Create an Emotion-Rich Classroom: Helping Young Children Build Their Social Emotional Skills

Strategies and activity ideas to support emotional development in children.

What is an emotion-rich classroom? Similar to how a print-rich environment exposes children to a variety of printed materials, an emotion-rich one intentionally surrounds children with a wide range of social emotional learning experiences and supportive interactions. Create an Emotion-Rich Classroom provides frameworks for planning and implementing strategies to support emotional development in children.

This practical and easy-to-use resource helps early childhood educators develop the emotional literacy of the young children in their classrooms.

Readers learn how to:

• increase children’s emotional vocabulary
• model how to recognise and cope with various emotions
• support self-regulation and reduce challenging behaviours
• discuss emotions in others and in storybook characters
• support and engage families in fostering emotional skills at home

Experienced in emotional development in children and early childhood education, author Lindsay N. Giroux, M.Ed., shows readers how to effectively weave social and emotional instruction into the fabric of the school day. Create an Emotion-Rich Classroom focuses on individual skills, making social and emotional instruction specific and measurable. With consistently structured chapters, this book is easy to use and rich in ideas and strategies.

Digital content includes checklists, planning sheets, and other materials to support educators as they build an emotion-rich classroom. A free downloadable PLC/Book Study Guide is available.

"A necessary and easy-to-use resource for new and veteran early childhood educators alike. Giroux provides relevant and applicable information using real examples we have all experienced, while also considering children from diverse backgrounds and all abilities. I have 20 years of experience, but already know which chapters I will reread first!"
- Amanda Vega-Mavec, Director, Academy for Children, El Centro, Inc.

"A wonderful resource written for teachers by a consummate expert. Through Lindsay Giroux’s extensive experience as a Preschool Pyramid coach, she developed classroom planning frameworks (DAPPER and ICARE) that early childhood educators can use to extend their intentional teaching around emotions into the incidental teaching throughout the day. The ultimate purpose is to help young children make sense of their emotions, give them the language to describe what they are experiencing, and teach them to regulate or manage their experiences. Giroux gives practical examples of how to insert social and emotional learning into academic learning experiences, and emphasizes the importance of tracking the data to ensure positive child outcomes."
- Vivian James, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, NC Preschool Pyramid State Implementation Leader (2007–2020), NC IDEA 619 Coordinator (Retired)

"reate an Emotion-Rich Classroom is a useful and productive tool that will act as a great resource for educators of early learners. Giroux is thoughtful and practical in her use of tips and strategies to assist educators in recognizing, validating, and responding to big emotions in little learners, as well as our own big emotions. The book provides ample opportunities for educators to reflect on and grow their current practices and offers something for every preschool teacher, those who have been teaching social emotional skills for years and those who are first shifting their focus. As early childhood educators, it is our responsibility to teach foundational skills to our students, including recognizing their emotions and the emotions of those around them. Create an Emotion-Rich Classroom offers real-world tips to help our early learners find success in the classroom and beyond!"
- Leigh Anne Bosshardt, Infant/Toddler Autism Support Teacher, Red Clay Consolidated School District

"Unreservedly recommended."
- Wisconsin Bookwatch