Jan. - Feb. 2018

Talking to Children:

Feelings and Emotions

Children aren’t born knowing how to verbally express their

feelings or needs. As babies they rely on adults to interpret

their cries. As they grow older children learn words to

communicate their basic needs for food, water, and warmth,

but not their feelings.

Most young children know and understand the basic emotion

words mad, happy, and sad, but struggle to find words to

understand and express other feelings (see chart at left).

Children feel confused and frightened by their emotions, and

can be frustrated at not being able to communicate their

feelings with the adults in their lives. Their frustration and

anxiety leads to feeling overwhelmed, which leads to a

meltdown or acting out.

As the adults who love and care for many children, how can

we help them recognize, understand, and express their big

emotions? By reading and discussing books about emotions

during calm time! Reading stories that show children

experiencing various emotions allows kids to talk about their

own feelings without feeling at risk. It also helps them build

their emotions vocabulary, allowing them to communicate their

needs before they get overwhelmed.

The Way I Feel

By Janen Cain

Lots of Feelings By Shelley Rotner

When I Feel Scared

By Cornelia Maude Spelman

On Monday When It Rained

By Cherryl Kachenmeister

The Feelings Book

By Todd Parr

Calm-Down Time

By Elizabeth Verdick

My Many Colored Days

By Dr. Seuss

Enjoy these books with your

children to help them learn about

and discuss their emotions.

SUCCEEDFINGERPLAYS & MUSIC:

Great Winter Books to Share

Time to Sleep

by Denise Fleming

The Gingerbread Man

by Catherine McCaffrey

Five Little Gingerbread Men – Fingerplay

Five little gingerbread men lying on a tray.

(Hold up all five fingers of one hand.)

One sat up and ran away!

(Wiggle one finger and move it

around in front of you.)

Yelling, “Run! Run! Run! As fast as you can!

You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

(Tuck that finger down, and count the

remaining fingers left up.

Continue repeating the rhyme with the

next four fingers, counting down as you go.

End with: )

No little gingerbread men lying on a tray.

They all got up and ran away.

They ran, ran, ran as fast as can be.

Those gingerbread men were too quick for me!

Five Little Gingerbread Men – Movement

Teach the children the fingerplay rhyme, but

invite them to pretend to be the gingerbread

men. Encourage them to say the lines with you,

“Run! Run! As fast as you can! You can’t catch

me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

Before you begin, be sure to decide where

the gingerbread kids should run – possibly

around the circle of sitting children, like in

Duck, Duck, Goose!

Ten on the Sled

by Kim Norman

1 2 3 4 5

Tracks in the Snow

By Wong Herbert Yee

Over and Under the Snow

by Ken Messner

The Snowy Day

by Ezra Jack Keats

Bear Snores On

By Karma Wilson

Make Room for Imagination!

Remember building forts using chairs, couch cushions,

pillows, and blankets? Help your kids build their own

special place in the classroom. As the seasons change from

fall to winter, transform a part of your room into a cave or

“lair” – perfect for your little bears to enjoy. Get some old

boxes and tape them together, then drape sheets or lengths of

fabric across the top. Children will be on their BEST

behavior in order to earn a chance to play inside. This is

perfect for imaginative play, acting out a favorite story (like

Bear Snores On or The Mitten), or an extra special spot for

friends to read together. Create and enjoy!

Hello, Teachers ~

Let me introduce myself: I’m Sheila Oliveri, the Literacy and Curriculum Coordinator at Ready Readers. I write the

curriculum and discussion ideas that accompany the six Gift Books you and the children receive throughout the year. I was

a preschool teacher for 20+ years, working at COCA (18 years), Washington University Nursery School (9 years), and

more. I began at Ready Readers four years ago as a volunteer Reader in classrooms. I’m so happy to be working for Ready

Readers full-time now.

My job with Ready Readers is to serve YOU – the teachers! I am available to work with you and the rest of your school

staff providing Missouri state-approved clock-hour workshops. I’m also happy to brainstorm with you about art,

science, and math activities, books, themes, outdoor play, and more. Please consider me a FREE and willing resource

for all things kid-related! Working with you will keep me connected to children and teaching, so I’m hoping to get to

know you – what is happening in your classrooms, what types of activities you and your children enjoy doing, and what

you feel you would like help with. I truly value the opportunity to learn about you and the work you’re doing every day

with kids!

I’d LOVE for you to share what works in your classroom with other teachers using our program. Please send me stories

and photos of learning experiences happening in your classroom. I will include them in my next newsletter so that

other teachers and children may benefit from your experiences. The more we share with each other, the better the

benefit to our kids and our community! #BetterTogether #KidsWhoReadSucceed!

The Mitten

By Jan Brett

I’d LOVE to hear from YOU! Please share your stories,

teaching ideas, and photos of your class enjoying learning and

books! I’ll post your thoughts and pictures in the next Teacher

Newsletter.

Together we can make teaching and learning more fun! Contact me: sheila@readyreaders.org

Bear Snores On

is a favorite book with preschoolers across the country!

Enjoy using these story cards to encourage your children to get involved in

remembering and repeating the story. Cut them out and laminate them individually to use in a few

different ways, including:

Attach each card to a popsicle stick. Let children choose which part of the story they will represent, standing up front of the group as their turn comes around in the story.

Attach a small magnet to the back of each laminated photo. Use a cookie sheet from the

dollar store to let the children attach the photos in the order of their appearance in the

story. This is an easy, good-sized alternative to making and using a large flannel board!