- chart paper
- crayons
- marker
- paper
- excited
- feeling
- happy
- scared
MA Standards:
English Language Arts/Writing/W.PK.MA.2: Use a combination of dictating and drawing to explain information about a topic.
Head Start Outcomes:
Literacy Knowledge/Early Writing: Uses scribbles, shapes, pictures, and letters to represent objects, stories, experiences, or ideas.
Social Emotional Development/Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy: Identifies personal characteristics, preferences, thoughts, and feelings.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Composition 16: Use their own words or illustrations to describe their experiences, tell imaginative stories, or communicate information about a topic of interest.
Draw and Write Together: Feelings Book
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
ELA Focus Skills: Concepts of Print, Identify Emotions, Speaking and Listening, Vocabulary
Tell children they are going to write a book about feelings.
Point out the illustration in the book Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee where the little girl looks scared in the roller coaster car.
- Say, Some roller coaster riders look scared in this picture. Have a volunteer point out the little girl and others they think look scared.
- Then say, Some people are very excited. And some are happy. have volunteers point out people with these expressions. Then ask,
- Then ask, What makes you feel scared, excited, or happy?
As children respond, write the responses on chart paper. Think aloud about writing left to right and leaving spaces between words. You may need to prompt children with a few examples:
- I feel happy when I hug my Mama.
- I feel scared when I fall down.
- I feel excited when I dance.
Read the responses aloud. Encourage each child to draw a picture that shows one of the feelings, or another feeling of his or her choice. Help the child write a caption for the picture. Have children share their pictures.
Let children take their pictures home or, if they wish, compile the pictures into a booklet for them. Title it Feelings and place it in the Library Center.
English Language Learners: If children have difficulty describing their feelings, have them act out or make the facial expression to show what feeling they are thinking of. Then mimic the expression or action as you name the words.
Adaptation: If younger children have difficulty putting their thoughts into words, have them pantomime, and then you can help them find the words to use.