In my work as an SLP, building up my clients’ emotional vocabulary might just be one of my favourite things I get to do. In this blog post, I’m going to tell you why that is, and then I’m going to tell you some SUPER easy to work on this at home with your kids — no matter how old they are!
Why does emotional vocabulary matter?
Emotional vocabulary is a big piece of what we sometimes call Emotional Intelligence - someone’s capacity to be aware of their own emotions & the emotions of others, know how to express how they feel, and handle their relationships in a way that respects their own emotions and the other person’s emotions.
Side note: Interestingly, knowing how I am feeling takes a different set of skills than knowing how other people feel. To know how someone else feels, I might watch their facial expressions and gestures, listen to their tone of voice, and the words they say to me. To know how I feel, I need to interpret signals from my body - a set of skills sometimes referred to as interoception. I could go on and on about this - but I’ll save that deep dive for another blog post.
For many clients, a big long-term goal is for them to engage meaningfully in relationships with others, and to be able to regulate (by themselves and/or with the help of others) when they are having a tough time. For both of these goals, having access to a a variety of emotional vocabulary words is very important.
So, how can you help build up your child’s emotional vocabulary at home?
Building up a child’s emotional vocabulary is something that can be worked on easily at home through everyday activities and routines, as well as through books, or even your child’s favourite movies or TV shows!
When you read a book or watch a show, there are moments in which something happens that causes a character’s emotional state to change. These are great moments to model emotional vocabulary for your child. I nd it works well to start by saying what we observe, rather than starting by quizzing your child. For Example:
I might say: “Wow, when (Character name) saw his mom at school, he looked surprised! Surprised means he didn’t expect that!”
I might avoid just saying: “How does he feel?” Simply because I don’t want to turn a fun showtime or book-time into something that feels like a quiz for the child.
Not sure what emotion words to talk about?
Try focusing on the following words:
happy, sad, scared, surprised, calm, confused, angry, worried, bored, embarrassed
Not sure what books or videos might be useful to work on emotional vocabulary?
Below, you’ll find some books, videos, & other resources you could explore: On Youtube: I love this Feelings Song based on the book, “A Little Scribble Spot."
Books that provide opportunities to talk about emotions:
• A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
• Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day by Jaime Lee Curtis
• Colour Monster by Anna Llenas
• The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
• The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon by Matthew Burgess
• My Mixed Emotions by DK
• Listening to My Body by Gabi Garcia
• The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
• Bear and Friends (Series) by Karma Wilson
Written By: Raela Newman, MSc. R-SLP
Registered SLP
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