Valentine’s Day and Books?

Valentine’s Day is here! It’s a day filled with hearts, cupids, and cards. We talk about how much we love and appreciate our family and friends.

Love is such a big emotion. And for our little ones, sometimes  ALL emotions can feel very big. But we can help them understand and describe their feelings.

It’s important to begin teaching your children about their emotions as early as possible because their feelings affect every decision they make. Teaching children to recognize and describe their feelings builds coping skills to deal with every day happenings.

Teach your young children basic feeling words such as frustrated, sad, scared, happy. Practice using those words in your daily conversation to reinforce that learning.

A great place to start those conversations is during your reading time.

When you are celebrating Valentine’s Day with a few good books (like I know we will all be doing!), spend some time with your children talking about how the characters in the stories might be feeling. Pause and ask what the character is feeling and why your child thinks that.

When children are given the chance to describe an emotion in a book, it helps them to describe it during a time when they aren’t directly involved. It also helps them transfer those words to express their own feelings.

When you talk about character’s emotions, you also give your children the opportunity to experience empathy. Young children still think the world revolves around them. They learn that other people have the same kinds of feelings they do.

Books are a safe place for children to recognize and describe emotions. The more conversations you share about feelings, the more likely your children will be able to share their emotions with you!

All parents want to give their children the best beginnings possible-and developing skills that support their emotional-social health is the perfect way to say “I Love You!” this Valentine’s Day–and every day!!

Happy Reading!

Lisa Davis

Early Literacy Coordinator

Resources 

For ten books that say “I Love You,” please go to
https://www.readingrockets.org/booklists/ten-books-say-i-love-you

For books about family and friends, please go to
https://www.readingrockets.org/booklist/friends-and-family

For some fun Valentine’s Day activities, please go to
https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/blog/valentines-day-activities

For Daily Book Bites from Reading Is Fundamental, please go to
https://www.rif.org/literacy-central/day-history-calendar

There are only 2,000 Days between the time when a baby is born and then enters kindergarten. If you’d like to find out more about those First 2,000 Days, go to https://www.facebook.com/first2000days