Awareness of emotions
Toddlers participate in a book sharing on how a boy’s different experiences make him feel up or feel down.
[Invite 3–5 toddlers to join you in reading a book about a boy and the different things he does. Show the book cover and point to the boy and dog when you describe each.]
Our book tells us about this boy. Here is the boy’s dog.
The boy in our book does different things. Sometimes he does things that make him feel up. He feels good when he feels up. He is happy when he feels up.
Sometimes the boy does things that make him feel down. He does not feel good when he feels down. He is sad or angry or lonely when he feels down.
[Show book cover again and point to the title when you say it.]
Our book is called I Feel. These words say “I feel.”
Let’s read our book and find out what things the boy does.
[Use the following strategies to share the book:
Did the boy in our book always feel the same way in our story? (no!)
The boy did different things. Some things made him feel up. We feel good when we feel up. What things made the boy feel up?
The boy did some things that made him feel down. We do not feel good when we feel down. What things made the boy feel down?
Look for ways to strengthen toddlers’ awareness of (a) the basic difference between feeling up and feeling down, and (b) how different situations can make us feel different ways. A toddler’s description of how he/she skinned a knee or felt afraid at night may be an opportunity for you to help toddlers connect the book content to their own experiences. The questions suggested at the conclusion of the session are designed to support these two big messages plus promote the cognitive benefits of recalling a story.
Extra support
Enrichment
Awareness of emotions
Toddlers talk about helpful ways to respond to feeling down about a situation.
Be Prepared: This activity is for toddlers who are familiar with the I Feel book through participation in Option 1 or a similar book sharing.
Invite 3–5 toddlers to join you to talk about a book about a boy’s different experiences. Show the book cover and remind toddlers that the boy did different things that made him feel different ways. Show pictures of situations you highlight. Invite toddlers to talk about what they remember about a situation(s) described in the book.
Turn to the page that shows the boy reaching out to an adult. (The adult is holding the boy’s hand.) Explain that our book says sometimes our feelings seem “too big” for us. Something that feels too big means we don’t know what to do.
Engage toddlers in a discussion of the following four things we can do when we feel down. Remind toddlers what the boy in the book did and use brief examples from your room or children who know. The book offers one illustration for each of the four ways.
Conclude the session by reminding toddlers that sometimes we feel down. There are things we can do to feel better when we feel down. Give firm assurances that adults in our room and our families can help us when we feel down.
Work to actively support toddlers’ participation in the session so it does not become a lecture. Pause frequently and use simple verbal and nonverbal cues to invite contributions. The “talk about it” strategy may be challenging for toddlers to discuss because generally the concepts of sharing are just emerging at this age. Do not offer more information here than toddlers seem ready to grasp. On the other hand, asking toddlers how they help someone may prompt useful responses. The discussion of quiet time is a good opportunity for toddlers to recall ways we try to calm our bodies and minds in our room.
The session supports the idea that there are things we can do when we feel down. Toddlers are not expected to remember a range of different actions to take when they feel down.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: I Feel by Cheri J. Meiners, several puppets or stuffed animals
Invite two toddlers to look at the book and use the puppets/stuffed animals to act out what is happening in pictures of interest. Example: “The boy is happy because he can ride his bike all by himself. What can your puppets do that makes them feel happy?” Toddlers may follow the pictures in the book or choose to interact with the puppets in other ways.
Materials Needed: I Can Handle It! by Laurie Wright (for school-age children)
In addition to offering Options 1 and 2 to toddlers, invite preschool-age children to participate in Option 2. Also, share the I Can Handle It! book with school-age children in your setting. Encourage children to talk about some of the ideas suggested in the book.
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