Picture books have long been used as a source of both entertainment and education in the classroom. For years, teachers have been using the many colorful words and images provided to us by authors and artists to illustrate so many of the things children need to learn in school. We use picture books for everything from helping show children how to behave properly in class (hello, Interrupting Chicken ;)) and how to treat each other with kindness to the specific content information we need to learn in our math, science, and social studies classes. Books can help children develop a sense of empathy, providing windows into the way other people live and grow in our world. And they can act as mirrors, reflecting events, people, and feelings of the readers themselves. Picture books are also a great way to help children solve problems they may be facing in their lives. This may be particularly true of children who are developing in any way outside the norms of what we might expect of a "typically developing" child (is there such a thing?). I posted recently about nine ways we can help gifted children manage perfectionism and/or the fear of failure. Using books, of course, is one of the best (and easiest, I think) ways we can help give our students some strategies for dealing with perfectionist tendencies. Tackling books like the ones I'm sharing with you today is one way we can allow children to see their own reflection by showing them other children who have faced similar struggles. The books can also give them some relatable tools for solving some of the problems that may arise when perfectionism threatens to take hold. The books in this post are suitable for elementary (K-6) school children. Without further ado (and in no particular order)... Books to Help Children Manage Perfectionism and Fear of Failure A Perfectly Messed-Up Story is a silly and interactive story about a boy who wants to tell a perfect story but keeps getting tripped up along the way by obstacles and blemishes like a smudge of jelly or coffee on the page from a reader. He gets frustrated but eventually realizes his story is great, in spite of the imperfections. Mistakes that Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions & How They Came to Be is an informational text that tells the stories behinds many familiar inventions that started out as mistakes. It's an inspirational and engaging book that helps show children the value in making mistakes. From Peter H. Reynolds, author of The Dot, the book Ish illustrates the story of Ramone, the child who loves to draw, until he was teased for one of his drawings. He spent many months trying to draw pictures that were just right, but he felt like he could never get them just so, and gave up on drawing until his little sister came along offering a new perspective. There are so many applications for this book in the classroom that perhaps you and your students can live "ishfully" ever after. What to Do When Mistakes Make You Quake: A Kid's Guide to Accepting Imperfection is written by two clinical psychologists. This book uses cognitive-behavioral principles and techniques to help children begin to cope with making mistakes and put their worries aside so they can explore new places without fear. Another book about learning to accept making mistakes, this story focuses on a frog named Stickley. With help of his grandfather, Stickley learns to say, "Oh well," when something doesn't go quite right. Stickley Makes a Mistake is authored by Brenda S. Miles, Ph.D., a pediatric neuropsychologist, and provides tips to caregivers about using the book. Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, Stretch It, Shape It, is a great informational text that explores what the brain is and the many wonderful things it can do, including GROWING and STRETCHING. It is a great book that focuses on the ever-popular growth mindset. It emphasizes the control and power we all have over our brain's growth, ability to overcome, and capacity to stretch and learn more and more information. Written with the tween (ages 9-13) in mind, What to Do When Good Enough Isn't Good Enough is a book about is a book that teaches children about perfectionism and its potential downfalls. Using realistic vignettes, the book illustrates how kids can face perfectionism and use practical strategies to move away from always feeling like everything has to be just so. The book is written by a licensed psychologist and family therapist, Thomas S. Greenspon, Ph.D. Written by a teacher, Being Bella: Discovering How to Be Proud of Your Best is a story about a first-grade student who faces many typical problems that a first grader is likely to face on any given day. With the help and encouragement of family and friends, Bella starts to realize that everyone makes mistakes, and we can grow from those mistakes. *Be sure to check your local libraries for this one. Looks to me like it may be out of print--it's crazy expensive!* The Dot is a wonderfully written and illustrated circle story by author Peter H. Reynolds that shows how a child once paralyzed by fears of imperfection overcame her fear with the help of an encouraging teacher. This is a great book to use at the beginning of the year or any time your students are struggling with getting started on an activity or project because of their fear of failure. This is an adventurous story about a girl who gets extraordinarily frustrated when she tries something new and fails time and time again. Filled with lots of colorful vocabulary words (wrenches, fiddles, tweaks, and fashions, to name a few), The Most Magnificent Thing gives children a great example of how one child deals with frustration and recovers from a string of mistakes, eventually reaching her goal. Sometimes mistakes can be beautiful, and this is exactly what author Barney Saltzberg shows children in this humorous interactive book. In Beautiful Oops!, Each page shows how a mistake can turn into something lovely and artistic, teaching children that in every mistake, there is an opportunity. In Mark Pett and Gary Rubenstein's The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes Beatrice Bottomwell never made mistakes. Well, not until it was time for the school's talent show. Beatrice made a mistake. And it was a BIG one. Everyone in the audience was stunned until Beatrice began laughing. Everyone started laughing together and Beatrice realized that making mistakes can actually be fun! In the story, Everyone Loves Cupcake, by Kelly DiPucchio, Cupcake works hard at trying to get everyone to like her. She worked extra hard at being perfect, but the pressure to be perfect wore on her over time. Eventually, she decided to share with her friends the real Cupcake, and her friends love her so much more for just being herself instead of always trying to be perfect! In Nobody's Perfect: A Story for Children About Perfectionism, by Ellen Flanagan Burns, you'll meet Sally Sanders, a girl who is good at everything she tries. The problem is, she's always afraid that she will feel like a total failure if there's every something she's not good at. Thankfully, Sally's mom and teacher are there to help her see that she doesn't have to worry so much about always being the best. Best for children aged five to nine, Penelope Perfect: A Tale of Perfectionism Gone Wild by Shannon Anderson is a humorous book about a young perfectionist girl whose accidental oversleeping sets off a chain of less-than-perfect events for the day. She ends up being able to laugh at her mistakes, learning that it's okay to go with the flow sometimes and that the world won't end if she's not perfect. Includes tips for parents and teachers about how to help the Penelopes in your life. Some of these you may love, and some might seem a little contrived, but I think the biggest value in using these books in the classroom is that it helps to develop a narrative about accepting and valuing mistakes. My hope is that children will eventually be able to incorporate these ideas as part of their own internal dialogue someday. Got any other recommendations? I'd love to hear them! Send me an email at [email protected] or connect with me on Instagram or Facebook.
These books with help you talk to your kids about the importance of acceptance, empathy and kindness for others.
Bravery, curiosity, sadness, and anxiety -- these and others are all feelings that every human being experiences. Picture books like these new publications expose children to a range of emotions. Knowing about emotions, being able to label what we're feeling,...that's emotional literacy also called EQ!
What you feel is who you are... Explore a world of emotions with this stunning peep-through picture book. Richard Jones' enchanting illustrations and the lyrical text make each and every feeling come to life to help children understand the emotions they experience. "This little book is a wonderful way to help children understand and recognise their feelings and emotions and brings to life the importance of empathy."~HRH The Duchess of Cambridge; 32 pages; Published: 12/07/2018
Anxiety in kids is a big deal and often misunderstood. This post includes Children's Books about emotions & feelings to help kids with anxiety.
Dive into a list of impactful picture books about immigration. Perfect for teaching students empathy, understanding, and real-world issues.
Multicultural Children's Books teaching Kindness & Empathy; Diverse Picture Books that spark compassion and understanding for others in kids; Ages 3 - 10.
Books about empathy help understanding the consequences of actions by imagining the feelings of others, supporting reflection and open-mindedness.
Discover captivating and educational children's books about the refugee experience and displacement, fostering empathy, understanding, and cultural awareness.
This collection of children's books about poverty and hunger will help kids explore these issues with compassion and justice.
These are the very best picture books that teach kids empathy. Teach your children how to empathize with others. All of these kids books do a spectacular job of placing you in the shoes of someone else, and they show you that other creatures have lives and feelings too. Read More
There’s lots of ways to look at peace, and when you find it, you know it is sweet fruit indeed. There’s the peaceful repose of a dog sprawled out on the bed . . . . . . and the kind of peace that connects people and places. I think reading a picture book is... Read more »
Books about empathy help understanding the consequences of actions by imagining the feelings of others, supporting reflection and open-mindedness.
These empathy activities for kids foster empathy as a social emotional skill in children. Use the empathy beads to build this skill.
Let’s Have a Dog Party! is a perfect addition to our collection of books that can teach empathy to kids. But it is certainly more than just an empathy lesson - it’s also a beautiful story about love and friendship. Read More
Dive into a list of impactful picture books about immigration. Perfect for teaching students empathy, understanding, and real-world issues.
Get all the picture book info you need to use them effectively in your classroom. I post lists on comprehension skills, values and attitudes.
Dive into a list of impactful picture books about immigration. Perfect for teaching students empathy, understanding, and real-world issues.
Dive into a list of impactful picture books about immigration. Perfect for teaching students empathy, understanding, and real-world issues.
Are you yearning for ways to help your student with ADHD make friends? Using picture books for ADHD in the classroom are . . .
So Page's post got me thinking about my favorite back to school books that help build character and friendship. I have to say it was hard to only choose a handful because I have so many favorites, but these, well these---they all make me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside! They are great books to teach what TRUE friendship is and help you build a sweet little class community. Many of them are pretty darn catchy/funny too (See Pout Pout Fish!) so they are definitely winners with the littles! So...here goes some of my favorites. Keep your favorites coming too. We love adding to our collections from year to year. I swear I do think I have a book addiction! Pretty soon folks are going to say "Would you like some classroom to go along with those books?" ;) Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon - This is a sweet read about a little girl who might just be a bit different from others, but that doesn't stop her from seeing her faults as something pretty spectacular! This little cutie knows how to take lemons and make lemonade! My Friend Is Sad - Mo Willems is just awesome. These Elephant and Piggie books are a HUGE hit with our kiddos. Chrysanthemum - I LOVE THIS BOOK! It is a great book for teaching how our words can really hurt others. We always do the "crumpled heart" lesson with this book and leave the heart hanging up all year long. Frog and Toad Are Friends - Toad does headstands, bangs his head against a wall, and paces on the front porch ALL to think of a story to help his friend Frog feel better. Great example of what we do for the ones we love! The Pout Pout Fish - LOVE!!!! I love the catchy rhythm of this book. The Pout Pout Fish is a pretty sullen fellow until he meets the RIGHT friend...and his whole attitude changes! The Boy Who Wouldn't Share - What K kiddo doesn't need a lesson on sharing? ;) A Visitor for Bear - Bear thinks he doesn't need anyone to make him happy, until a little mouse pops up in his cozy home. After driving Bear nuts, the mouse wiggles his way right into bears heart and an unexpected friendship begins! The Selfish Crocodile - It doesn't take long for Crocodile to realize he shouldn't always put himself first! Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie - Ruthie comes to realize that little lies can make your heart pretty heavy. She finds that truth will set her free! Well...hope you find some great new books to share with your kiddos! Please keep your favorites coming!
We've put together some of the best children's books about the immigrant experience, to help our kids understand a lot of what's in the news these days.
The Little Green Girl by Lisa Anchin is a beautiful picture book that reminds me to truly appreciate the people that I love for who they are. It’s a reminder to celebrate what it is that makes them special. And it’s a wonderful tool for teaching empathy to our kids. Read More
Great picture books from some of our favorite authors about sharing, to teach little ones about this fundamental concept and why it is important.
I am very excited to be participating in a book study of Barbara Gruener's book, What's Under Your Cape? Barbara's blog, The Corner on Character, is a wonderful resource for character education and I have been a long time reader! The summary of What's Under Your Cape states that it serves as, "A guide to help elementary teachers infuse virtues, values, and traits into the habits, routines, and culture of their character-building so that their superheroes can soar." Barbara's Book is a quick read filled with practical ideas for your classroom! I am lucky to be hosting Chapter 4, which focuses on the character trait of empathy. Keep reading until the end for your chance to win your own copy! As a 2nd grade teacher and licensed counselor, character education is a key component of my classroom. Out of all of the character traits, empathy is one of the most important traits {in my opinion!} If we can teach students how to see situations from different perspectives, all of the other character traits will begin to come naturally. One of the first tools Barbara suggests for teaching empathy is children's literature. Barbara states, "Children who read fiction have higher levels of empathy; the more students read, the more opportunities they have to learn about, experience, and embrace empathy." I completely agree with this statement! By using children's literature, we can expose our students to many situations that help them begin to think critically about empathy. Barbara suggests several books for eliciting empathy. Two of my favorites are: Chapter 4 also suggests some hands-on activities to elicit empathy. I love the practical experience Barbara explains on page 40, in which the teacher presents three shoeboxes containing different types of shoes--toddler shoes, boy's slippers, and women's sneakers. As the teacher opens up each shoebox to present the shoes, she reads aloud a story about the owner of the shoes. For example, when the boy's slippers are presented, the teacher reads a story that describes the boy in the following way: "I am staying home today because I have a tummy ache. Actually, I just moved this summer because Mom and Dad broke up, and I don't like my new school because I don't feel safe there yet... My mom says she'll get fired if she has to keep taking off of work to stay home with me. Put yourself in my shoes. What do you think is going on with me? How can I fit in better at my new school so these butterflies in my tummy go away? What do I need?" The activity continues with the teacher reading aloud similar thought-provoking scenarios that match the other shoes. What a powerful discussion for you to have with your students! I can imagine that this activity would spark your students to share some of their own stories, too. Chapter 4 also describes ways to move empathy to the behavioral domain by helping your students seize opportunities to help others both in the school and their community: Who might need a playmate at recess today? Who might appreciate having their leaves raked? Who might benefit from their dog being taken for a walk? Barbara suggests a great visual for empathy--having students use their "empathy switch" to trade places with someone. A practical example of this is to ask your students, "If you traded places with our school custodian, would the school bathrooms be cleaner?" By presenting students with "empathy switch" scenarios, you can help them reframe their thinking and elicit empathy! All of the ideas above can be found in just one chapter of Barbara's book! Here are a few more of my favorite ways to teach empathy in the classroom: {Great video for introducing empathy in K-2 classrooms!} {This is my favorite video for empathy that would be great for grades 2-6} {Wonderful short poem about empathy for upper grades} When I was working on my school counseling internship last school year, I also used a few more activities to represent empathy with some of my small groups. Optical illusions are a great resource! Here are two of my favorite images for discussions: {source} Love love love this graphing activity to go with the book Duck! Rabbit! {Pinterest Source and Duck! Rabbit! Book on Amazon} I highly recommend Barbara Gruener's book, What's Under Your Cape? Check out her book on Amazon to read more reviews or click on the links below to check out other reviews from this book study! Chapter 5 of the study will be reviewed on Tuesday at Time 4 Kindergarten and Learning Lessons with Mrs. Labrasciano. Stop by their blogs on Tuesday to read about Respect! Feel free to participate and add your own review of the book to our link-up to the widget below the Rafflecoptor! Last, but not least, how would you like to win your own copy of What's Under Your Cape?!! Enter to win via the Rafflecopter below!! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Explaining compassion and empathy to young children isn't easy. But these moving picture books will help kids see what compassion and kindness look like.
Looking for diversity picture books? Here are the best children's books celebrating diversity and inclusion feature a diverse set of characters.
Teachers and parents alike all recommend these books on kindness for kids! In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Book Title: You, Me and Empathy Author: Jayneen Sanders Illustrator: Sofia Cardoso For Ages: 3-9 Themes: empathy, compassion, kindness, diversity, tolerance, respect, character Related learning areas:
Elmer (Elmer Books) [Mckee, David, Mckee, David] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Elmer (Elmer Books)
9 Children's Books about Kindness, Respect and Doing Good that should be in every school and home library to help facilitate conversations with kids.
This social awareness social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum helps Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade kids develop empathy, perspective-taking, and compassion. It teaches children how to be kind and inclusive using five detailed social skills lessons with tools and activities (games, coloring posters, writing prompts, and worksheets) for classroom lessons, guidance, or counseling. What does this unit cover? ⭐️Our Feelings & Behaviors Affect Others. Lesson 1 teaches children how to understand that their feelings and behaviors affect others and helps them learn ways to make adjustments. ⭐️Developing Empathy. Lesson 2 teaches children to understand what empathy is and why it is important. They will learn to identify and describe people’s needs depending on the experience. ⭐️Displaying Empathy. Lesson 3 teaches children to describe ways of being empathetic (looks, sounds, feels) and not. The lesson and activities will encourage children to act in empathetic ways. ⭐️A Community of Compassion. Lesson 4 teaches children to understand what compassion means. They will learn to describe and demonstrate ways that they can show compassion to others. ⭐️Building an Inclusive Community. Lesson 5 teaches children to understand what community means and work together to build a classroom community with compassion for others. Activities included in the Social Awareness unit: Discussion Starters cards Anchor Chart pieces Coloring Quote Posters Boardgame Tons of literature connections & writing prompts Mini-Book Sorting activity Community art project Stand In My Shoes craftivity Class welcome book Pennant template & Compassion banner & more! PLUS A BRAND NEW BONUS: Family Partnership Guide Connect with and encourage families to take part in the social-emotional learning development of their child and the concepts you are teaching at school. Each unit includes a printable guide with a letter to families, strategies and activities they can try at home, and a book guide with video links. ✅Check out the preview for a closer look at what this resource provides: the lesson plans, interactive activities, games, posters, and more. WHY this is the ONE SEL resource you need to teach kids about their emotions! ✔️Each lesson and activity can be extended to cover your SEL time for a month! ✔️This is a flexible SEL curriculum that can be taught when teachers have time ✔️Facilitate meaningful discussions and activities that build important social-emotional skills and grow the classroom community. ✔️Save time as the planning is done for you. ✔️This is research-based and follows the CASEL framework for SEL. ✔️Works great for morning meetings or end of the day lessons, for school counselors, classroom teachers, and in a homeschool setting. TEACHERS LIKE YOU SAID... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Melany M. says, "I SUPER appreciate the planning and activities and messages behind this UNIT and all the other UNITs I have purchased. It has helped a lot to model compassion, empathy and perspective. It has helped to build healthier relationships within the classroom and helped them to understand other people's emotions and the impact we have on their emotions. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hannah M. says, "My students were struggling as a class to have empathy towards one another. This resource was very helpful for me to be able to open a dialogue so everyone could be heard and have a better understanding of how to appropriately handle big feelings and emotions. Great resource, thanks for sharing!" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Laurie M. says, "The students in my small group enjoyed the lessons and were very engaged. They responded very well and began to apply what they learned. Lovely, no-prep resource for group work." ♥♥The mind+heart Social Emotional Learning Curriculum for K-2 is available for a SPECIAL LOW PRICE DISCOUNT. Get your entire year’s worth of lessons (40+ included) and activities to help young children to develop emotional literacy, self-control, and social competence TODAY!♥♥ Check out the other SEL units for K-2: Emotions & Feelings Self-Regulation & Self-Control Growth Mindset Relationships & Friendship Kindness & Bucket Filling Respect & Gratitude Responsibility, Goal Setting, & Conflict Resolution Related SEL Products that work great with this resource! Social Emotional Learning K-5 Curriculum SEL Writing Activity Mats Seasonal SEL (Back to School, Fall, Winter, Spring, End of the Year) Bundle SEL Book Companions Stay connected with Proud to be Primary ♥Never miss a sale or new release! Click the star to follow my store! ♥Join our email list and get exclusive content and FREE resources. ♥Visit our website at Proud to be Primary for engaging ideas! Have a question or need help with a file? Visit the FAQs section, submit a help ticket, or ask a question on the Q& A tab before leaving feedback. Please ask all questions before purchasing. Terms of Use: This product is licensed for single classroom use ONLY unless multiple licenses are purchased. Your purchase grants you a license to use in a secure, password-protected online platform (such as Google Classroom) with your students only. You may not transfer or share with another teacher or use it for commercial purposes (Outschool, etc.). Copyright ©2013 to Present - Proud to be Primary - Elyse Rycroft
Babies to Bookworms provides a list of children's books about parental love that celebrate the special relationship between kids and parents.
Choose from these top picture books on immigration and refugees to help children truly understand the hardships immigrants need to overcome to build a better life.
A collection of children's books about diversity, inclusion and different cultures around the world to help build tolerance and understanding.
15 emotions books and videos for the classroom to teach kids to understand their emotions and express them appropriately.
Books about empathy help understanding the consequences of actions by imagining the feelings of others, supporting reflection and open-mindedness.
Children's books about trauma, grief and fear help kids navigate tough experiences and challenging feelings. You don't want to miss this list.
How to help preschool & elementary aged children understand immigration and how it affects kids like them. Includes picture book list + printable glossary.
Mind reading is an art; not a gimmick. Do you want to build better relationships? Here are some easy mind reading tips and how you can put it into practice.
Psychopathology is a medical condition that is defined as the disorder of a person characterized by a total lack of conscience, empathy, guilt, and remorse.
