7 Essential Social Emotional Learning Books

Reading aloud is a boon to children's social-emotional learning (SEL). First, it's a relationship-based activity: reading a book with undivided attention is an act of nurturing. And it's a communal experience for the adult and children together: It promotes social skills by inviting group discussion, including opportunities for turn-taking, listening to others, and self-expression. All of that is true for any good book, whether a story or a science title. But SEL-themed books offer something extra, subject matter which prompts children to have big feelings and thoughts about how to relate to those around them.