Page 86 - Routines-Based Early Intervention Guidebook

Routines-Based Early Intervention Guidebook

Teaching how to identify emotions 6.4

Children experience many of the same emo ons that we as adults do. However, it is

their response to the emo on that we deem inappropriate and work to change. Here are

some strategies to help a child to express emo ons appropriately.
1. Assign Feelings to Colors – Teach children the broad spectrum of available

emo ons. For younger children, assign emo ons to colors first (red, yellow, blue,

green) and have the child iden fy with a color. “I am mad, I feel red today.” More

complex words (frustrated) can be added to the same colors for older children.

2. Name the Feeling – Help your children understand their emo ons by first giving the
feelings names. For example, you could say, “You didn’t get the top you wanted,

you are sad.” By naming the emo on that the child is feeling, you are helping the

child to develop a vocabulary of emo ons.
3. Iden fy Emo ons in Others – By using cartoons, images, and other children, we can

help a child iden fy the emo onal state of someone without concern for one feeling

defensive. It also shows that experiencing emo ons is a natural process that we all

go through.

4. Vary the Response to an Event – Choose a single event and discuss the many
outcomes that can occur. For example, if a child in a classroom is upset and is taking

a break, a group discussion could occur. “Jenny is crying because her crayon broke.

What are some things she could do when her crayon breaks other than crying?”
5. Use Mirrors – We have all heard the response when we ask a child if he is mad: “I

am not mad!” Using mirrors to imitate emo ons when a child is content helps them

iden fy the facial features associated with a feeling. This way, when they are expe‐

riencing an emo on they have a way to check in with themselves and use their body

to help them iden fy how they are feeling. For example, when we are mad we are
hot, sweaty, tense, frowning, etc.

6. Teach Feeling Words – Once it is established that a child knows that there are

different emo onal op ons, it is me to start introducing her to the wealth of
emo ons that we get to experience every day. These words are great for a word

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