Teaching Emotions in Early Childhood Education: Helping Young Minds Understand and Manage Feelings

Emotions play a crucial role inearly childhood development. Young children experience a wide range of feelings, but they often lack the language and skills to understand, express, and manage them effectively. Teaching emotions in early childhood education not only helps children develop self-awareness but also equips them with essential social and emotional skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

One excellent resource for introducing emotions to young learners is the book Nana Teaches Ava and Jirah About Emotions by Tina Oliver. This engaging story follows Nana as she helps Ava and Jirah recognize and understand different emotions in a relatable and comforting way. By using books like this, along with hands-on activities, songs, and discussions, educators and caregivers can create a supportive environment where children learn to navigate their feelings with confidence.

Why Teaching Emotions Matters in Early Childhood Education

Emotional intelligence is just as important as cognitive development in early childhood. Children who can identify and regulate their emotions tend to have better social relationships, improved academic performance, and a greater sense of well-being. Teaching emotions helps children:

• Develop empathy and understanding for others

• Improve communication skills

• Reduce frustration and behavioral issues

• Strengthen problem-solving abilities

• Build self-confidence and resilience

Without proper emotional education, children may struggle to express themselves in healthy ways, leading to tantrums, withdrawal, or difficulty forming friendships. That’s why it’s vital to introduce emotional learning early on, making it an integral part of early childhood education.

Using Nana Teaches Ava and Jirah About Emotions to Guide Emotional Learning

Tina Oliver’s book Nana Teaches Ava and Jirah About Emotions is a wonderful tool for teaching young children about feelings. The story follows a loving grandmother as she gently explains different emotions to her grandchildren, Ava and Jirah. Through real-life situations and nurturing guidance, the book helps children recognize their emotions and learn constructive ways to manage them.

Educators and parents can use this book as a starting point for discussions about emotions. After reading, ask children questions like:

• How did Ava and Jirah feel in the story?

• Have you ever felt that way? What happened?

• What can we do when we feel sad, mad, or scared?

• How can we help our friends when they have big feelings?

These discussions encourage children to reflect on their own emotions and develop strategies for handling them in positive ways.

Effective Strategies for Teaching Emotions to Young Children

1. Use Visual Aids and Emotion Charts

Young children respond well to visual learning. Emotion charts with faces depicting happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and other feelings help children identify what they’re experiencing. Teachers can create a daily check-in board where children place their name or picture under the emotion they’re feeling. This simple activity promotes self-awareness and opens the door for conversations about emotions.

2. Encourage Expressive Play

Dramatic play, role-playing, and puppets are excellent ways for children to explore emotions in a safe environment. Acting out different scenarios helps them practice emotional responses and develop problem-solving skills. For example, children can role-play situations where they share a toy, resolve a conflict, or comfort a sad friend.

3. Read Books About Emotions

Along with Nana Teaches Ava and Jirah About Emotions, other books that explore feelings include:

• The Color Monster by Anna Llenas

• In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek

• When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang

• The Feelings Book by Todd Parr

Reading books about emotions helps children see that everyone experiences feelings and that it’s okay to talk about them.

4. Sing Songs About Feelings

Music is a powerful teaching tool. Songs about emotions reinforce concepts in a fun and engaging way. Simple, repetitive songs like “If You’re Happy and You Know It” can be adapted to include different emotions:

If you’re angry and you know it, take a breath (deep breath!)If you’re sad and you know it, ask for help (help me!)

Singing helps children internalize emotional vocabulary and learn self-regulation techniques.

5. Model Emotional Regulation

Children learn emotional regulation by observing adults. Teachers and caregivers should model healthy emotional expression by verbalizing their feelings and demonstrating coping strategies. For example:

“I’m feeling frustrated, so I’m going to take a deep breath.”

“I feel really happy when I see you all helping each other.”

By witnessing appropriate ways to handle emotions, children are more likely to adopt these strategies themselves.

6. Practice Mindfulness and Breathing Techniques

Mindfulness activities help children calm their minds and bodies. Simple techniques like belly breathing, guided imagery, or using a “calm-down jar” filled with glitter can be effective tools for self-regulation. Teaching children to pause, breathe, and acknowledge their emotions before reacting is a valuable lifelong skill.

7. Encourage Open Communication

Creating a classroom culture where feelings are acknowledged and respected helps children feel safe expressing themselves. Teachers should reassure children that all emotions are okay and that they have the right to feel the way they do. Using phrases like “It’s okay to feel angry, but let’s find a way to handle it kindly” encourages emotional validation while guiding behavior.

8. Teach Problem-Solving Skills

When children experience conflict, instead of immediately solving the problem for them, guide them through a step-by-step process:

• Identify the problem (“You both want the same toy.”)

• Name the feelings involved (“You feel frustrated because you want to play with it.”)

• Brainstorm solutions (“What can we do to make this fair?”)

• Choose a solution together

  
  

Teaching problem-solving empowers children to manage emotions and resolve conflicts independently.

Conclusion

Helping young children understand and manage their emotions is a fundamental part of early childhood education. By using engaging books like Nana Teaches Ava and Jirah About Emotions, incorporating visual aids, role-playing, music, and mindfulness techniques, educators can foster emotional intelligence in their students. When children learn to express and regulate their feelings in a healthy way, they develop the social and emotional skills necessary for a lifetime of success.

Teaching emotions isn’t just about managing behaviors—it’s about nurturing children’s overall well-being, fostering empathy, and preparing them to navigate the complexities of human relationships with confidence and compassion. With patience, practice, and love, we can create an emotionally aware generation that embraces feelings as a natural and valuable part of life.