Sensation-al Stories
Sensations are *kinda* a big deal around here, as are books. So it only makes sense for there to be a book list for discussing sensations! If you’re new to sensations, definitely start with this blog: “What your Lessons on Emotions are Missing - Why it Matters and How to Fix It” . But for the purpose of cohesion, here’s a quick recap: sensations are what we notice happening inside our body (think rumbling stomach, fast heart rate). Sensations give us clues for what our body needs and what we are feeling. When we embed sensations into our emotions and emotional regulation activities, we’re supporting the development of a strong foundation of knowledge. Who doesn’t want a strong foundation?
So how can we teach children about sensations?
I’ve outlined the strategies and activities that I use to support understanding and identification in the blog post You Know Sensations are Vital, but How in the World do you Teach Them? Reading books will always be one of my biggest strategy recommendations. Books provide a safe place for children to explore and learn about more challenging concepts. Realizing that there are multiple books written on this topic helps children to realize they’re not alone - many children (and adults!) are learning about sensations.
I have to say, compared to other topics, there are fewer options available on actively noticing sensations. During my initial search, I was finding many books encouraging mindfulness (also very important) but fewer options actually helping children notice and understand the sensations inside their body. Mindfulness certainly has its place and can be incredibly helpful to practice with children. However, I again recommend that first you establish a solid understanding of what exactly sensations are *before* you move into targeting mindfulness. So let’s dive in to exploring and examining our book options!
“When we embed sensations into our emotions and emotional regulation activities, we’re supporting the development of a strong foundation of knowledge.”
The Fab Four for Sensations
“My Incredible talking body - learning to be calm” by rebecca bowen
Why we Love it: This book is one of my favorite starting spots for teaching sensations. However, I recommend splitting this book into two halves. The first half of the story focuses on helping children to understand the concept of sensations. The second half targets what to do when you’re feeling larger emotions. As I’m sure you can guess by now, I cannot stress enough to first spend time teaching emotions - avoid the temptation to jump straight into problem solving. I love the language used and the simplicity of the story structure. For ‘angry’ and ‘sad’, the author adds in what it’s not okay to do - I also leave this part out. Remember, the initial goal is to introduce the idea that sensations can tell us how our body is feeling.
2. “I Feel…something” by DJ corchin
Why we Love it: Another great introduction to interoception/sensations. I love the simplicity of the text and the pictures (as an added bonus, the book also rhymes!). This story receives bonus points for really trying to consider the perspective of the child. For children who have a harder time with emotional regulation, it can feel like their emotions and reactions come out of nowhere. This book does a great job acknowledging that sometimes it seems as though larger responses just pop-up out of thin air. Identifying sensations and working on emotional regulation is hard work. Children respond positively to their experiences being acknowledged and validated.
3. “Sensations: how my body talks to me” by janelle fenwick
Why we Love it: Well I did write it ;-). My first draft of this story was written out of desperation and necessity. I needed *something* that children, parents, and teachers could read and reference to explain sensations. At the time, I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted (I’m picky!) and so I decided I’d better create something myself. This book outlines the concept of sensations - moving from physiological sensations to sensations associated with emotional states. Because I also do extensive work linking thoughts to emotional states, I also laid the groundwork to continue this conversation later down the road. The good news? Because I believe so firmly that teaching sensations is such a necessary first step, I’ve made this book available to everyone for free. If you don’t already have your copy, be sure to grab your copy of Sensations: How my Body Talks to Me.
This book served as the catalyst for the creation of more in-depth lessons to teach sensations to young children. Check out these lessons on sensations here.
4. “Listening to my body” by gabi garcia
Why we Love it: This was one of the first books I found that even started to introduce the idea of sensations. The story is beautifully illustrated and Gabi does a great job adding in some additional activities to do throughout the story to highlight and create different sensations. She also does a great job drawing connections between the information we notice in our body and what that tells us about our emotional state. In all honesty? When I read this book to preschoolers, I don’t read all the words. For younger children it can be too much (but could be great for older children which gives it great flexibility as a teaching tool!). I tend to change things a little to really emphasize the connection between sensations and emotions. Also, I again break the book apart into two parts - stopping before we reach the part of the story explaining things you can do to calm your body. I return to this section when working on teaching calming strategies. Again (seriously, I know, I’m a broken record on this point) I recommend spending a *big* chunk of time up front really making sure there is a solid framework of comprehension of sensations before moving on to problem solving.
So there you have it! Those are my tried and true recommended books for introducing and solidifying the idea of ‘sensations’. Do you have any recommendations to add to this list? If so, be sure to share below - I’m always looking to add to my collection!
