The Kindness Collection (SEL Collection Curated by Nancy Boyles)

A six book SEL collection curated by Nancy Boyles that correlates with, and contains, her professional book Classroom Reading to Engage the Heart and Mind: 200+ Picture Books to Start SEL Conversations.

Storybook characters and situations are perfect for launching discussions of social emotional learning—why not let them help? In picture books, well-loved characters deal with many of the same problems students face in their own lives. What better resource could there be for encouraging students to think about their actions and responses?

Using classroom texts to start SEL conversations— during an interactive read- aloud or an extension of shared close- reading lessons— weaves social emotional learning organically into the fabric of an existing curriculum rather than adding a new block to the day. In a book perfect for a study group or for immediate use in the classroom, literacy educator Nancy Boyles connects the dots between the competencies identified by leaders in the SEL field with the rich content of children’s literature.