Please adapt these questions when reading aloud to students. They will promote discussion and target SEL goals. 
1.    What is the main character thinking?
2.    What emotion is he/she/ they expressing?
3.    What SEL tool do you think he/she/ they could use?
  Make a deal
 Walk away
 Apologize
   Ignore
 Talk it out
 Go to another game/activity
   Tell them to stop
 Share and take turns
 Wait and cool off
  
4.    What do you predict will happen when they make that choice?
5.    Think about _______ from another character’s point of view? 
6.    Is this a big/medium/small problem? 
7.    Is it a glitch*? What would you do?
*Glitch: A small problem, a little unexpected situation that can be easily fixed if you stay calm.
8.    Is this an expected behavior*? 
*Expected behavior: behavior that most people do in a certain place or certain situation that follows the rules for that situation. For example: the expected behavior at the store is we make a line and pay for our groceries. We do not need a sign to tell us what to do it is the expected behavior for that situation.
9.    What are the hidden rules*?
*Hidden rules: Most situations have hidden rules in them which are the ways that people should behave in that situation and the rules aren’t said out loud or even taught to us directly. People usually don’t tell others the hidden rules for every situation but people are expected to figure them out.
10. Are they using flexible thinking or stuck thinking*?
*Flexible thinking: Can you think about this situation in a different way? Is it ok that they think differently than you? Yes!
*Stuck thinking: Stuck on your own ideas, thinking about only one thing one way. Stuck thinking leads to more difficult situations and can make people feel frustrated tense, mad or sad.
11. Is this character acting like a ‘Just me person*’? Is it ok for this situation? It’s ok when it doesn’t disrupt others.
*Just me person: Someone who thinks only about himself. It’s ok to be a just me person when it’s a time when you can do what you want and it doesn’t disrupt others.
11.What kind of reaction is that?  Big/ Small?  What should/would you do?
12.What strategy would you use in this situation?
Lazy 8 breathing

*From Kelso’s choices
Controlled Breathing: breathe in hold, breathe out, breathe in hold, breathe out.

13.Can you identify how the character is feeling?
Zones
Blue- Sad, Sick, Tired, Bored, Moving slowly, Hungry
Green- Happy, Calm, OK, Focused, Ready to learn, Relaxed
Yellow- Frustrated, Overwhelmed, Worried, Silly/excited, Loss of some control
Red- Mad or angry, Mean, Terrified, Yelling/ hitting, Out of control, Embarrassed

Items