In this blog post, we will explore the importance of teaching PreK students how to express excitement through their tone of voice and other nonverbal cues. We will provide a no-prep activity, discussion questions, related skills, and encourage you to sign up for free sample materials on Everyday Speech.

Introduction

PreK students are naturally curious and enthusiastic, making it essential for educators to teach them how to express their excitement in a socially appropriate manner. By learning to modulate their tone of voice and adjust their speaking pace, students can effectively communicate their enthusiasm for a topic without overwhelming their conversation partners. This skill is an important aspect of social-emotional learning, as it fosters positive social interactions and helps students build strong relationships with others.

No-Prep Activity

Here is a simple, no-prep activity you can use to help PreK students practice expressing excitement using their tone of voice and speaking pace:

1. Have the students sit in a circle. Explain that you will be reading a short story or describing a scene, and they will listen carefully.
2. Read the story or describe the scene using a neutral tone of voice and a steady speaking pace. Make sure to include exciting moments in the narrative.
3. Ask the students to raise their hands when they hear something exciting in the story. Pause the story when a student raises their hand.
4. Ask the student to explain why they found that particular moment exciting, and encourage them to express their excitement using their tone of voice and speaking pace. Remind them to be a little louder and a little faster, but not too much.
5. Continue the story, allowing other students to participate and practice expressing excitement.

This activity allows students to practice identifying exciting moments in a narrative and express their enthusiasm using appropriate nonverbal cues, without requiring any additional materials or preparation from the educator.

Discussion Questions

Use these discussion questions to further explore the topic of expressing excitement and help students reflect on their experiences:

• How does it feel when someone shares their excitement with you? How does it affect your mood?
• What are some other ways you can show excitement besides changing your tone of voice and speaking pace?
• How can you tell if someone is excited about something? What clues do you look for?
• Why is it important to express our excitement in a way that is not too loud or too fast?
• Can you think of a time when you were excited about something and shared it with a friend? How did they respond?

Related Skills

Teaching PreK students to express excitement is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Other related skills that can help students develop strong social connections and emotional awareness include:

• Active listening
• Empathy
• Nonverbal communication
• Recognizing and understanding emotions
• Sharing and taking turns during conversations

Next Steps

Now that you have learned about teaching PreK students to express excitement, we encourage you to explore more social-emotional learning activities and resources. Sign up for free sample materials from Everyday Speech to discover engaging activities, videos, and printable resources that can help you support your students’ social-emotional development.