Personal & social development // Area
Emotional Literacy
Age coverage
Ages 5 to 14
Starts at age 5 // 4 topics
Starting at age 5
Your child is learning about emotions — naming different feelings, understanding that everyone has emotions, expressing feelings with words instead of actions, and recognising what triggers their emotions.
- Naming Basic Emotions
Name and recognise basic emotions — happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, and surprised — in themselves and in others by looking at facial expressions and body…
Ages 5 to 7Language - Feelings Change and Differ
Understand that everyone has feelings, that feelings change throughout the day, and that the same event can make different people feel different things
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Triggers and Causes of Feelings
Understand that feelings have causes — something happens (a trigger) and that makes us feel a certain way — and begin to identify what triggers their own…
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Expressing Feelings with Words
Express their own feelings appropriately using words rather than actions — saying 'I feel angry because...' instead of hitting, shouting, or withdrawing
Ages 5 to 7Method
Starts at age 7 // 4 topics
Starting at age 7
Your child is developing a deeper understanding of emotions — learning more specific emotion words, recognising how feelings vary in intensity, and understanding the connection between emotions and physical sensations in their body.
- Emotion Vocabulary
Use a wider vocabulary of emotion words beyond the basics — including frustrated, worried, anxious, embarrassed, jealous, proud, disappointed, grateful, and…
Ages 7 to 9Language - How Emotions Feel in Your Body
Understand the connection between emotions and the body — recognising physical signals like butterflies in the stomach (nervous), clenched fists (angry), racing…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Mild to Strong Emotions
Understand that emotions come in different intensities — from mild to strong — and that the same emotion can feel very different depending on how intense it is…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Hidden and Masked Feelings
Recognise that people sometimes hide or mask their true feelings — smiling when they're actually sad, or saying 'I'm fine' when they're not — and understand why…
Ages 7 to 9Concept
Starts at age 9 // 4 topics
Starting at age 9
Your child is developing deeper emotional understanding — recognising complex and mixed feelings, understanding how emotions influence decisions, and reflecting on their own emotional patterns and growth over time.
- Emotional Patterns Over Time
Reflect on their own emotional patterns over time — noticing recurring triggers, understanding their typical responses, and recognising how their emotional…
Ages 9 to 11Thinking skill - Emotions and Decision-Making
Understand how emotions influence thinking and decision-making — that strong feelings can cloud judgement, that we often make different choices when calm versus…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Culture and Experience Shape Emotions
Understand that emotional responses are shaped by personal experiences, culture, and context — the same situation triggers different emotions in different…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Mixed and Conflicting Emotions
Understand that people can experience mixed or conflicting emotions at the same time — feeling excited and nervous about starting a new school, or happy for a…
Ages 9 to 11Concept
Starts at age 11 // 1 topic
Starting at age 11
- Brain Science of Emotions
Understand how the amygdala triggers emotional responses and how the prefrontal cortex (still developing in adolescence) regulates them; explain why stress…
Ages 11 to 12Concept
Starts at age 12 // 1 topic
Starting at age 12
- Identity and Belonging in Adolescence
Understand that adolescence involves active construction of identity, leading to emotional complexity around questions of 'who am I?'; explore the emotional…
Ages 12 to 13Concept
Starts at age 13 // 1 topic
Starting at age 13
- Emotional Intelligence
Introduce Goleman's emotional intelligence model (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills); develop vocabulary for complex emotional…
Ages 13 to 14Thinking skill