Bringing Heart and Mind Into Storytime: Using Books and Activities to Teach Empathy, Tenacity, Kindness, and Other Big Ideas

Learn how to use children’s books during storytime to approach sensitive topics and increase children’s social-emotional wellness-and how to create storytimes that are engaging, participative, and FUN!

The emotional challenges many children experience consume the time of teachers, exhaust parents, and sometimes lead children toward behaviors that prohibit social and academic success. Storytime to the rescue! Library storytimes prepare children for kindergarten; storytimes at home and in preschools allow teachers, parents, and children to think and talk about empathy and the importance of honoring your own and others’ feelings.

In Bringing Heart and Mind into Storytime, Heather McNeil teaches librarians and teachers how to use books to open conversations with children to teach such concepts as patience, tenacity, kindness, and teamwork. McNeil shares research on brain development, social-emotional learning, and the importance of play, but she also emphasizes maintaining the fun of storytime. She recommends songs, action rhymes, games, and crafts that contribute to fun and healthy storytimes. Extensive lists of recommended books will help readers find the right ones for their audience.

Heather McNeil is a professional storyteller and retired youth services manager. She is the author of a book on early literacy and two books on storytelling. She offers workshops on early literacy, storytime skills, and storytelling.