School Sparks - Kindergarten Readiness

Properly identifying feelings is important for children

It is very important for children to understand a wide variety of feelings for two reasons. First, when a child can describe and name his feelings, he has a better opportunity to let others accurately know how he is feeling and also deal with his own feelings in an appropriate way. Second, when a child is aware of a broad range of feelings, he can empathize with others.

To help a child understand feelings, it is important to begin by teaching him the terms used to describe feelings that will increase his vocabulary. Children know the terms happy, sad or mad. But these words are not adequate for describing the many feelings that people have. Introducing the descriptive words that name a variety of feelings, such as disappointed, excited, or embarrassed will help your child accurately use words to name feelings.

Feelings worksheets can be helpful

Understanding how a person looks when they experience a feeling is an important social skill. If a child can look at a person and accurately name his feeling, he can act appropriately, expressing empathy and behaving in a caring and helpful way. Also, when a child is aware of how another person is feeling and responds appropriately, others will most likely respond to him in helpful ways when he expresses emotions.

These feelings worksheets can be helpful tools in several ways. They provide a concrete way for parents to begin talking about feelings with their child. Looking at pictures with your child instead of discussing his own feelings is a safe and comfortable way to begin these important conversations. Also, the worksheets introduce additional feelings words including shy, hungry, disappointed, excited, and embarrassed (along with the familiar happy, sad and mad). Finally, these feelings worksheets help your child understand that he can guess how another person is feeling by looking at his face and that others may be able to guess how he is feeling by looking at his expression, as well.

Tips for using these feelings worksheets

As you introduce each identifying and discussing feelings worksheet, read the direction that asks your child to circle the face that illustrates the specific emotion. Then ask your child to recall a time when he felt the emotion. If he has a difficult time remembering this, try to make a few suggestions. He may or may not agree with your ideas, but at least you are talking about feelings. Your child will learn that it is safe and comfortable to talk about his feelings with you and in the discussion, he may recognize when he has felt the emotion in question. Certainly let your child know when you have had the feeling being discussed, as well.

To continue the discussion about feelings, you might ask your child to guess the emotion that is illustrated in the second picture.

In the identifying emotions worksheets, your child will be asked to recall the word that describes a specific emotion based on the expression in the illustration. Remind your child that a person’s face shows how he is feeling. If your child has a bit of trouble recalling the new terms he is learning to describe feelings, write the words on a sheet of paper and read them to your child. Your child can also use this list as a model for copying the correct feelings word onto his worksheet (or you can write the word for your child). Your child may even come up with another word to describe the picture (such as “silly” for “embarrassed”). That is fine. When you can, reinforce and introduce other terms that describe specific feelings. For example, you can let your child know that another word for “excited” is “enthusiastic” or that another way to say “mad” is with the word “angry.”

Now that you have begun talking about feelings with your child and using words to describe these feelings, keep the dialog open.

Extra activities to supplement the emotions worksheets

• When eating dinner, ask each person to give someone at the table a compliment, such as “This soup is great, mom.” This routine will help your child develop an increased awareness of the importance of other’s feelings.
• Express your feelings using descriptive words together with visual clues such as smiling or frowning. For example, say the words “I am so happy” or “I am so surprised” as you make an expression.
• Talk to your child about a small problem you have. For example: “I need to make dinner, but don’t have potatoes. Maybe I can use rice instead.”
• As you read books to your child, pause before turning each page and ask your child how he thinks a certain character is feeling.
• After you read a book to your child, ask him how he would have solved a problem in the book or how he would have responded to another character’s actions.
• When picking your child up from school or a friend’s house, ask him specific questions such as “What did you do today that made you feel happy?” Or, “Did anything happen today that made you feel scared?”
• Suggest an emotion (such as “happy” or “embarrassed) and ask your child to list 3 things that make him feel that emotion. Then let him pick an emotion and you list 3 things that make you feel that emotion.
• Next time your child is hesitant to try something new, take a quick break and ask your child how he is feeling. If you child can explain what he is feeling, he will likely be better able to understand why he is feeling that way.
• When home with your child, take turns choosing which activity you do next. For example, tell your child you can play dress up with him first but then your child will need to help you sort laundry.
• Encourage all family members to use good manners at the dinner table. Even young children can say “please” when asking for something and “no, thank you” when there’s something he does not want.