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Literacy 7-12 > Strategies > Read-alouds: Discussing Emotions

Read-alouds: Discussing Emotions

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Overview

Using texts to discuss complex emotions and perspectives with students can help them see how they influence behavior and draw their own personal connections. Through these discussions, students can advance their Vocabulary for describing these feelings and also build their Self-regulation.

Use It in the Classroom

Watch how these high school students discuss emotions through literature in their advisory. As a regular activity, students feel safe to openly share and are part of a learning community. By reading the same novel that surfaces real challenges that are relevant to their lives, they engage in meaningful conversation that connects to each of them personally.

  • Teachers can have students read aloud and discuss in small groups, focusing on different social-emotional skills that are exhibited by characters. As students study and analyze examples of these emotions and skills, they develop their own understanding of Social Awareness & Relationship Skills that can transfer to their own lives.

    • Design It into Your Product

    Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.

    See how self-reflection apps like Mitra can promote social and emotional well-being. Students can record their daily emotions and view their trends, which they can then discuss with others.

  • Developers can categorize texts based on different themes, like empathy or respect, so that teachers and students can easily find relevant texts. Including prompting questions that deepen students' thinking towards these social-emotional competencies and perspective-taking can also be beneficial.
    • View References

    Resources

    Below are additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
    Examples

    Ideas for Teaching Emotions

    List of daily and weekly activities

    Examples

    RULER Framework

    Evidence-based approach to promote emotional intelligence

    Examples

    SEL in English Language Arts

    CASEL examples and activities for including SEL in language arts

    Examples

    Ten Tips

    Ideas for teaching emotional regulation and improving classroom behavior

    Research

    Academic Emotions

    Subtopic that includes research on students' emotions related to learning on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Research

    Emotion & Cognition

    Subtopic that includes information about how the brain recognizes, processes, and regulates emotions on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Research

    Self-Efficacy

    Subtopic that includes research on the factors that lead people to develop self-efficacy on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Factors Supported by this Strategy

    Literacy
    Background Knowledge
    Vocabulary
    Cognition
    Attention
    Inhibition
    Long-term Memory
    Short-term Memory
    Speed of Processing
    Working Memory
    Social and Emotional Learning
    Emotion
    Self-regulation
    Social Awareness & Relationship Skills
    Student Background
    Adverse Experiences
    Literacy Environment
    Physical Well-being
    Primary Language
    Safety
    Sleep
    Socioeconomic Status
    Vision

    More Teacher Modeling & Support Strategies

    Accessible Vocabulary & Syntax

    Using language that is accessible and appropriately leveled for each student allows all students to feel successful and participate in learning.

    Brief Instruction Steps

    Content that is provided in clear, short chunks can support students' Working Memory and ensure students are directing their Attention to the relevant information.

    Building Trusting Relationships

    Building positive and trusting relationships with learners allows them to feel safe; a sense of belonging; and that their academic, cognitive, and social and emotional needs are supported.

    Encourage Student Self-advocacy

    Overtly encouraging all students to seek support, ask questions, and advocate for what they believe in creates a safe space for risk-taking and skill development.

    Evaluating Sources

    Teaching students how to systematically evaluate sources prepares them to navigate in an increasingly complex, digital world.

    Feedback on Writing

    Providing constructive feedback supports students' writing development by letting them know how to improve their writing.

    Foster Growth Mindset

    When students are aware that learning involves effort, mistakes, reflection, and refinement of strategies, they are more resilient when they struggle.

    Growth Mindset Feedback

    Providing feedback that focuses on the process of developing skills conveys the importance of effort and motivates students to persist when learning.

    Incorporate Students' Cultural Practices

    Learning about students' cultures and connecting them to instructional practices helps all students feel like valued members of the community, which improves Motivation and can mitigate Stereotype Threat.

    Model the Assignment or Skill

    By talking through their thinking at each step of a process, teachers can model what learning looks like.

    Predictability: Environment & Structure

    Maintaining consistent routines, structures, and supports ensures that students are able to trust and predict what will happen next.

    Read-alouds

    Reading aloud to adolescents models Reading Fluency as texts become more complex and disciplinary in nature and therefore, more difficult to understand.

    Student Choice

    Giving students voice and choice in their learning is critical for making learning meaningful and relevant to them.

    Wait Time

    Wait time, or think time, of three or more seconds after posing a question increases how many students volunteer and the length and accuracy of their responses.

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