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Picture books are more than just sweet stories with engaging illustrations. They can be powerful tools for teachers to explicitly teach emotion vocabulary and emotional intelligence in the classroom. According to a report by the American Psychological Association, using picture books as a tool for emotional education positively influences children’s social and emotional development, leading to more successful interpersonal relationships and improved mental health.
Understanding Emotion Vocabulary
Emotion vocabulary is the language we use to express our feelings and understand the emotions of others. It plays a crucial role in our social and emotional development, influencing our communication, relationships, and overall well-being. When students can articulate their emotions effectively, they are better equipped to navigate life’s challenges and connect with their peers.
The Power of Picture Books
Picture books are brimming with stories that captivate us, while subtly introducing a rich emotional landscape. It’s no shock that I love picture books, I blog about them constantly, am always sharing about them on my social media feeds, and I wrote my own picture book in 2020! I care about them deeply and believe in their power. They create a safe space for children to explore and discuss complex emotions, ultimately expanding their emotion vocabulary. Research has shown that picture books can help students connect with their own feelings and develop empathy for others.
A study published in the Journal of Children’s Literature and Education found that reading picture books with emotional content increased children’s emotion vocabulary by 65% over the course of a school year!!!!!
Strategies for Using Picture Books in Teaching Emotional Vocabulary
1. Choose Books with Diverse Emotions
Select picture books that cover a wide range of emotions. This diversity helps children identify and name their feelings. For example, books like The Color Monster by Anna Llenas and Best Day Ever! by Marilyn Singer can be great choices.
2. Engage in Open Discussions
After reading a book, engage your students in open discussions about the characters’ emotions. Ask questions like, “How do you think the character felt when…?” Encourage students to share their own experiences related to those emotions.
3. Empathy Role Play
Use picture books to enact scenes that involve emotional situations. This role playing allows students to put themselves in the characters’ shoes, developing empathy and a deeper understanding of emotions.
4. Journaling and Art
Encourage students to keep emotion journals or create art inspired by the stories they read. Creating meaningful reflection activities after read alouds can be simple yet supportive debrief exercise. This can help them express their own emotions and thoughts, expanding their emotion vocabulary.
5. Utilize Emotion Vocabulary Visuals
I love using emotions anchor charts and SEL word walls to keep these vocabulary words front and center for students to access. When students are exposed to or learn a new emotion word, it can be highlighted on the word wall. This is such an effective use of a formerly used literacy strategy (learn more about the more effective literacy practice of sound walls here) in a more social emotional way! Anchor charts are also really helpful, as they share what emotions look like on the faces and bodies of a variety of people. This really helps kids generalize what emotions could look like in others.
Books Can Be a Catalyst
Incorporating picture books into your classroom curriculum is a simple yet powerful way to foster emotion vocabulary and better comprehension of the CASEL competencies in students. By leveraging the research-supported strategies outlined in this post, you can create a more empathetic and emotionally aware learning environment. It can be easy to see this strategy as a K-2 focus, but using picture books with upper elementary through high school students can be POWERFUL, too.
Looking for related blog posts?
Teaching SEL Vocabulary in the Classroom
3 Reasons Why Emotional Literacy is So Important
17 Teacher Approved Picture Books Featuring Characters of Color
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Emotion Flip Books to the Rescue
