Thank you for buying The Kid Lit Mama collection!
These books were hand-picked and all support students in different aspects of SEL, including feelings/emotions (self-awareness and self-management), friendship (social-awareness and relationship building), and personal boundaries (responsible decision making).Friendship Collection
Thank you so much for trusting me to help you select books for your little one. It has truly been my honor to develop this collection of titles to support social-emotional learning. This collection of titles centers on the theme of FRIENDSHIP. You’ll discover stories about topics such as…
· What makes a good friend
· How to find and keep friends
· How to resolve conflicts
Discussion questions:
· Who is your oldest friend? Your newest? How are these friendships similar to and different from each other?
· What qualities make a good friend? Which of these qualities are your strengths, and which could you work on?
· Are all friendships worth keeping? Why or why not?
· Why do some friendships end? Is this always a bad thing?
Activities:
· Write a note of appreciation to a friend, sharing what you enjoy about them and how they make the world a better place.
· Role play different friendship scenarios.
Here are some examples:
- Your best friend told another friend something that you told them in confidence.
- A classmate isn’t including you in the group project.
- Your closest friend is sick today, and you don’t know who to sit by at lunch.
Feelings Collection
Thank you so much for trusting me to help you select books for your little one. It has truly been my honor to develop this collection of titles to support social-emotional learning. This collection of titles centers on the theme of FEELINGS. You’ll discover stories about topics such as…
· Identifying emotions
· Coping with unwanted feelings
· Self-regulation (independently and with others)
Discussion questions:
· How can you tell you are feeling a certain emotion? What do you feel in your body? What thoughts do you have?
· Is there such a thing as “good feelings” and “bad feelings?” Why or why not?
· What is one new strategy you can use when you’re having big feelings?
· How can you help others when they’re experiencing big feelings?
Activities:
· Turn to a page in the book. Identify the emotion displayed by one of the characters on that page. Describe a time when you experienced that emotion.
· Get a paper plate and a variety of age-appropriate loose parts (e.g. buttons, acorns, dry pasta, etc.). Have your child represent an emotion on the plate, and try to guess what it is. Then, trade roles!
· Make a bubble/mind map with your child. Start by asking them to brainstorm all the emotions/feelings they know. Then work together to draw lines between them to make connections. E.g. “Both sad and mad don’t feel so good.” “Mad and excited both have a lot of energy involved.” “Angry and furious are both shades of meaning of mad.”
Personal Boundaries Collection
Thank you so much for trusting me to help you select books for your little one. It has truly been my honor to develop this collection of titles to support social-emotional learning. This collection of titles centers on the theme of PERSONAL BOUNDARIES. You’ll discover stories about topics such as…
· Consent and bodily autonomy
· Self-awareness
· Using your voice
Discussion questions:
· Have you experienced any of the same situations as the characters in these books? How did you respond?
· Why is it important to express your boundaries to others? What might happen if you don’t?
· What might get in the way of you expressing your boundaries when someone makes you uncomfortable? How can you overcome those barriers?
· Do you get a say when interacting with grown-ups? Should your personal boundaries always be respected? (Spoiler: Yes and yes!)
Activities:
· Create a poster with a mantra or saying that stands out from one of the books. Example: “We listen to our bodies.”
· Together, come up with scripts for different scenarios so your little one(s) are prepared to respond when someone does something they do not like or want. Practice them together.
Example scenarios:
- A peer touches your hair
- A friend gives you an unwanted hug
- A classmate says something you don’t like
- Another student interrupts you
- A friend takes your toy without asking
- A grown-up does/says something that makes them uncomfortable