Core Skills Analysis
Social-Emotional Learning
Olivia took part in a support-worker session focused on grief and received support as Olivia worked through feelings connected with the experience. The session gave Olivia an opportunity to recognize and express emotions in a supportive setting. Olivia learned that feelings related to grief can be shared and that asking for support is one way to care for emotional well-being. This experience supported Olivia’s growing ability to notice feelings and engage with them.
Health and Well-Being
Olivia participated in a conversation and support activity centered on emotional health during grief. By receiving support through the session, Olivia engaged with the idea that well-being includes attending to emotional needs as well as physical ones. Olivia learned that a trusted support worker can help someone navigate difficult feelings. The session also reinforced the value of seeking connection when coping with loss.
Communication
During the session, Olivia had a supported opportunity to communicate about feelings related to grief. Engaging with a support worker helped Olivia practice sharing personal emotions in a caring conversation. Olivia learned that talking about feelings can help make them easier to understand and that supportive listening can be part of communication. This experience developed Olivia’s confidence in using conversation to seek emotional support.
Tips
Tips Continue exploring grief gently and at Olivia’s pace. Invite Olivia to create an emotions map using colors, words, or symbols to show how feelings may change over time, and offer a private journal or drawing space for reflection. Read a suitable story together and discuss how characters respond to loss, emphasizing that people can feel differently. If Olivia would find it helpful, plan a simple remembrance activity—such as sharing a meaningful story or making a keepsake—with support from a trusted adult.
Book Recommendations
- The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers: A picture book about loss, emotional protection, and finding a way to reconnect with feelings.
- The Invisible String by Patrice Karst: A reassuring story about connection and the enduring bonds between people, including during separation.
- The Grieving Child: A Parent's Guide by Helen Fitzgerald: A practical guide for adults supporting children and teens through grief.
Try This Next
- Emotions map: draw or choose colors to represent feelings Olivia wants to explore.
- Reflection prompt: “What helps me feel supported when emotions are difficult?”
- Story discussion: identify how a character experiences loss and what support they receive.
- Remembrance activity: create a drawing or keepsake inspired by a meaningful memory.