Introduction

As educators, we recognize the importance of teaching our students to express their feelings using words. This is a crucial skill for young children, as it helps them communicate their emotions and needs effectively. In this blog post, we’ll explore an engaging no-prep activity that teaches PreK students to say how they feel, discuss related skills and provide next steps for incorporating these concepts into your classroom.

No-Prep Activity: The Feelings Circle

This activity requires no preparation or materials and can be easily adapted to any classroom setting. It’s designed to help students practice expressing their feelings using words.

1. Have the students sit in a circle.
2. Begin by sharing your own feelings. For example, “I feel happy because I saw a beautiful rainbow this morning.” Make sure to use the phrase “I feel…” to model the appropriate language.
3. Ask each student to share their feelings in turn, using the same format. Encourage them to think about why they feel that way and to provide a brief explanation.
4. After everyone has shared, discuss the different feelings expressed and how using words helped everyone understand each other better.

Discussion Questions

• Why is it important to use words to express our feelings?
• How did it feel to share your feelings with the group? Were you nervous or excited?
• What are some other ways we can communicate our feelings besides using words?
• How can we support someone who is having trouble expressing their feelings using words?
• What can we do when we don’t know how to express our feelings or when we don’t understand someone else’s feelings?

Related Skills

Teaching students to say how they feel is only one aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. Other related skills include:

• Active listening: Encourage students to pay attention to their peers’ feelings and respond empathetically.
• Empathy: Help students understand and share the feelings of others.
• Conflict resolution: Teach students to resolve disagreements by expressing their feelings and finding solutions.
• Self-awareness: Encourage students to recognize and understand their own emotions and how they affect their behavior.

Next Steps

Now that you have an engaging no-prep activity and discussion questions to help teach PreK students to say how they feel, it’s time to incorporate these concepts into your classroom. To further explore Social-Emotional Learning and access free sample materials, visit Everyday Speech and sign up for free samples. By incorporating these skills into your teaching, you’ll be supporting your students’ emotional growth and fostering a positive learning environment.