1:1 Reading + SEL Through Literacy and Art!

In each 1:1 session, we nurture a love of reading while building foundational literacy skills tailored to your child’s level and interests. Through carefully chosen, emotionally rich children's literature, we explore early reading strategies such as print awareness, phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and comprehension—all in a supportive, playful environment. Whether your child is just beginning to recognize letters or is starting to read simple sentences, I meet them where they are and help them grow with confidence. Reading becomes more than just a skill—it becomes a meaningful, joyful connection to stories, language, and self-expression.

✨ Class Flow – What to Expect in Each 1:1 Session
Each session is a warm, personalized experience designed to meet your child exactly where they are—academically, emotionally, and developmentally. Here’s how our 30-minute session typically flows:

🔆 1. Welcome & Connection (3–5 min)
We begin with a cheerful greeting and check-in using songs, visuals, or simple questions to help your child feel seen, safe, and excited to learn. This grounding moment sets the tone for connection and trust.

📖 2. Story Time & Shared Reading (10–12 min)
We dive into a thoughtfully chosen picture book tailored to your child’s interests, reading level, and emotional needs. Whether I’m reading aloud or your child is reading with support, this is the heart of our session—where literacy and emotional learning meet. We pause to talk about characters, emotions, unfamiliar words, and real-life connections.

🧠 3. Literacy Skill Spotlight (5–7 min)
This is where we zoom in on a specific reading goal—letter sounds, sight words, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, or decoding—woven seamlessly into the book we’re reading. These moments are playful, encouraging, and completely customized to your child’s needs and stage of learning.

🎨 4. Creative Expression Through Art (7–10 min)
We transition into an open-ended art activity inspired by the story’s themes, illustrations, or emotional moments. Children might draw a feeling, collage a character, sculpt a moment, or simply explore colors and textures that express their inner world. This is not about perfect art—it's about process, expression, and connection.

🎶 Optional Music or Movement Break (as needed)
Sometimes we sing a song related to the story or take a quick movement break to shake off big feelings or re-energize. These moments help integrate learning and keep the session light, joyful, and responsive to your child’s mood and energy.

❤️ 5. Wrap-Up & What’s Next (2–3 min)
We reflect on what we created, felt, or learned. I may share a playful extension idea (optional) you can explore between sessions—like rereading the book, using feelings cards, or continuing the art at home. You’ll also receive a quick follow-up note with a recap and prep for the next session if you choose to continue.

📚 For Emerging Readers (Pre-K–Early K):
In these early stages, we build the foundation with playfulness, patience, and stories that speak to the heart. Using emotionally rich picture books, with and without text, we introduce print awareness, letter sounds, sight words, and simple decoding strategies—all in the context of meaningful storytelling. Children are encouraged to make connections between what they see, hear, and feel. We sing parts of the story, move our bodies to rhythm and rhyme, and use illustrations to build vocabulary and comprehension. Reading becomes a multi-sensory experience that feels more like a game than a lesson—building both skills and confidence along the way.

📖 For Growing Readers (Late K–2nd Grade):
For more fluent readers, each story becomes a springboard for deeper thinking, discussion, and emotional reflection. We explore vocabulary, comprehension, story structure, and inference—while also noticing how characters feel, how problems are solved, and how words can express what’s often hard to say. Your child will be invited to read aloud (if ready), discuss new ideas, and connect their own experiences to the story. This is also where emotional literacy meets language literacy—we use the book’s themes to inspire open-ended conversations, creative expression, and personalized learning that strengthens both reading ability and emotional insight.

This 1:1 experience blends SEL and literacy in a playful, personalized way—turning stories into life lessons, and creativity into calm, connection, and growth. One page, one feeling, one brushstroke at a time.

Big feelings often show up as big behaviors—and this class gently gets to the root through big books...lots of books! Through beautifully chosen stories and creative art, children learn to recognize what they’re feeling, express it safely, and build the emotional tools to respond with confidence. 

Each session is tailored to your child’s unique age, developmental needs, and interests. We use emotionally rich literature and open-ended creative activities to build emotional intelligence and early literacy.

Sample books we may like to explore together include:

~The Color Monster by Anna Llenas – emotional awareness through color and visuals
~Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang – validating “off” days and emotional honesty
~The Way I Feel by Janan Cain – expanding emotional vocabulary
~Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney – frustration, routine, and reconnection
~My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems – responding to others' emotions
~Llama Llama Time to Share – Anna Dewdney - Navigating the tough moment of sharing and setting boundaries

There are SO MANY MORE children's books that we can explore! Way too many to list here! Additionally, we HIGHLY encourage you to recommend or bring your favorite books into this class and conversation! 

Each story becomes a launchpad for reading and literacy skills development, emotional reflection, language development, and joyful self-expression through art.

Additional resources such as feelings cards, handouts, games, songs and videos related to SEL, literature and art may also be used as needed to support learning. 

We also bring the joy of music and movement into our sessions—because sometimes the best way to process big feelings is to wiggle, dance, or sing them out! Whether it’s a simple song that reinforces the theme of the day or a movement break to reset and re-energize, these playful moments add rhythm, joy, and connection to our time together. It’s all part of making learning feel fun, freeing, and full of heart. 🎶💃🧡

Let's Talk About the ART!
In this class, art is about process, not product. We don’t copy samples or aim for perfection—instead, we use our imaginations and take inspiration from the beautiful illustrations found in the books we read. Each story is full of visual wonder, color, and texture that can spark ideas and creative exploration. Whether we’re painting, collaging, molding, or mark-making, the goal is to express, not impress. Children are free to follow their instincts, experiment with materials, and make something that is truly their own—because that’s where the real growth happens.

🎨 Materials & Supplies
Art experiences in this class are flexible and designed to use simple materials you likely already have at home. Supplies will vary depending on the activity, but common items include crayons, markers, watercolor paints, glue sticks, scissors, construction paper, magazines for collage, or play dough. I’ll always let you know ahead of time what we’ll need for each session. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s joyful expression! Feel free to substitute materials based on what works best for your child and your space.

This class aims to help your child can grow into:
~An Emotion Explorer – Able to recognize, name, and express big feelings with confidence
~A Thoughtful Friend – Learning to understand others, show empathy, and navigate social moments with care
~A Story Seeker – Seeing books as mirrors of their own experiences and windows into others’ lives
~A Confident Communicator – Using words, art, and reflection to express thoughts and emotions clearly
~A Growing Reader – Strengthening comprehension, vocabulary, and language skills through meaningful connection
~A Self-Aware Learner – Gaining tools to reflect, regulate, and reconnect when emotions feel overwhelming

🛠️ Getting Started is Easy:
1. Enroll in a session that fits your schedule—this is a private, 1:1 ongoing class designed just for your child.

2. Complete a short parent intake form (I will send to you through Outschool)—quick to complete but full of valuable information regarding your child’s age, reading developmental level, interests, strengths, and any specific goals or challenges so I can tailor each session to meet them exactly where they are. 

3. After I have received your intake form, you will receive a reply message from me with a link to our first story --chosen based on the information you have shared in the intake form.

4. Feel free to view the story before we meet! Repetition is FABULOUS- these books are meant to be read again and again! 

5. Join our live session—we’ll connect, read, sing, move, reflect, and create in a warm, supportive space.

6. After the session, if you found the session valuable and would like to re-enroll, use the same class link and we'll be able to pick up exactly where we left off in the last class. Together, we'll choose a new book, a new topic and a new art creation to explore together!