Sharing What We Think and FeelActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works especially well for sharing thoughts and feelings because young children express themselves through movement and social interaction. When they practice with real objects and peers, abstract ideas like reasons and emotions become concrete and memorable. This hands-on approach builds confidence and clarity before moving to abstract language structures.
Learning Objectives
- 1Demonstrate the ability to state a preference for a toy or book and provide at least one reason.
- 2Formulate polite requests using specific phrases like 'May I please have...'.
- 3Identify and articulate at least two feelings using descriptive words.
- 4Structure a simple persuasive statement with a feeling, a reason, and a desired outcome.
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Pair Share: Favourite Toy Talk
Children sit in pairs and take turns sharing their favourite toy, saying why they like it and one reason a friend might too. Switch roles after two minutes. Record key phrases on a class chart for reference.
Prepare & details
Can you tell us your favourite book or toy and why you like it?
Facilitation Tip: During Pair Share: Favourite Toy Talk, model the full sentence 'I like the car because it goes fast,' then pause to let children repeat the structure before they speak.
Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor
Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs
Role-Play Circle: Polite Requests
Form a circle. Model polite asking, like 'Can you pass the crayon because I need red for my apple?' Children practice in turn, responding positively. Discuss what made requests work.
Prepare & details
How do you ask politely for something you would like?
Facilitation Tip: In Role-Play Circle: Polite Requests, place a timer on the floor so children see how long a polite turn sounds, helping them compare volume with calm, clear language.
Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor
Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs
Feeling Feelings Station: Emotion Shares
Set up stations with picture cards of emotions. In small groups, children pick a card, state the feeling, give a reason, and persuade a partner to feel the same. Rotate stations.
Prepare & details
What words can you use to tell someone what you think or feel?
Facilitation Tip: At Feeling Feelings Station: Emotion Shares, provide emotion cards with faces and words so children can point while they speak, supporting verbal expression with visual cues.
Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor
Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs
Class Vote: Book Battle
Children vote on class favourite book by sharing one like and one reason in a show-of-hands vote. Tally results and discuss why winners persuaded most.
Prepare & details
Can you tell us your favourite book or toy and why you like it?
Facilitation Tip: During Class Vote: Book Battle, hold up two books and ask, 'Which one should we read first? Give one reason why,' to anchor both choice and rationale in the same moment.
Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor
Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs
Teaching This Topic
Experienced teachers begin with modelled language using high-interest objects or books the class already knows. They avoid rushing to correct grammar; instead, they gently restate a child’s idea with the target structure and invite repetition. Research shows that when teachers use open-ended questions and wait time, children produce longer, more structured responses. It’s important to create a safe space where sharing feelings is normalized through repeated modelling and peer affirmation.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like children stating a clear preference with a simple reason, using polite phrases in role-plays, and naming emotions with examples. They should speak audibly to peers, listen to others, and respond with supportive comments during group activities. Progress is shown when their language moves from single words to short, structured sentences.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Pair Share: Favourite Toy Talk, children may believe shouting their preference will persuade others.
What to Teach Instead
After the pair share, gather the class and model how calm, clear reasons work better. Ask children to compare loud shouts with soft, reasoned talks, using thumbs up and down to vote on which style is more convincing.
Common MisconceptionDuring Role-Play Circle: Polite Requests, infants may list wants without giving reasons for their requests.
What to Teach Instead
During the circle, hold up picture cards of common classroom items. Ask each child to point and say, 'May I please have the ___ because ____.' Hold up the card for the reason if needed, reinforcing the sentence pattern visually.
Common MisconceptionDuring Feeling Feelings Station: Emotion Shares, children may think sharing feelings is private and changes nothing.
What to Teach Instead
At the station, place a class emotion chart with photos of children’s faces. After each share, ask the group, 'Who feels the same way?' to show that feelings connect peers and are valued responses.
Assessment Ideas
After Pair Share: Favourite Toy Talk, ask each child to hold up their toy or picture and say, 'I like ___ because ____.' Note if they state a preference and give one simple reason.
After Role-Play Circle: Polite Requests, say, 'Imagine a friend is playing with your favourite toy. What polite words can you use to ask for a turn?' Listen for phrases like 'May I please have a turn?' and 'Can I play too?' Record who uses polite language.
After Feeling Feelings Station: Emotion Shares, give each child a drawing of a happy and a sad face. Ask them to draw one thing that makes them feel each way and say one sentence about it, such as 'I feel happy when we play games.' Collect drawings to check sentence structure and emotional vocabulary.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: After Pair Share, invite children to persuade a partner to swap toys, using two reasons instead of one.
- Scaffolding: For children who struggle, provide sentence strips with blanks like 'I like ___ because ____.'
- Deeper exploration: After Class Vote, invite pairs to create a mini poster with drawings and one sentence persuading the class to read their chosen book next time.
Key Vocabulary
| Favourite | Something you like more than anything else. We can share our favourite things to help others know what we enjoy. |
| Reason | A cause or explanation for why you like something or want something. Giving a reason helps others understand your choice. |
| Polite | Showing good manners and consideration for others. Using polite words like 'please' and 'thank you' makes asking for things easier. |
| Feelings | How you feel inside, like happy, sad, or excited. Using words to describe our feelings helps us share our experiences. |
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