Social-emotional learning is an essential component of all education, but it’s especially critical for our youngest learners. Children in grades PreK-2 need to learn how to name and manage their own big feelings, as well as recognize and appropriately respond to the feelings of others. We have the perfect tool to help you integrate SEL into your daily routine: an emotions bulletin board kit featuring Miniland’s Emotiblocks.
How to set it up
Step 1. Download the editable name cards. Enter your students’ names and print.
Step 2. Download the rest of the emotions bulletin board kit and print.
Step 3. Laminate.
Step 4. Cut all the pieces apart. (Switch steps 3 and 4 if you like a laminated border.)
Step 5. Staple the title, emotions cards, and emotion words (next to the matching card) on a bulletin board space.
Step 6. Put sticky tack on the back of each student’s name and place them together in a group to the side. Now your students can move their name to the appropriate emotion card.
Here’s what a finished bulletin board might look like:
Ways to use your emotions bulletin board
- Attendance: When your students enter the classroom in the morning, have them move their name to the emotion card that best fits how they’re feeling. You can use it to take attendance and get a quick read on their emotional state at the same time.
- Morning meeting/Circle time: An emotions check-in is a perfect addition to your regular activities like number chart and calendar work. It’s a great time to introduce vocabulary tied to emotions. We’ve included two words for each emotion card, so you can choose what works best for your kids or use both and teach synonyms!
- Online teaching: Print the emotion cards for yourself and use them to have conversations about feelings with your students on video chat. Hold up a card and ask kids how many of them feel that emotion. Or have them use their face to match different feelings.
- With Emotiblocks: Invite students to physically recreate each emotion card with the Emotiblocks. Then, have them personalize it for themselves. This would be a great center!