How do we implement Emotional Literacy in Classrooms?
Books: There are several texts that can be integrated into classrooms to teach children about emotional literacy. A search at any bookstore or library can provide a variety of books, and subsequent activities to help with the emotional literacy development of children. Below you will find a very brief list of books to teach emotional literacy.
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Posters & Displays: Teachers can encourage children to appropriately express their feelings and understand the feelings of others through classroom displays and other materials. Students could have charts where they could track their moods daily. There are also several posters available that display a wide variety of emotions. Teachers could also create posters with guidelines or expectations for emotional literacy. Below is an example of a poster that could be displayed to remind students to keep track of their emotions and express them appropriately to others. (Source: www.knowingdog.com)
Class Discussions & Activities: Perhaps the most important way in which to teach students about emotional literacy is through class discussions. It is part of our job as teachers to implement the four constructs of emotional literacy and encourage children to continue their journey towards emotional literacy. In order to motivate children to become emotionally literate, teachers must validate emotional literacy and allow class time for its discussion and development. Journal entries are a great way to keep children in touch with their emotions, and working with partners to discuss journal entries can develop and promote empathy, which is important for emotional literacy. Activities involving emotional literacy can be integrated into other subjects as well, especially language arts and social studies. Depending upon the grade level, there are several GLCEs that can be taught alongside lessons about emotional literacy.