As educators, we know the importance of teaching early learners about emotions. Helping children understand and manage their emotions is essential for their overall well-being and success in life. Plus, it fosters empathy and positive relationships with others.
Free Printable Emotion Faces and Activities
One wonderful resource for teaching emotions is the Free Printable Emotion Faces and Activities found at the link above. These free printables are perfect for preschool and early elementary age children.
The resource includes several pages of printable emotion faces, each displaying a different feeling - happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, and more. As children color and create these emotion faces, they are practicing recognizing and labeling different emotions, and learning how to express their own emotions in healthy ways.
Additionally, the resource includes activities to do with the emotion faces. For example, there is a matching game where children match the emotion faces to the corresponding emotion word. There is also a “My Emotions Book” where children can draw and write about different emotions they experience and how they cope with them. These activities help children dive deeper into their understanding of emotions and how to manage them effectively.
Why Teach Emotions
But why is it important to teach emotions at all? Here are just a few reasons:
- Emotions are an integral part of our daily lives. Children need to learn how to understand and manage them, just like they need to learn how to read and write.
- Emotional awareness and regulation is linked to academic success. In fact, studies have shown that emotional intelligence is a better predictor of academic performance than IQ.
- Emotional awareness and regulation is linked to better mental health outcomes. Children who are taught emotional coping strategies early on are more likely to be resilient in the face of life’s challenges.
- Emotional intelligence fosters positive relationships. When children understand their own emotions and can recognize and respond to the emotions of others, they are more likely to build positive and supportive relationships with family, friends, and peers.
How to Teach Emotions
Now that we understand why teaching emotions is so important, let’s dive into some strategies for how to do it effectively:
Modeling
One of the most effective ways to teach children about emotions is through modeling. Children are always watching and learning from the adults in their lives, so it’s important to model healthy emotional expression.
This means expressing a range of emotions in appropriate ways, such as saying “I feel frustrated right now” instead of lashing out in anger. It also means demonstrating empathy and understanding when others express their emotions, such as saying “I can see that you’re feeling sad right now. That must be hard.”
Books and Stories
Another great way to teach emotions is through books and stories. Reading books with expressive characters, such as the
The Feelings Book by Todd Parr, can help children understand and identify different emotions. Additionally, reading stories with relatable characters who experience a range of emotions can help children build empathy and broaden their emotional vocabulary.
Hands-On Activities
As we mentioned earlier, hands-on activities like the ones provided by the Free Printable Emotion Faces and Activities can be incredibly effective for teaching emotions. Additionally, activities like role-playing and creating emotion collages can help children put what they’ve learned into practice.
Normalize Emotions
Finally, it’s important to normalize emotions with children. Everyone experiences a range of emotions, and it’s okay to feel sad, angry, or frustrated at times. Helping children understand that their emotions are valid and normal can go a long way in fostering emotional wellness.
Conclusion
Teaching emotions is a critical part of early childhood education. Not only does it foster emotional wellness and empathy, but it’s linked to academic success and positive relationships. By utilizing resources like the Free Printable Emotion Faces and Activities, modeling healthy emotional expression, and using books and hands-on activities, we can help children develop strong emotional intelligence that will serve them well throughout their lives.
