We know that literature is a great way to introduce students to concepts and themes. It also can help us learn about emotions through characters. How many times have you read a book, immediately connected with a character, and learned from their experiences? Perhaps something about their situation resonated with you, or maybe you or someone you love shared a lived experience. When we can identify with characters, we tend to learn more from them. In this way, literature can help us understand and label our emotions, develop empathy for others, and evaluate strategies to regulate our own emotions and achieve our goals.
If we are to help ourselves and our students navigate emotions in ways that best serve us as individuals, we can look for examples of how emotions have impacted the lives of others. Exploring examples of real or fictional character triumphs and tragedies through fiction and non-fiction literature allows us to take on the perspectives of others. Having students role play or rewrite story or scene endings helps them explore cause and effect, illustrating how action or inaction fueled by emotions has consequences.
Schools with access to RULER Online can use the links below to view some books that can be used to spark Early Childhood and Elementary discussions about feelings:
Do you have a book that has helped you or your students become better emotion scientists? Please share your recommendation with us so that we can add it to our book lists. We are looking for books at every level: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, and High School. We are also open to book suggestions for the adults in students’ lives. Add your recommendation here. We will publish the updated book lists in a future edition of the newsletter.