Jane Mose
Author, speaker, teacher, and mom dedicated to showing Christian love to children with special needs and their families
MY FAVORITE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING BOOKS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
The importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) for children has received a great deal of emphasis over the past decade. Social-emotional learning competencies fall into five key categories:
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Social Awareness
- Relationship Skills
- Responsible Decision-making
Parents of children who have autism spectrum disorder or who have experienced trauma, including adoptive and foster parents, often find that they need to directly teach their children about emotions, self-regulation, and relationship skills. For teachers in schools, it is important to know that directly teaching social-emotional learning skills to children can have a profound impact on them, including increasing academic success and reducing behavior problems.1
One fairly easy way to begin teaching SEL skills to young children is by reading and discussing children’s books with topics that fall into the above categories. For children in preschool through about second grade, here are some of my favorites:
The Little Spot Series by Diane Alber
The Little Spot books do an incredible job of teaching children to recognize emotions and manage their feelings and behaviors, all through stories that are fun for young children! Boxed sets of eight books each include A Little Spot of Emotions, A Little Spot Takes Action (kindness, responsibility, patience, respect, honesty, organization, diversity, and safety), A Little Spot of Life Skills (courage, perseverance, teamwork, talent, thankful, optimism, creativity, and giving), A Little Spot of Feelings (empathy, frustration, calm, belonging, worry, boredom, flexible thinking, and feelings detective), A Little Spot of Learning (kind words, friendship, learning with emotions, goes to school, letters, words, reading, and math), and A Little Spot of Holidays (Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, Easter, St. Patty’s Day, Scribble Day, and Celebration).
Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) Children’s Books by Cindy Lee
TBRI® is an evidence-based approach to caregiving that research has shown to be effective in working with children at home and at school—particularly children who have histories of trauma. One technique in TBRI® is the use of short phrases, or scripts, that help children learn positive behaviors. Cindy Lee has written a set of children’s books based on some of the scripts and techniques most often used in TBRI®. Her books include Baby Owl Lost Her Whoo (to teach “Who Is the Boss?”), It’s Tough to Be Gentle (to teach “Gentle and Kind”), Doggie Doesn’t Know No (to teach accepting “No”), The Penguin and the Fine-Looking Fish (to teach “Show Respect”), The Redo Roo (to teach doing a “Redo”), and The Elephant with Small Ears (to teach “Listen and Mind”). Each book begins with two pages of teaching ideas and tips for parents and teachers. These books can be an incredible help to anyone using TBRI® to work with children, especially children from hard places!
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
In this charming book, a mother tells her children that they are always connected to her and others by an invisible string—a connection that doesn’t go away when they are apart, or when their mother is upset with them, or in any other situation. The Invisible String is comforting tale for children who experience separation anxiety, loneliness, and loss. It can also be especially helpful to adoptive parents trying to form a strong connection with their children.
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Similar to The Invisible String, this book is a sweet story of how a mother and child can stay connected, even when they are apart. In the story, a child is afraid to go to school and be apart from his mother. So his mother gives her son’s hand a kiss, explaining that whenever he feels alone, he can remember that his mother loves him and get a kiss from her by putting his hand on his cheek. Again, this book can be especially encouraging to children who experience separation anxiety, loneliness, and loss, and to children who have been adopted and need to connect with their parents.
Bubble Gum Brain by Julia Cook and Allison Valentine
Bubble Gum Brain is a character who chews on his thoughts, flexes, bends, stretches, and expands the ways he thinks. By contrast, Brick Brain is convinced that things are not going to change; he’s stuck with everything being just the way it is. But in the end Bubble Gum Brain convinces Brick Brain to peel off his wrapper, and Brick Brain learns just how much better life can be with a world of new possibilities. Bubble Gum Brain teaches the power of “yet”—“I can’t do this…YET!” For children who are discouraged and pessimistic, Bubble Gum Brain can be a great tool for teaching a growth mindset!
Many more excellent children’s books for social-emotional learning exist. I hope that learning about these favorites of mine can give you a good start as you explore options for the children in your care!