Literacy Lessons for Little Learners: Tempering Big Feelings with How to Tantrum Like a Champion by Allan Wolf and Keisha Morris

At the Early Excellence Project, we know that books can be powerful tools for helping children understand, name, and manage their emotions. How to Tantrum Like a Champion: 10 Small Ways to Temper Big Feelings by Allan Wolf, with illustrations by Keisha Morris, is a playful and insightful picture book that teaches children that big feelings are normal, and that there are healthy ways to express and calm them.

Through rhythmic text and bright, expressive artwork, this book gives children permission to feel while offering strategies to self-regulate. It’s a perfect story to read aloud when little learners are navigating frustration, anger, or sadness.

In this post, we’ll explore literacy lessons that encourage children to connect with the story’s message while building key reading and comprehension skills.

Talking About Big Feelings

This book uses humor and honesty to show that everyone, kids and grown-ups alike, has tantrums sometimes. By naming emotions and giving them space, children learn that it’s okay to feel upset.

Start with These Questions:

• How do you feel when something doesn’t go your way?

• What are some signs that you are starting to feel upset?

• Why do you think it’s important to calm down after big feelings?

• What are some safe ways to show how you feel?

These questions help children connect their own experiences with the story, building emotional awareness and comprehension.

Building Vocabulary Through Emotions

The language in How to Tantrum Like a Champion introduces words that describe feelings and calming strategies.

Try These Vocabulary Activities:

• Emotion Words – Point out words like angry, stomp, breathe, calm, and peace. Talk about what they mean and act them out together.

• Feelings Faces – Draw faces that show different emotions (angry, sad, calm, happy). Ask your child to match the face with the word from the story.

• Word to Action – When you read a word like breathe, pause and practice taking deep breaths together.

These interactive activities make vocabulary meaningful and memorable.

Exploring Story Themes: Calming Strategies

The book shares small, practical steps for calming down when big feelings take over.

Discussion Questions:

• What are some of the ways the book shows children calming down?

• Which calming strategy would you like to try the next time you feel upset?

• How do you feel after you calm down from being angry or frustrated?

• Why is it important to practice calming down?

These conversations help children develop problem-solving skills and emotional regulation.

Creativity Through Art: My Calm-Down Plan

Art activities give children a chance to practice and personalize the story’s lessons.

Activity: “My Calm-Down Plan” Drawing

• Provide paper, crayons, or markers.

• Ask your child to draw themselves doing something that helps them feel calm (taking deep breaths, hugging a stuffed animal, listening to music).

• Add labels or words around the drawing to name each calming strategy.

This activity reinforces the idea that children can make choices about how they handle big feelings.

Reflection: Practicing Kindness with Ourselves

A key message in this book is that having big feelings doesn’t make you “bad,” it makes you human. Helping children learn self-kindness builds resilience.

Reflection Questions:

• What is something kind you can say to yourself when you’re upset?

• How can we help a friend who is having a tantrum or feeling angry?

• Why is it important to be patient with ourselves when we make mistakes?

These reflections nurture empathy, self-compassion, and social-emotional growth.

Helping Children Feel Heard and Understood

How to Tantrum Like a Champion is more than just a playful guide to tantrums, it’s a supportive tool for helping children recognize, express, and manage big emotions. By pairing literacy activities with conversations about feelings, you’re helping your little learner build both reading skills and emotional resilience.

We hope these literacy lessons spark meaningful conversations at home and give your child new strategies to handle big feelings with confidence. Stay tuned for next month’s book feature in our Literacy Lessons for Little Learners series, and as always, happy reading!

Literacy Lessons for Little Learners: Celebrating Identity with The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad

At the Early Excellence Project, we believe in the power of books to help young readers embrace their own identities, understand the experiences of others, and celebrate diversity. The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad, with illustrations by S.K. Ali and Hatem Aly, is a beautifully told story about confidence, family, and standing proud in who you are.

This heartfelt picture book follows two sisters, Faizah and Asiya, on Asiya’s first day of wearing a hijab to school. Through Faizah’s eyes, we see admiration, pride, and a realization that standing out can be a beautiful thing. However, the story also acknowledges the challenges of being different, teaching children the importance of resilience, kindness, and self-love.

In this post, we’ll explore literacy lessons to help your little learner engage with the book’s themes while building essential reading and comprehension skills.

Introducing the Story: What Makes You Proud?

The Proudest Blue introduces children to the significance of the hijab in Muslim culture and highlights themes of pride, strength, and sisterhood. It is a powerful book that helps children reflect on their own identities and the importance of respecting others' traditions.

Start with These Questions:

• What is something about yourself that makes you feel proud?

• Have you ever worn something special that made you feel confident?

• How do you think Faizah feels about her sister’s hijab?

• Why is it important to be kind to others, even if they look or dress differently from us?

These questions help children connect to the story and think about their own experiences with confidence and identity.

Building Vocabulary Through Identity and Belonging

The language in The Proudest Blue introduces young readers to meaningful words related to self-expression, culture, and emotions.

Try These Vocabulary Activities:

• Word Discovery – As you read, highlight words like "hijab," "proud," "strong," and "bold." Explain their meanings and encourage your child to use them in sentences.

• Emotion Matching – Discuss the emotions in the book, such as pride, curiosity, and resilience. Ask your child to describe times when they felt those emotions.

• Color Meanings – Talk about the significance of colors in clothing. Ask, "If you could wear a color that represents you, what would it be and why?"

These activities help build vocabulary while deepening a child’s connection to the book’s themes.

Confidence, Respect, and Identity

This book encourages young readers to embrace what makes them special and to stand up for themselves and others when faced with unkindness. It also fosters understanding of different cultural traditions.

Discussion Questions:

• What does Asiya’s blue hijab symbolize for her and her sister?

• How does Faizah react when some children are unkind about Asiya’s hijab?

• What does the book teach us about confidence?

• How can we be supportive and kind to others who wear clothing that is meaningful to them?

Encouraging these discussions helps children develop empathy and respect for diversity.

Creativity Through Art: What Makes You Shine?

Art is a powerful way for children to express their identity and celebrate what makes them unique.

Activity: "What Makes Me Proud?" Drawing

• Provide crayons, markers, and paper.

• Ask your child to draw a picture of something that makes them feel proud—whether it’s a special piece of clothing, a talent, or something they love about themselves.

• Encourage them to add words around their drawing that describe how it makes them feel.

• Display their artwork as a reminder to celebrate who they are.

This activity reinforces the book’s message about confidence and self-expression.

Reflection: How Do We Show Kindness and Respect?

One of the most important lessons in The Proudest Blue is that kindness and respect can make a big difference. Help your child reflect on ways they can support others and embrace differences.

Reflection Questions:

• How can we help someone feel proud of who they are?

• What would you do if you saw someone being teased for being different?

• Why is it important to respect the clothing or traditions of others?

These conversations help children practice kindness and think about how their actions impact others.

Celebrating Identity and Strength

The Proudest Blue is more than just a story about a first day of wearing a hijab—it’s a celebration of identity, confidence, and standing tall in the face of challenges. By engaging with the book’s themes and activities, children will build literacy skills while learning to embrace both their own uniqueness and the beauty in others.

We hope these literacy lessons spark meaningful conversations and inspire your little learner to take pride in who they are. Stay tuned for next month’s book feature in our Literacy Lessons for Little Learners series, and as always, happy reading!

Literacy Lessons for Little Learners: Understanding Others with Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña

At the Early Excellence Project, we believe books can help young learners develop empathy, imagination, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña, with stunning illustrations by Christian Robinson, is a powerful story that encourages children to think beyond first impressions and recognize the complexities in every person’s story.

This book follows Milo, a young boy traveling on the subway, who observes the people around him and imagines what their lives might be like. As he sketches his ideas, he begins to realize that people are more than what they appear to be on the outside. This beautifully written story offers a meaningful lesson about curiosity, compassion, and challenging assumptions.

In this post, we’ll explore literacy lessons to help your little learner engage with the book’s themes while building essential reading and comprehension skills.

Seeing Beyond First Impressions

Milo watches the people on his subway ride and creates stories about their lives, based on what he sees. But as he reflects on his own situation, he realizes that his drawings might not tell the full story—just like the way people see him doesn’t tell everything about who he is.

This book encourages children to think about the power of imagination while also exploring how we see and understand others.

Start with These Questions:

• Have you ever wondered what someone else’s life is like?

• How do we form ideas about people we don’t know?

• Why do you think it’s important to learn about someone’s story before making a judgment?

• How does your imagination help you understand the world?

These questions help children think critically about perspective and empathy before reading the book.

Building Vocabulary Through Observation and Imagination

Milo Imagines the World introduces rich vocabulary related to creativity, emotions, and perception.

Try These Vocabulary Activities:

• Descriptive Words – As you read, point out words like "observe," "imagine," "assumption," and "perspective." Discuss what they mean and how they relate to the story.

• Guess the Story – Before turning the page, ask your child to predict what Milo might imagine next based on the illustrations.

• Imagination Challenge – Pick an everyday object or person and encourage your child to describe or draw what they think their story might be.

These activities help young learners expand their vocabulary while practicing creative thinking.

Exploring Story Themes: Looking Deeper

A key theme in Milo Imagines the World is that people are more than what they seem at first glance. This is an important lesson for developing kindness and understanding.

Discussion Questions:

• Why does Milo draw pictures of the people he sees?

• How do his ideas about the people change by the end of the story?

• Have you ever made an assumption about someone and then learned something different about them?

• How can we get to know people’s real stories?

Helping children reflect on these questions encourages them to think beyond appearances and recognize the depth of every individual’s experience.

Creativity Through Art: Drawing Stories

Just like Milo, children can use drawing and storytelling to explore their thoughts and ideas about the world.

Activity: "Imagine a Story" Drawing

• Provide crayons, markers, and paper.

• Have your child draw a picture of someone they see regularly but don’t know well (a neighbor, a bus driver, a cashier).

• Ask them to imagine and describe what this person’s life might be like.

• Afterward, discuss how their ideas might be similar to or different from reality.

This activity helps children develop storytelling skills while reinforcing the book’s message about looking beyond first impressions.

Reflection: How Can We Learn About Others?

Milo Imagines the World teaches an important lesson about understanding others by listening to their stories instead of making assumptions.

Reflection Questions:

• What is something about you that people might not know just by looking at you?

• How do we learn about people’s real stories?

• Why is it important to be kind and curious instead of making quick judgments?

Encouraging children to think about these questions helps them develop empathy and social awareness.

Encouraging Imagination and Understanding

Milo Imagines the World is more than just a story about a boy on a subway—it’s a lesson in seeing people fully, thinking deeply, and imagining beyond what we see at first glance. Through creative storytelling and thoughtful discussions, young learners can build literacy skills while learning to approach the world with kindness and curiosity.

We hope these literacy lessons spark meaningful conversations and encourage your little learner to use their imagination in new ways. Stay tuned for next month’s book feature in our Literacy Lessons for Little Learners series, and as always, happy reading!