Today we will be looking at Early Childhood books that have an SEL focus. There are many to choose from and it was very hard to pick only two!
Free Spirit Publishing has a series of books teaching children positive social skills. One of my favorites is Hands Are Not for Hitting by Martine Agassi, Ph.D.
This book gives children concrete ideas for what we can do with our hands, like hugging and playing. It repeatedly asks children to consider, “What are hands for?”
If you like this one, be sure to check out: Feet Are Not for Kicking, and Words Are Not for Hurting.
Our next book is a wonderful resource for any parent or educator with young children. Austin ISD has adopted it for Prekindergarten and Kindergarten teachers to learn from. The book is called, Conscious Discipline by Dr. Becky A. Bailey. The book teaches how to create a positive classroom management system that encourages the growth of emotional intelligence.
Have you read either of these book before? What did you think? What are your favorite Early Childhood books? Please share with us in the comments section below!
Happy Reading 🙂
AISD Social and Emotional Learning 
I really love the Hands Are Not for Hitting etc. series. The colorful books highlight important social/ skills in a simple way, making them perfect for younger kids. I read Words Are Not for Hurting many times with my young students and at times, I heard students use the language, “words are not for hurting” with their peers. I just recently purchased Tails Are Not for Pulling for my own child, so the series is really versatile. 😉
I also like The Way I Feel series by Cornelia Maude Spelman. Each book focuses on a specific emotion, different things that make the character feel the emotion and strategies to cope. The series also has When I Care About Others and When I Feel Good About Myself, making it a well rounded social skills series!
Thank you for sharing! I love learning about books that highlight social and emotional skills! 🙂