Storytime Emotions Lesson Plan Storytime Emotions
Tier 3 Teacher Training: Book-Based Emotional Support
30 Minutes
Objective
Equip teachers with strategies to use picture books for helping individual students identify, label, and regulate emotions through modeling, guided practice, and reflection.
Audience
Elementary Teachers (Tier 3 Support)
Approach
Book modeling, guided practice, reflective planning.
Why This Matters
Emotional literacy is critical for student well-being and academic success. One-on-one book-based interventions support targeted growth, helping students recognize feelings and apply regulation strategies.
Materials
Picture Book: The Color Monster
Picture Book: My Many Colored Days
Emotion Book List
Emotion Cue Cards
Teacher Reflection Worksheet
Timer or Smartphone
Prep & Setup (10 Minutes)
1 Review picture book recommendations to familiarize with storylines and emotional themes.
2 Print and organize the Book Recommendation List , Emotion Cue Cards , and Teacher Reflection Worksheet .
3 Set up a quiet, comfortable space for a one-on-one reading session.
4 Test timer to ensure accurate pacing.
Training Agenda
3 min
Introduction and Goal Setting
• Welcome the teacher and outline session objectives.
• Emphasize the importance of emotional vocabulary and regulation skills.
• Review the 30-minute agenda and desired outcomes.
8 min
Modeling Book Read-Aloud
• Choose one picture book (e.g., The Color Monster ).
• Read aloud, pausing at key moments to label characters’ emotions.
• Use Emotion Cue Cards to show facial expressions and discuss feeling words.
• Demonstrate think-aloud: “I notice the monster looks scared—his eyes are wide.”
10 min
Guided Student Interaction
• Invite the teacher to role-play with you as the student.
• Guide teacher to pause and prompt “student” to identify emotions using cue cards.
• Provide feedback: focus on encouraging open-ended questions (e.g., “How do you think they feel?” ).
5 min
Strategy Discussion
• Debrief the guided practice: What went well? Challenges?
• Brainstorm ways to embed emotional check-ins in future sessions.
• Have the teacher draft a mini-session plan on the reflection worksheet.
4 min
Reflection and Next Steps
• Reflect on key takeaways and personal confidence rating.
• Complete remaining worksheet sections to outline next steps.
• Schedule a follow-up or coaching check-in.
Storytime Emotions Slides Storytime Emotions
Tier 3 One-on-One Support for Teachers
Lenny Education
Session Objectives
1
Learn to identify and label emotions using picture books
2
Model think-aloud strategies to name and discuss feelings
3
Practice guided interactions and plan next steps on the reflection worksheet
Why Emotional Literacy?
Self-Awareness
Builds empathy and helps students recognize their internal states.
Regulation
Provides the vocabulary needed for coping and managing big feelings.
Learning
Enhances classroom engagement and overall academic outcomes.
Modeling the Read-Aloud
01
Choose a picture book (e.g., The Color Monster )
02
Pause at key moments to label feelings aloud
03
Use Emotion Cue Cards to display expressions
04
"I notice the monster looks scared—his eyes are wide."
Try this!
Think-Aloud Strategy
By naming what you see on the page, you provide a mental bridge for students to connect visual cues to emotional labels.
Guided Practice
Role-Play Scenario
Teacher: Plays the studentCoach: Reads aloud and modelsPrompt: "How do you think they feel?"
Focus Areas
Use the Emotion Cue Cards
Encourage open-ended questions
Provide supportive feedback
Strategy Discussion
Debrief Practice
What went well? What felt challenging during the role-play?
Daily Integration
How can you embed these check-ins into your daily routines?
Task: Start your mini-session plan on the Teacher Reflection Worksheet.
Reflection & Next Steps
Rate your confidence (1-5)
Outline your specific action steps
Schedule a
Emotion Book List Worksheet Emotion Book List
Tier 3 Teacher Toolkit
Below is a curated list of engaging picture books to support one-on-one emotion work with students. Use these titles to introduce, model, and discuss a range of feelings during targeted interventions.
Title & Author Age Themes Description The Color Monster Anna Llenas 4–8 years Happiness, sadness, anger, calm A mixed-up monster explores emotions as colorful creatures; a gentle story about sorting and naming feelings. My Many Colored Days Dr. Seuss 4–7 years Mood exploration, creativity A poetic journey pairing colors and animals with different moods—perfect for prompting conversations. Today I Feel Silly Jamie Lee Curtis 4–8 years Mood shifts, self-expression A playful look at changing moods, showing that it’s okay to feel a wide range of emotions each day. In My Heart Jo Witek 3–6 years Love, excitement, worry, pride Vibrant illustrations visualize where and how emotions live inside us, linking bodily sensations to feelings. Grumpy Monkey Suzanne Lang 4–7 years Frustration, acceptance, empathy Jim Panzee wakes up grumpy and learns it’s okay to feel off-kilter; fosters validation of difficult emotions. The Way I Feel Janan Cain 3–7 years Vocabulary building, self-awareness Simple rhyming text and friendly characters depict core emotions, helping children label how they feel. When Sophie Gets Angry... Molly Bang 4–8 years Anger regulation, coping strategies Sophie’s big anger storm shows healthy ways to calm down and move forward after intense feelings. Listening to My Body Gabi Garcia 5–9 years Self-regulation, mindfulness
Emotion Cue Cards Activity Emotion Cue Cards
Purpose
Provide visual and verbal prompts for identifying core emotions during one-on-one reading sessions.
Preparation
• Print on heavy cardstock
• Cut along the dashed lines
• Laminate for durability (optional)
• Punch holes and store on a ring
How to Use
• Pause during read-alouds at emotional moments
• Ask: "Which card matches how they feel?"
• Invite student to explain facial clues
• Use for quick end-of-story check-ins
🙂
Happiness
😢
Sadness
😡
Anger
😱
Fear
😲
Surprise
🤢
Disgust
😌
Calm
🤩
Excitement
Tactile Tip: For younger learners, attach a felt backing to the cards and use them on a flannel board. You can also have students mirror the facial expression on the card to build muscle memory for emotions.
Teacher Reflection Worksheet Material Teacher Reflection Worksheet
Storytime Emotions Training
Name:
Date:
1 Confidence Rating
On a scale from 1 (not confident) to 5 (very confident), how confident do you feel using picture books to support emotion identification and regulation in one-on-one sessions?
1
Not Confident
2
3
4
5
Very Confident
2 Key Takeaways
List two or three important insights or strategies you learned today.
•
•
•
3 Action Plan
Outline a mini-session plan using a picture book.
Book Title & Author
Timing (Length of Session)
Key Pauses for Emotion Check-ins
Prompts & Questions You'll Use
4 Embedding Emotional Check-Ins
Describe two ways you will integrate brief emotion check-ins into your daily routine with students.
01
02
5 Follow-Up Goals
What specific goals will you set to measure progress in your next session?
6 Next Steps & Support
Identify additional resources or support you will seek before the next session.
Storytime Emotions • Tier 3 Professional Development • Lenny Education
