Book Love

 

Books are a powerful tool in social emotional learning and development. The act of reading has been found to help children of all ages relax and feel happy. Young readers also report feeling more confident and better able to solve real-world problems. 

There are many beautiful stories written around specific SEL topics including empathy and effective problem solving, recognizing and managing our emotions, developing healthy relationships, and responsible decision making. 

However, ALL books can support social emotional development. Books connect students to others who are like themselves, and books also expose students to new people, places and experiences. 

Talking to children about the books they read is one of the best ways to support their literacy development. It is also a great way to connect and talk about important topics. 

Here is a short list to help you to start a book discussion with kids:

 

15 ~SEL~ Questions to 

Ask Your Child 

About a Book

Before reading, ask:

• Why did you choose this book?

• What makes you think this book is going to be interesting?

• What do you think it's is going to be about?

• Does this story remind you of another book, movie or experience you've had? 

• What kind of characters do you think you might connect with in this book?

During reading, pause to ask:

• Why do you think "_X_" happened? What do you think will happen next?

• If you were that character in that situation, would you do anything differently?

• Did this part change how you're are feeling? 

                        For example, "I heard you giggle! Does this part make you feel silly?"

• Where does the book take place? Would you want to visit there?

• Which character(s) might make a good friend?

After reading, ask:

• What was your favorite part of the book? Why?

• Who was your favorite character? Why?

• What was the most interesting thing you learned? Why does it interest you?

• Why do you think the author wrote this book? What book might you like to write?

• Did the problem in the story get solved? How do you solve problems?

A FEW of my favorite book lists:

77 Children's Books About Mental Health (ChildMInd)

Peter Reynolds' collection themes. SEL and MORE! 

Common Sense Books All Kids Should Read By Age 12

Goodreads Book List By Age

What Is SEL? This short video helps us to better understand key ideas:

Curious to learn even more? 
Here are a few great articles on the mental health benefits of reading:

Psychology Today

National Literacy Trust

NCBI Research