Mini SEL Classroom Libraries

Last spring, I applied for and was awarded a grant within the district whose parameters were basically that it have to do with bullying and/or SEL. Being a bibliophile, I jumped at the chance to get more books in the classrooms. I wrote the grant for getting a mini-SEL library for each classroom with books specific to the issues I see each grade level face most commonly/pervasively.

After we got the books (and oooed and ahhed over them extensively), we ordered some of our favorite book boxes for them, and consulted with our literacy coach. Our hope was that by including some standards-based discussion questions and writing prompts, we could garner additional investment from our teachers for the books usage. Then started the task of compiling (and sometimes creating) short extension activities for each book.



The end result was this:

Each box included a handout with both standards based and counselor created discussion questions and a handout briefly explaining activities the teachers could use to reinforce the books' lessons, as well as any accompanying materials (task cards, master copy of worksheet, etc.

We introduced these to the teachers very early in the year...to mixed responses. A handful of teachers were excited, a handful were frustrated (our daily classroom's schedule is maxed out and anything that appears "extra" is stressful for the teachers), and most were apathetic. While we were hoping for lots of joy, we also recognize that everything new has a learning curve, both for us and for the teachers. When we first started doing regular classroom lessons, we had push back, and now they're usually jazzed for us to come in. Things take time to build, and a strong culture of SEL (and incorporating SEL into literacy!) is just in the growing and building stages still.

That said...about three or four months since introducing them...and we've gotten some GREAT feedback! The activities don't seem to be being used, so in the future we won't put time into them, but the books have been a huge hit. Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 3rd grade in particular have been big fans.

Curious as to what books we selected for each grade?

Kindergarten 

Hands Off, Harry!
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue
The Recess Queen

1st Grade

Clark the Shark
How Full is Your Bucket?
A Bug and a Wish

2nd Grade

The Most Magnificent Thing 

Teamwork Isn't My Thing 

Being Frank

3rd Grade

But It's Not My Fault!
The Juice Box Bully
The Invisible Boy

4th Grade

Just KiddingCoasting Casey
Simon's Hook


Interested in learning more about discussion questions or extension activities for a specific book? Email me or comment here. It may be a bit much to put here in a post but I'm happy to share everything I've got the rights to share.

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Must Haves - Books - The Julia Cook Edition

This is Part 2 in my must have book series. You can read Part 1 here!

Part 2: The Julia Cook Collection

Look, I'm a school counselor so of course I love Julia Cook. That said, not every one of her books has been a hit for me (in fact some I don't care for at all) and some I don't consider "must haves". That said, she's got some rock star books that are absolutely necessary for our school counseling program. There's a couple good ones I haven't mentioned here - I tried to limit it to the cream of the crop since I know many counselors reading these types of books are operating on a tight budget.

Tattle Tongue

I'm not sure if there is any school counselor left that has not heard of this book, but in case there is, this is a fun book about tattling vs. reporting/telling. I've read all of them and while none are perfect (or...I'm too picky), this is my favorite. I recommend it 1st grade and up as it's a bit lengthy.

My Mouth is a Volcano

Does this book cure kids of blurting? Nope. But it's a great opener for a discussion on the topic, provides a strategy, and gives some phrases/vocabulary for the class to use as they grow to learn to keep things to themselves. We use this just as much as a loaner book to teachers to read to classes as use it for anything else.

But It's Not My Fault!

Accepting responsibility for actions is always a hot topic (see also: making good choices, thinking about the consequences of actions, etc.). While there's a couple other books out there that are good, this one is the best. I also feel like the examples in this book are both 1) applicable to my students and 3) not all encompassing which allows me to discuss additional scenarios in our activities.

I Can't Believe You Said That!

We've been incorporating a lot of work about using a social filter these last couple years and this book is so fantastic for this that we're using it in two different grade levels (2nd and 4th) in Life Skills this year - and we never reuse books! The book has some laughs which the kiddos always appreciate, but it also gets the point across beautifully.

The Kid Trapper

I wrote previously about this book here. It truly is such a great book about safety for the "big kids". An updated version that includes some internet safety would be awesome, but I think this story is great.

Baditude

For the negative nancy's, for the crankensteins, for the grumps - we have this book. It's theme is a bit on choosing gratitude over negativity/whining, but it can also be an opener for discussing helpful vs. unhelpful thoughts (one of my favorite topics).

Teamwork Isn't My Thing, and I Don't Like to Share!

Teamwork (or more specifically, working successfully on groupwork at school) is crucial and is also something our kiddos struggle with in a major way. The plot of this book has some giggles and it's relatable. While the strategies suggested may not always be a fit for a room, the book is a great opener to any discussion on this.

Ricky Sticky Fingers

We don't generally do classroom lessons on stealing (we don't do general character trait lessons either), but for the last few years we've had classrooms experiencing issues of thievery (sometimes by multiple students). This book is great to do little mini-lessons with and has definitely met a need that we had.

Soda Pop Head

It's hard to find strong books about anger that include 1) a plot, 2) a description of how anger feels in the body, and 3) recommendations of coping skills. This is more something I use whole class if there are several students with dysregulation issues as opposed to small group, but I have used it successfully there too.

 The Judgmental Flower

This one is super new and we haven't used it yet, but we're excited about it. We bought it specifically for a 2nd grade lesson respecting differences and it fits the bill well. While there's some other arguably better books that tackle specific differences, we were hard pressed to find a good one that is both 1) a fictional story as opposed to a lecture and 2) about differences in general. It may not be perfect, but a book on this topic is a must have.

***The activity books: Some people love these. They are not really a fit for my style (small group and classroom) and they can be a bit pricey given you may only like one of the activities inside.***

Leave a Comment Bibliotherapy, Books, Must Have Resources

Must Haves - Books - The Trudy Ludwig Edition

Counselors in my district get a small budget each year (same as teachers) to spend on instructional materials. Like others, I spend about all of it on books. My co-counselor and I's motto is generally "GET AAAALLLL OF THE BOOKS!". We use books in about 2/3 of our lessons and about 1/3-1/2 of individual and small group sessions. We love them. That said, we've found a lot of books to be flops (including some on other must have lists, so...it's a bit subjective).

If I moved to a new school and had to start from scratch, these are the books I'd try to get pronto. I tried to condense it but there are just too  many great books out there. Shout out to my co-counselor who gave her input on ones for the younger grades which is far more her expertise than mine. Reminder: our population is Title 1 with a significant EL portion, so that shapes our views some!

Part 1: The Trudy Ludwig Collection

Trudy Ludwig is hands down my favorite author for school counseling books, especially for the older grades. The illustrations are always so strong, the dialogue is relatable, and she hits serious topics in engaging ways. They are books the students seem to genuinely enjoy and often ask to have re-read (or they seek them out in the library). All of her books I've read are high-quality; those below are the ones I can't live without. Unless otherwise noted, I'd say these are best for 3rd grade and up.

The Invisible Boy

This book is THE BOMB. It's a great story about inclusion, exclusion, loneliness, feeling left out, and being an upstander. What takes this book to the next level are the illustrations - the illustrator has the main character drawn in black and white when he's "invisible" and in color when he's "visible". We use this as early as 2nd (and could probably do it younger if our students didn't struggle so much with metaphors).

 Trouble Talk

This is the quintessential book on relational aggression. It encompasses gossip, rumors, secrets, and cattiness. All it leaves out are clique issues. I don't usually use it whole group because the issues are usually specific to girls at my school, but I've loved it for girl group.

 Just Kidding

As the title suggested, this story tackles the issue of children making rude/mean comments under the guide that they are just kidding. Great book for discussing empathy, assertiveness, being a bystander, and choosing more appropriate/kind ways to be funny.

Sorry!

While you could definitely have a discussion about apologies (and how actions speak louder than words), I love to use this story to have a discussion on peer pressure and staying true to yourself. It opens the door for a discussion on choosing good friends and the value of popularity.

Leave a Comment Bibliotherapy, Books, Must Have Resources