Top 5 Books To Teach SEL At Home
If it’s not already abundantly clear, The Nora Project is passionate about bringing social emotional learning (SEL) opportunities to students of all ages. One of the tried and true strategies for The Nora Project teachers to bring SEL into their classrooms is through the use of picture books. There are countless reasons that reading aloud is beneficial for students of all ages, from improved comprehension and vocabulary, to increasing students’ passion for literature. The Nora Project predominantly uses read alouds as a starting point to introduce or discuss important or complex topics at a level that kids can understand. The good news is that this learning and these discussions can be facilitated by parents right in the comfort of your own home. Check out the list below* for some of our favorite books that teach SEL!
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Colorful book cover of young white girl wearing yellow floppy hat, purple cape, leopard print scarf, and multi-color bracelet
Recommended Ages: 4-8 This book follows the main character as she explores her moods and how they change from day to day. With its rhymes and captivating illustrations, it is a great story to spark conversation around different feelings and helps to normalize that feelings come and go. TNP thinks this book is a great one to add to your tool-kit to help your child develop emotional literacy, which can loosely be defined as the ability to “read” emotions in oneself and/or others. When children can “tune-in” to their emotions, they will be better equipped to handle strong feelings and make appropriate choices during these times!
Tip: Have your child act out each emotion and feeling as you read the book.
Orange, tan, and light yellow book cover with a young boy smiling and standing amongst flowered grass wearing orange shorts and polka dot shirt
Recommended Ages: 3-9 “You, Me and Empathy” is a Nora Project staff favorite for many reasons and is an excellent book to read to your child. As the author Jayneen Sanders describes, “Empathy is one of the most important social skills that a child can learn. Being able to understand how another person feels and recognizing their needs helps people to connect to one another across race, culture, and the diversity that is ever-present and so important to our world.” In this story, the main character, Quinn, models the meaning of empathy as she shows kindness and understanding to those she meets. It is a wonderful story to not only introduce empathy but provide concrete examples to children.
Tip: This book also includes Discussion Questions and suggested activities to promote empathy and kindness for parents, caregivers and educators. These quality resources are just the cherry on top of this already amazing book!
Book cover with young boy holding chalk and drawing on the multi colored ground
Recommended Ages: 5-9 Trudy Ludwig writes an important story about how small acts of kindness can help to make somebody feel included and begin to thrive. This touching story is a TNP teacher favorite, with so many of the educators teaching our programs citing this as a favorite story. Its beautiful words and illustrations tell the story of Brian, a boy who has been excluded and left out to the point that he feels invisible. He is never included in groups, invited to sit near others at lunch, or invited to birthdays until a new kid joins the class and finally makes Brian feel welcome. Brian’s inclusion sparks an evolution in his character that is visibly noticeable in the illustrations, demonstrating for children how impactful including others can be.
Tip: This book includes a Discussion Guide as well as resources for further reading which can provide more ideas to continue the conversation about inclusion.
Vibrantly colored book cover with 4 cartoon faces displaying various emotions and facial expressions
Recommended Ages: 3-6 Todd Parr is a well-regarded author of children’s books with over 50 published books, including one of our favorites, “It’s Okay to be Different.” The main take-away from this book is as straightforward as the title, it is okay to be different! This book, with its bold and engaging images, shows that there is far from one “normal” way to be! In fact, there is no normal, and differences are an important and common part of life. Through a blend of real differences and silly ones, Parr teaches self-acceptance of one's differences, while encouraging tolerance to those who may seem different than you. “It’s Okay to be Different” is an excellent introduction to diversity for children and serves as a great springboard into conversation about diversity and difference of all kinds.
Tip: Discussions about diversity can seem challenging at first, but remember that it is not a conversation to shy away from due to adult discomfort. Embrace your child’s questions and help to normalize differences and diversity of all kinds from a young age.
Colorful book cover with flower and gardening theme. Young person pushing purple wheelbarrow filled with potted plants.
Recommended Ages: 4-8 Supreme Court Justice and beloved children’s book author, Sonia Sotomayor does not disappoint with one of our favorite books that teaches about disability, inclusion, and normalizes both visible and invisible differences. “Just Ask!” features children from all walks of life and shows how life is truly richer and more interesting because of each of our differences that make us unique. The book also encourages children to “just ask” when they have a question about somebody else. This is important because it teaches children that it is okay to be curious and to learn from each other, instead of shying away or judging what we do not understand. You will not be sorry that you shared this book with your child and the learning will extend far beyond the last page of this story.
Tip: Pause and allow your child to answer the questions on each page that allow for text-to-self connections. Difference is normalized by making these connections to each other and can be an important tool for children to understand that they are more alike than different to the characters on the pages of this story. For more guidance on how to use this book, check out our blog post!