MySELF Social Emotional Learning Books

MySELF (Social Emotional Learning Foundations) books help children in PreK – 1st grade build both their early literacy skills and social and emotional intelligence skills. When children acquire and apply the skills necessary to manage emotions, set and achieve goals, resolve conflicts, feel empathy for others, and make responsible decisions, this is called social emotional learning (SEL). A beneficial way to teach social-emotional learning is through books and shared stories like these at home and in the classroom. Because we know that social emotional intelligence is paramount to a child’s success in school and life.

Why Social-Emotional Learning?

Believe it or not, social and emotional skills are proven by research to be important for a child’s success but and they don’t always come naturally. In most cases, we need to teach and support our children’s growth in social emotional skills.

It’s so important for children to be self-aware. Just knowing what emotion they are feeling is not always easy.

Not only that, self-management, or self-regulation, is absolutely essential in order for children to have productive relationships and can set and achieve goals.

Have you seen or parent who misses social cues? Again, here’s a skill, social awareness, that isn’t always automatic for all children. Kids can be taught to understand what other are feeling and feel empathy for others.

And of course, when children can make decisions, or problem-solve, they are increasing competence in relationships with others and self.

Social Emotional Learning Books

Each MySELF book is a real-world story to which all kids can relate stories are meant to be shared, discussed, and followed up with activities. (Activity suggestions are provided for teachers and parents.)

These books meet the Kindergarten and 1st grade Common Core State Standards for print concepts, phonological awareness, and phonics and word recognition and support existing Head Start and PreK curricula.

The four themes in the 24 book set are:

I Have Feelings
I Get Along with Others
I Am In Control of Myself
I Believe in Myself

I like that the characters are diverse and that they overlap in each other’s stories. I love that these books start kids recognizing and understanding feelings because that is hard for many kids to do!

I also really like the topics in these stories because they are relatable to all kids: making and handling friendships, resolving conflicts, cooperating, and collaborative learning, good management, handling difficult feelings, and controlling impulses, for example.

MySELF Kits Include:

Small books teach print concepts and a love of reading with individual books for each student. Lap books are ideal for shared reading and whole-group discussion.

Mini-books reinforce social and emotional concepts and reading skills at home.
2-sided poster with photos supports real-world connections and prompts discussion.

Personal journal encourages self-expression.

Family guide is an easy reading supplement that involves parents and caregivers in their child’s social and emotional development.

Teacher’s guide offers step-by-step support to teach each social and emotional theme and reading strategies, including tips for English learners.

Promo Code for MySELF Book Sets

Use the promo code NBMS on the Newmark Learning website, and receive 15% off their order of any of the MySelf sets. The code will expire on 12/7/14.