Personal & social development // Self-Regulation & Resilience
Words for Big Feelings
Know and use the key words for managing big feelings — calm, strategy, cope, settle, patience, overwhelmed, and breathe — and understand that having words for these ideas is the first step to using them
Quick check
When the learner is feeling really upset or frustrated, can they use words like 'I need to calm down' or 'I'm feeling overwhelmed' instead of just acting out?
Ask this to see whether the topic is secure.
Topic // Mastery
What mastery looks like
- Use words like 'frustrated', 'anxious', 'overwhelmed', and 'disappointed' accurately to describe how they feel in difficult moments
- Explain what 'calm down' strategies are in their own words and name at least two they have tried (e.g. deep breaths, counting, walking away)
- Distinguish between similar feelings — e.g. explain the difference between being angry and being disappointed
Topic // Map
Where this fits
- RequiredMust come first
- HelpfulHelps, but not essential
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0 topicsNothing in the catalogue comes before this topic, so it is a good place to start.
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Words for Big Feelings
Ages 5 to 8 // Language
Leads to
4 topics- Simple Calming StrategiesRequired
Self-Regulation & Resilience // Ages 5 to 7
Calming strategies (calm, breathe, settle) rely on knowing this vocabulary to name and apply the techniques
Self-Regulation & Resilience // Ages 5 to 7
Patience and waiting practice requires understanding the vocabulary of coping and managing big feelings
- Learning from MistakesHelpful
Self-Regulation & Resilience // Ages 5 to 7
Framing mistakes as learning uses the vocabulary of feelings management and coping with setback
- Coping with Life ChangesHelpful
Self-Regulation & Resilience // Ages 5 to 7
Coping with change draws on vocabulary like 'cope', 'strategy', and 'settle'
Personal & social development // Self-Regulation & Resilience
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