Social-emotional learning is very important to teach in kindergarten, and I have found the perfect book to teach it: Jellybeans. Even the title makes me happy.
This book lends itself to teaching about kindness, anti-bullying topics, and likenesses and differences.
Rhyming is incorporated throughout, so this is also a skill that can be taught with this book.
Kids have always loved jellybeans, but now they can actually relate to them. Really.
All of the jellybeans are different but the same. The book makes it known that we all have different talents, shapes, sizes and personalities but yet we are alike on the inside.
Jellybeans are different colors.
Social-emotional learning is based on acquiring an understanding of inclusivity and diversity.
Jellybeans highlights diversity by using beautiful and colorful illustrations to metaphorically connect jellybeans to people.
“Much like a dish of jellybeans, each of us brings a different flavor.”
Jellybeans teaches acceptance.
Children usually see anyone outside of their “normal” as undesirable in some way.
Students start to realize that they are different when it is pointed out to them.
Because, the book Jellybeans shows our differences in a positive light, it challenges the idea that there is a “normal.”
We are all unique and have very special characteristics.
“Be your own jellybean. Be proud of who you are.” This statement from the book is powerful and inherently teaches social-emotional learning to our young students.
Jellybeans highlights all personality types.
There is the Sassy Jellybean. We all have sassy jellybeans in our classes.
There is the Bubblegum Jellybean who is snappy and loud.
Toasty Marshmallow Jellybean is light-hearted and mellow.
This is a prime opportunity for social-emotional learning to take place.
Social-emotional learning is based on the ability of students to regulate emotions and adjust to their environments.
A study based on a national principal survey “found that students who receive high-quality social-emotional learning instruction have achievement scores on average of 11 percentile points higher than students who did not receive SEL instruction.”
Kids in the classroom will recognize these emotional traits in themselves.
Also, traits viewed as negative can be looked at in a positive light.
Jellybeans is a great conversation starter on how to regulate our emotions and appreciate different emotions in our environments.
Discuss how we can all have diverse traits at various times and some personalities might be appropriate in different situations.
Role play situations like a football game where it might be appropriate to be snappy and loud.
Lesson Extensions for Social-Emotional Learning:
- Have students share with a shoulder partner their similarities and differences.
- Talk about when you feel like the Sour Cherry Jellybean who is grumpy or the Tutti Frutti Jellybean who is lots of fun.
- Brainstorm all the ways that the jellybeans are the same.
- Role play situations where students may feel a certain emotion that is similar to the jellybeans.
- Have students finish the sentence, “ I am……. . This will show the similarities to the jellybeans and other people.
Download the free extension activities here that will allow your students to develop their social-emotional learning in a healthy way.
I am so glad that I found this book, and I know you and your students will enjoy it.
Jellybeans is truly an amazing teaching tool that encourages positive behaviors and overall kindness.
