Awareness of emotions
Toddlers participate in a picture book sharing focused on the happy and sad feelings of a dog.
Be Prepared: Review each illustration in this wordless book to determine what you will say. Focus on the dog feeling happy or sad about things that happen.
[Invite several toddlers to join you to read a book. Show the cover of the book and point to the pictured dog and its ball.]
Our book is about this dog. Her name is Daisy. Daisy has a red ball.
We can look at the pictures in our book to find out what happens with Daisy and her red ball. Our book does not have words. The pictures in our book tell a story.
[Tell the story by describing each picture. Point generously.
Explain specific aspects of illustrated events, such as the favorite (red) ball being destroyed when the larger dog put the ball in his/her mouth. The air came out of the red ball. Some toddlers may be familiar with air coming out of a balloon when it is popped.
Focus on Daisy’s facial expressions and body posture to emphasize that Daisy feels happy or sad. Describe what happened and connect the event to Daisy’s reaction. Example: “The other dog took Daisy’s red ball! Look at Daisy’s face. What do you think Daisy is feeling?” Pause for toddlers’ comments. “I think Daisy does not want the other dog to play with her ball. Daisy looks sad.”
Encourage toddlers to point to and name things in the pictures. Example: “Daisy is playing. She is having fun! What is she playing with? You can point to it!”
Recognize and build on toddlers’ comments or pointing. Examples: “Daniel said ‘ball.’ Daisy is playing with a red ball! Daisy looks happy.” “You are pointing to the blue ball, Kiara. Daisy’s friend gave her a new ball! Daisy looks happy! She is not sad anymore.”]
Daisy had different feelings in our story. Daisy was happy when she had a ball to play with. Daisy was sad when her red ball was ruined by a bigger dog. Daisy was happy when a friend gave her a new ball to play with.
Happy and sad are typically the first emotions young children learn. Toddlers will differ in their awareness of the words happy and sad, but many will likely connect with events in the story that prompt Daisy to feel happy or sad. Carefully observe toddlers’ reactions to illustrations and what you say to gauge whether your descriptions are sufficiently clear. Avoid assuming that toddlers know from looking an illustration (only) why Daisy feels happy or sad. There are many different types of emotions, of course, but at this age, it is appropriate to emphasize the basic emotions of happy and sad depicted in this book.
Extra support
Enrichment
Awareness of emotions
A toddler focuses on storybook events that prompt a dog to feel happy or sad.
Invite a toddler to look at a book with you about a dog and her favorite toy. Share the book using the strategies recommended in Option 1 plus additional opportunities for the toddler to participate in the session through comments and pointing. Ask questions about events in the story. Emphasize the feelings of happy and sad when you describe pictures.
After sharing the book’s story, return to illustrations that show situations where Daisy felt happy and then situations where Daisy felt sad. Example: “Sometimes Daisy was happy in our story. Let’s look at pictures that tell us about times Daisy was happy.” Talk about why a situation made Daisy feel happy or sad. Suggestions are below:
Look for opportunities to individualize the book sharing. Spend more time on parts of the story that are of interest to the toddler. Example: A toddler may be especially interested in one of the events, such as the loss of Daisy’s favorite toy. A toddler’s awareness of emotions is strengthened when there is information about the context of the emotion, such as getting a new ball from a friend.
The post-story segment of this activity is organized by the feelings of happy and sad. If a toddler seems uncertain about the story of Daisy and her ball, you may wish to modify this approach by looking at, and talking about, pictures related to an event in which Daisy is happy and then an event in which Daisy is sad.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka, pet animal figures or stuffed animals
Place the book and toy animals on a low table. Invite toddlers to look at the pictures and the book independently or together. Toddlers may act out portions of the book or create their own play themes with the toy animals.
Materials Needed: A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka, teddy bear or other stuffed animal
Invite preschool-age and older children to join toddlers in Option 1. Invite the preschool-age and older children to describe situations or things that make them feel happy and situations or things that make them feel sad.
© 2024 The Trustees of Purdue University | All Rights Reserved