Another Trick

Lawrence Shapiro is an awesome author! I love the idea of keeping a feelings diary! Students use the feelings sheet below and a blank journal to draw and write about their feelings. The feelings sheet will show the students the feeling face to draw at the top of their journal. The feeling word gives students its name.  The purpose of the diary is to help students develop coping skills. It will also help give them the vocabulary to effectively discuss and reflect on their feelings.

Enjoy!

Tricks of the Trade

Tricks of the Trade by Lawrence Shapiro

I love the book Tricks of the Trade by Lawrence Shapiro! The book is filled with short and practical strategies to help counselors work with children. The techniques are from cognitive/behavioral therapy, family therapy, and psychodynamic theory. I have enjoyed the book as a part of my library for over 15 years! The activity below is one of my favorites!

Shapiro’s Family Museum activity is a wonderful way to learn about student’s perception of their family.  The students have to pretend that their family is famous and thus an entire museum has been dedicated to them.

  This is what the blank museum looks like.

This is what the museum looks like filled in.

After the activity, students can share their museum with the group.

Enjoy!

The Kissing Hand

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn 

Summary

This warm and loving story is about a raccoon that does not want to go to school. The mother raccoon helps him to understand that sometimes we have to do things that we do not want to do. The mother teaches her son that the kissing hand is a way to carry her love with him always.

Discussion

·         What was the story about?

·         What was the problem in the story?

·         How was the problem solved?

·         How do you feel about school?

·         What would you do if you had a friend who did not want to come to school?

Activity

1.      Have the students discuss feelings associated with the first days of school (consider using a diagram like the one below)

Thank you for the diagram idea! From Mrs. H

(Onceuponafirstgradeadventure.blogspot.com)

2.      Have students create a kissing hand out of construction paper.

First Day Jitters

First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

Summary

First Day Jitters is an excellent story for students in kindergarten, first, and second grade. Sarah Hartwell worries about everything that could go wrong in school. Her concerns are relevant and familiar to anyone starting school.  The best thing about the story is the end when readers find out that Sarah Hartwell is a new teacher and not a new student!

Discussion

·         What happened in the story?

·         What was Sarah nervous about?

·         What are we to learn from the story?

·         Have you ever been nervous?

·         What did you do to help yourself when you were nervous?

Activity

·         Give students a copy of a body outline, similar to the one above.

·         Have the students color the outline to resemble themselves.

·         Give the students star stickers to place where they feel worry (head, heart, stomach).

·         Have the students cut the body outline out and place on construction paper.

·         Have the students write a positive message to themselves in a message bubble.