Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) · Junior Infants · Myself: Self-Identity and Feelings · 1.º Período

My Feelings

Children learn to name and express basic feelings such as happy, sad, angry, and scared. They explore how feelings affect their bodies and how to communicate them safely.

TL;DR:Developing emotional literacy is a vital part of the SPHE curriculum, helping children navigate their first year of primary school. This topic focuses on identifying basic emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. By learning to name these feelings, Junior Infants begin to understand their own reactions and develop empathy for their peers.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• Strand: Myself - Strand Unit: Self-identity (Self-awareness)
• Strand: Myself and others - Strand Unit: Relating to others

About This Topic

Developing emotional literacy is a vital part of the SPHE curriculum, helping children navigate their first year of primary school. This topic focuses on identifying basic emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. By learning to name these feelings, Junior Infants begin to understand their own reactions and develop empathy for their peers.

Teachers help children recognize the physical signs of emotions, such as a 'tummy butterfly' when nervous or a 'hot face' when angry. This awareness is the first step toward self-regulation and healthy communication. This topic comes alive when students can role-play different scenarios and practice expressing feelings in a safe, guided environment.

Key Questions

1. How do I feel today?
2. What makes me feel happy or sad?
3. How can I show my feelings safely to others?

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Children may believe that 'bad' feelings like anger or sadness should be hidden.

What to Teach Instead

Teach that all feelings are okay, but some actions (like hitting) are not. Role-playing safe ways to show anger, like taking deep breaths, helps students separate the feeling from the behavior.

Common Misconception

Students might think everyone feels the same way about the same thing.

What to Teach Instead

Use peer discussion to show that while one child loves dogs, another might feel scared. This surfaces the idea that feelings are personal and subjective.

Active Learning Ideas

Role Play

The Feelings Statue

The teacher names a feeling, and children freeze in a pose that shows that emotion. They then look around to see how their friends might show the same feeling differently.

15 min·Whole Class

Think-Pair-Share

What Makes Me Smile?

Children think of a time they felt very happy. They share this moment with a partner, and the pair draws a quick picture of a 'happy trigger' to share with the class.

15 min·Pairs

Inquiry Circle

The Feelings Jar

Small groups sort picture cards of different scenarios (e.g., a broken toy, a birthday cake) into 'feeling jars.' They discuss why a scenario might make one person sad but another person excited.

20 min·Small Groups

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I help a child who struggles to name their emotions?

Use visual aids like a 'Feelings Wheel' or emoji cards. Active learning strategies like 'The Feelings Statue' allow children to express themselves physically before they have the vocabulary to do so verbally.

What is the teacher's role during emotional role-play?

The teacher acts as a facilitator, ensuring the environment is safe and non-judgmental. Your role is to provide the vocabulary and guide the reflection after the activity, helping children connect the role-play to real-life situations.

How can active learning help students understand feelings?

Feelings are internal and abstract. Active learning, such as role-play and collaborative sorting, makes these concepts external and concrete. When children physically act out an emotion or discuss it in pairs, they process the experience more deeply than through a simple lecture.

How do I handle 'big' emotions that happen in the classroom?

Use these moments as 'teachable moments.' Refer back to the strategies practiced in class, like deep breathing or using words. This reinforces that the SPHE curriculum is practical and relevant to their daily lives.