotion to go away, but rather how to recognize and learn about the emotion until it passes. 2. Students can work independently to illustrate an emotion (anger, fear, sadness) and a strategy to cope with that emotion. Students will write about their illustration depending on their grade level, anywhere from 1-2 sentences to a paragraph. Strategies should not focus on getting the emotion to go away, but rather how to recognize and learn about the emotion until it passes. Working individually, the student must use self-awareness and self-management skills to come up with an emotion they have experienced and a strategy that would help them personally cope with it.
Illustrations will be compiled in a classroom book, so students have access to all the strategies as a resource in the future.
SEL Lesson Plan – Social Awareness
By Allyssa Richardson Grades 5-6 Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
Learning Outcomes:
After reading Chapters 1-4 of Save Me a Seat, students will be able to analyze a single aspect of the story (i.e. a character or an event) from the perspectives of two different characters using text evidence. They will build social awareness skills as they take on the perspective of each character and empathize with the characters’ perceptions and emotions during their analysis.
Teacher Content Knowledge:
In Chapters 1-4 of Save Me A Seat, both Ravi and Joe describe their experience of the first day of fifth grade up through lunch time. Chapters 1 & 3 are narrated by Ravi, and Chapters 2 & 4 are narrated by Joe. Ravi is a new student from India, where he was top of his class. Joe is an isolated student with auditory processing disorder who is often bullied. They attend the same morning class and the same lunch period, but have very different experiences and perceptions in each. Ravi is frustrated that his intelligence is not coming across to his new class, but he knows Dillon Samreen (the only other Indian student in the class) must understand and want to be his friend. Joe has low expectations for the school year, and fears that his bully, Dillon Samreen, will continue to make his life miserable.
PRE-READING
Activating Prior Knowledge ● Ask students to reflect on how they have felt on the first day of school. ● Give the students a few minutes to silently think to themselves. Then, ask students to anonymously write a word that describes how they felt on a past first day of school on a slip of paper. ● Collect the slips and read some aloud. ● Ask the students why someone might feel that way at the beginning of the school year. What are some common challenges/goals/hopes/fears?
Building Background Knowledge ● Ask students to think about how their feelings would be different on the first day of school if they were new to the country.
● Turn and talk to a partner about how being new to not only the school, but to the whole country would affect the first day of school for someone.
DURING READING
Purpose Setting ● The purpose of these chapters is to introduce Ravi and Joe, and the differences in how they experience the same school day. ● Students will predict how the first day of school will be different for Ravi, a new immigrant, and Joe, a returning student.
Mode of Reading
The students will read the chapters silently.
Possible Questions
After the students have read Chapters 1 & 2, stop them briefly to refocus on the purpose for reading and ask, 1. What is one way in which Ravi and Joe are similar? a) They both have hope that this school year will go well at first. b) They have both recently lost friends (Ravi moved from India and Joe’s friends moved away). 2. Are their worries about the first day of school the same or are they different? a) Ravi is worried about showing everyone how smart he is. b) Joe is worried about being bullied and alone.
POST-READING
Check Predictions
The students will briefly discuss with a partner whether or not their predictions about Ravi and Joe’s school day were correct.
Possible Questions 1. Why does Ravi think Dillon Samreen wants to be his friend? a) He is also Indian. b) He smiles and winks at him in class. c) He is popular and Ravi was part of that popular group at his old school.
2. What does Joe know about Dillon that Ravi does not? a) He is a bully. b) He likes to steal things. 3. How do Ravi and Joe’s attitudes towards school in general differ? a) Ravi was popular and top of his class, so he enjoys school and feels like he is good at it. b) Joe has never enjoyed school, except lunch time, because teachers rarely like him and people make fun of him.
RESPONSE TO READING
In order to explore the text from both the main characters’ perspectives, the students will analyze one aspect of the text from both boys’ points of view. Aspects to analyze may include a character like Dillon Samreen, or an event like class in room 506 or lunch. Students will work in small groups to fill out a worksheet and analyze the two boys’ points of view and discuss what influences someone’s personal experience.
Names: ____________________________________________________________________________
Character Perspectives
Choose something both Ravi and Joe experienced or someone they both encountered in Chapters 1-4.
Write your choice here: _____________________
Make notes about each character’s experiences and thoughts about your topic. Use text evidence.
RAVI JOE
Why do you think Ravi and Joe have very different experiences or thoughts about the same person/event? What factors influence what a person thinks about something or someone?
References
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