Foundations of Language and Literacy · Junior Infants

Active learning ideas

Feelings in Stories

Active learning helps young children connect emotions to stories through movement, talk, and art. When they mimic faces, act out scenes, or draw feelings, they link abstract emotions to concrete experiences in a way that static worksheets cannot. This hands-on approach builds both emotional vocabulary and memory for narrative events.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Junior Cycle English - Reading - Understanding and Interpreting
• NCCA: Junior Cycle English - Language - Literary Devices

• 15–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Hot Seat
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Emotion Echoes

Read a picture book aloud and pause at key emotion moments. Have the whole class copy the character's face and body pose together. Follow with a quick share: 'Who felt like that today?'

How does the character feel at the beginning of the story?

Facilitation Tip

During Emotion Echoes, pause after key story moments so children have time to match the character’s face and posture with their own.

What to look for

Read a short passage from a picture book. Ask students to point to the picture that shows how the character is feeling and say one word to describe that feeling. For example, 'Look at the character's face. How do you think they feel? Happy, sad, or surprised?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Hot Seat
• 20 min · Pairs

Pairs: Mirror Feelings

Partners face each other; one describes a story character's feeling (e.g., 'scared in the dark'), the other mirrors the face and pose. Switch roles after 30 seconds, then discuss story clues.

What makes the character happy or sad in this story?

Facilitation Tip

During Mirror Feelings, position pairs face-to-face with good lighting to help children notice subtle changes in facial muscles.

What to look for

Give each child a drawing of a simple face. Ask them to draw eyes and a mouth to show a specific emotion (e.g., 'Draw a happy face'). Then, ask them to hold up their drawing and say the feeling word.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Hot Seat
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Story Puppets

Provide paper bags or socks for simple puppets. Groups retell a story scene, using puppets to show changing feelings. Perform for the class and note what caused emotion shifts.

Can you show on your face how the character is feeling?

Facilitation Tip

During Story Puppets, assign roles that require emotional expression so children must practice the feeling to perform it.

What to look for

After reading a story, ask: 'What happened in the story that made [character name] feel [emotion]?'. Encourage students to use complete sentences. For instance, 'The character felt sad because their balloon popped.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Hot Seat
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: Feeling Drawings

Children draw a character's face at two story points (e.g., sad then happy). Label with one word and a sentence about why. Display and class votes on most expressive.

How does the character feel at the beginning of the story?

What to look for

Read a short passage from a picture book. Ask students to point to the picture that shows how the character is feeling and say one word to describe that feeling. For example, 'Look at the character's face. How do you think they feel? Happy, sad, or surprised?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model emotional vocabulary during read-alouds, using precise words like 'frustrated' or 'proud' instead of generic terms like 'good' or 'bad.' Avoid rushing through feelings; give students time to respond and reflect. Research shows that acting out emotions strengthens neural pathways between emotion and memory, making stories more memorable.

Successful learning looks like children naming emotions they see in pictures and stories, using feeling words in full sentences, and demonstrating understanding through facial expressions and gestures. They should connect causes to effects, such as 'They felt scared because the loud noise came suddenly.'

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Emotion Echoes, children may assume characters feel the same emotion throughout the story.

  During Emotion Echoes, pause at key turning points and ask children to show how the character’s face and body change. Use phrases like 'Now how does their face look different?' to guide them through the sequence.

• During Mirror Feelings, children think feelings only come from words, not pictures or actions.

  During Mirror Feelings, direct pairs to focus on visual clues first. Ask, 'Look at the eyebrows and mouth. What do you see?' before matching expressions.

• During Feeling Drawings, children believe story characters’ feelings are totally unlike their own.

  During Feeling Drawings, hold a brief sharing circle where children connect their own experiences to the character’s. Ask, 'Have you ever felt that way? Tell your partner about it.'

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Methods used in this brief

• Hot Seat