The Color Monster

Companion

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The Color Monster Companion
Read Aloud and Activity for Social Emotional Learning
About
Interactive read alouds are a perfect way to address social emotional learning in the classroom. The
Color Monster by Anna Llenas is a wonderful book that shows children that we all have lots of
different feelings and all those feelings are okay. The book introduces basic emotions (anger, sad,
happy, fear, and calm) and opens up an opportunity for students to consider how they experience all
their emotions.

This resource is great for classroom teachers, school counselors, or other school staff looking to target
social emotional skills during academic blocks. To get the most out of a read aloud, push students to
think about and make personal connections to the book. Focus on the questions that meet your
objectives and are tailored to your students.

Engagement Strategies
• Story Introduction: Tell the students what the book is about, even tell them the ending.
• Think Aloud: Model for students what you are thinking while reading.
• Stop and Jot: Have students stop and write down their thoughts about events in the book.
• Summarize - Use a summary sheet where students quickly tell what happened in the book.
• Integrate Vocabulary Definitions - As you read, provide a synonym or definition for unfamiliar
vocabulary.
• Make Connections - Help students make connections between the text and themselves and the
world they know.
• Ask Why Question at the End - Ask a question that requires students to make an inference that
connects several story events together.

What’s Included
• Interactive Read Aloud Guide
• Sticky Note Comprehension Questions (with directions for printing)
• Feelings Jar Activity - Students make connections to their own feelings.
• Feelings Sort - Students identify feelings based on how the monster is acting or what happened.
• My Color Monster Paper - use this to continue conversations about identifying and sorting
feelings.

© Social Emotional Workshop

Read Aloud and Activity: The Color Monster
Introduce the Lesson
Time: 3 Minutes. Materials: The Color Monster by Anna
Llenas Social Emotional Learning Standards
“There are lots of different feelings. We can feel happy or 1. Recognizes and accurately names
sad or angry or scared. All those feelings are okay and feelings.
happen to everyone. Can you name some feelings? What 2. Identifies and communicates a
about a time your felt __________?” feeling.
3. Identifies feelings related to
Group Activity (Interactive Read Aloud): situations/events.
Time: 10 minutes. Materials: The Color Monster by Anna
Llenas, Questions (Sticky Notes or 1-Pager), Vocabulary Read Aloud Preparation
Words. 1. Number pages for easy reference.
• Introduce the Story:“In this story we are going to meet a 2. Read text several times before.
monster who is feeling confused. His feelings are all 3. Apply sticky notes to book or use
jumble up. There is a girl in the story who is going to help 1-page comprehension
the monster sort all his feelings and make sense of how he questions.
feels.” 4. Consider your specific students’
• Refer to Read Aloud Guide for comprehension questions. needs and skills in relation to the
Choose three to five questions based on the standards and standards and questions
your academic objectives. You do not need to include provided. Change the type of
every question. You can also read the book more than question or script.
once, asking different questions each time. 5. Print house sheet if you want to
create an anchor chart.
Independent Activity (Feelings Jar):
Time: 5-7 minutes Materials: Feelings Jar Activities
1. Have the student (s) pick a feeling from the book or There is one main activity, Feeling
another one they know about. They write down the Jars, included as well as an
additional sorting activity you can
feeling, when they feel this way, and what they do when
use to follow-up or extend the
they feel this way. lesson.
2. If students aren’t writing yet, you can use the second
page and have the students draw themselves when they Depending on your student(s), you
feel a certain emotion. may not use some of the materials,
and you may have to modify others.

Supplemental Activities
Materials: Feelings Sort & Color Monster Page
• Feelings Sort - Have the students read the monster cards
and decide which feeling the monster has.
• BONUS Color Monster Page

© Social Emotional Workshop

Interactive Read Aloud

Printable Sticky Notes

Introduce the Lesson

Time: 3 Minutes. Materials: The Color Monster by Anna Llenas
“There are lots of different feelings. We can feel happy or sad or angry or scared. All those feelings
are okay and happen to everyone. Can you name some feelings? What about a time your felt
__________?”

Group Activity (Interactive Read Aloud):

Time: 10 minutes. Materials: The Color Monster by Anna Llenas, Questions (Sticky Notes or 1-Pager),
Vocabulary Words.
• Introduce the Story:“In this story we are going to meet a monster who is feeling confused. His
feelings are all jumble up. There is a girl in the story who is going to help the monster sort all his
feelings and make sense of how he feels.”
• Refer to Read Aloud Guide for comprehension questions. Choose three to five questions based on
the standards and your academic objectives. You do not need to include every question. You can
also read the book more than once, asking different questions each time.

Printing on Sticky Notes

1. Print Sticky Note Template Page (page of blank squares).
2. Place sticky notes on the squares with adhesive end down and
facing the top of the page. VERY IMPORTANT!
3. Feed manually into your printer according to its settings. Some
printers flip the page, others print directly. Try a test page
before you add stickies to make sure.
4. Enjoy the amazingness of printable sticky notes.

© Social Emotional Workshop

Interactive Read Aloud: The Color Monster
Comprehension Questions

Pg 1-2 - Color Monster Confused Page 19-20: Anger

Think Aloud Think Pair Share
Hmm I wonder why the color monster is all Take a minute to think of something that makes
confused. He is so many different colors. I your anger go away. Turn and tell your partner.
wonder if color monsters are usually so many
different colors. Page 21-22: Vocab (Fear)
Another word for fear is scared or afraid.
Page 3-4: Vocab (Jumbled) Everyone feels scared sometimes. What are
What does she mean when she says that his some things that might make someone scared?
emotions are all jumbled up?
Page 25-26: Calm
Pg 5-6: Sorting Emotions Text to Self
Predict Close your eyes, take a deep breath in and out.
She is going to help him sort all his emotions. Feel yourself get calm like leaves swaying in the
What emotions do you think the color monster wind.
has?
Page 28-29: Feelings Sorted
Pg 9-10: Happy Think Aloud
Turn & Talk I’m sure The Color Monster feels better knowing
Happy is a feeling we all know. Turn to your that he knows about all his different feelings.
partner and tell them a time you felt happy.
Page 30-31: Love
Page 11-12: Happy Predict
Stop & Jot What feeling do you think The Color Monster is
Write or draw what you do when you are happy. feeling now?

Page 13-16: Sad

Think Aloud/Text to Self Vocabulary
I remember a time I felt sad and it was like a Happiness: cheerful, glad
rainy day. (Insert personal connection). Anger: mad, furious, enraged
Calm: peaceful, chill
Page 17-18: Anger Sadness: down, depressed,
Think Aloud Fear: scared, terrified, fearful, afraid
Sometimes when I’m angry everything can feel Jumbled: mixed up
unfair. It’s hard to make anger go away. Courage: bravery, being daring.
Swaying: movings slowly back and forth

© Social Emotional Workshop

© Social Emotional Workshop
The Color Monster The Color Monster

Pg 1-2: Think Aloud Pg 9-10 (Happy): Turn & Talk

Hmm I wonder why the color Happy is a feeling we all know.

monster is all confused. He is so Turn to your partner and tell them
many different colors. I wonder if a time you felt happy.
color monsters are usually so many
different colors.

The Color Monster The Color Monster

pg 3-4 (Jumbled): Vocab Page 11-12 (Happy): Stop & Jot

What does she mean when she Write or draw what you do when
says that his emotions are all you are happy.
jumbled up?

The Color Monster The Color Monster

Pg 5-6 (Sorting Feelings): Page 13-16 (Sad): Think Aloud/

Predict Text to Self

She is going to help him sort all his I remember a time I felt sad and it
emotions. What emotions do you was like a rainy day. (Insert
think the color monster has? personal connection).

© Social Emotional Workshop

The Color Monster The Color Monster

Page 17–18 (Anger): Page 25-26 (Calm): Text to

Think Aloud Self

Sometimes when I’m angry Close your eyes, take a deep

everything can feel unfair. It’s hard breath in and out. Feel yourself get
to make anger go away. calm like leaves swaying in the
wind.

The Color Monster The Color Monster

Page 19-20 (Anger): Page 28-29 (Feelings Sorted):

Think Pair Share Think Aloud

Take a minute to think of I’m sure The Color Monster feels

something that makes your anger better knowing that he knows
go away. Turn and tell your partner. about all his different feelings.

The Color Monster The Color Monster

Page 21-22 (Fear): Page 30-31 (Love):

Vocab Predict

Another word for fear is scared or What feeling do you think The
afraid. Everyone feels scared Color Monster is feeling now?
sometimes. What are some things
that might make someone scared?

© Social Emotional Workshop

Feelings Jars Activity

For this activity, you have a couple options:

1. Have the student (s) pick a feeling from the book or another one they know about. They write down
the feeling, when they feel this way, and what they do when they feel this way.
2. If students aren’t writing yet, you can use the second page and have the students draw themselves
when they feel a certain emotion.

© Social Emotional Workshop

 FEELINGS JAR
Answer the questions and color the jar. Use the color you think matches the feeling.

What feeling is in the jar?

When do you feel this way?

What do you do when you feel this way?

© Social Emotional Workshop

 FEELINGS JAR
Answer the questions and color the jar. Use the color you think matches the feeling.

© Social Emotional Workshop

Feelings Sort

Feelings Sort
For this activity, have the students read a card and decide which emotion the monster is feelings. Each
of the cards describes either something someone does when they feel a certain way or something that
might make them feel that way.

A sorting page is provided to put the cards on.

© Social Emotional Workshop

Help the Monster Help the Monster Help the Monster

The monster is smiling Today is the monster’s The monster is line leader
and laughing. birthday! for the week.

Help the Monster Help the Monster Help the Monster

The monster is crying. The monster lost his The monster is sick and
favorite toy. can’t go on the field trip.

Help the Monster Help the Monster Help the Monster

The monster is kicking Someone called the The monster dropped her
things and yelling. monster names at recess. science project and it is
ruined.

© Social Emotional Workshop

Help the Monster Help the Monster Help the Monster

The monster is hiding It’s dark and the monster The monster saw a snake.
under her blankets. heard a loud sound.

Help the Monster Help the Monster Help the Monster

The monster is taking The monster is laying on The monster is doing
deep breaths. the beach. yoga.

Help the Monster Help the Monster Help the Monster

© Social Emotional Workshop

 Feelings Sort

Anger Fear

Sadness

Happiness Calm

© Social Emotional Workshop

The Color
Monster

© Social Emotional Workshop

Art and Font Credits
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these license restrictions, buyers of my products are not permitted to reproduce or reuse any of the
graphics from this product.

Click icons to view these designers’ work.

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