Emotion Journal Writing
To develop emotional literacy and reflection through daily emotion journal entries.
- Framework: EYFS
- Unit: EYFS Personal, Social & Emotional
- Learning area: Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Level: EYFS Reception
Objectives
- Writes/draws about emotions daily
- Uses emotion vocabulary
- Identifies causes of feelings
- Shows reflective awareness
Materials
- Individual journals
- Emotion word bank
- Drawing materials
- Writing materials
- Quiet writing area
Instructions
DAILY JOURNALLING: 'It's journal time! Draw or write about how you're feeling today. You could draw your face, write an emotion word, or tell me and I'll write it for you.'
SUPPORTING WRITING: Provide an emotion word bank: happy, sad, angry, excited, worried, proud, calm, frustrated. 'Can you find the word that matches your feeling? Copy it into your journal.'
REVIEWING PATTERNS: 'Let's look back at your week. Monday you felt happy, Tuesday worried, Wednesday proud! Your feelings change—that's completely normal. Feelings are like weather—always changing.'
DEEPENING REFLECTION: 'You wrote angry today. Can you tell me more? What happened? What made the angry feeling? What helped it go away? You're becoming so good at understanding your feelings!'