Literacy and social emotional skills are two pillars of early education. My new book, Alphabuddies: G is First is a funny picture book that can easily be integrated into early education classroom lesson plans. Reading this book during classroom story time leads to powerful discussions about both behavior and literacy.

Schools, parents, and kids have just come through several years of interrupted learning due to Covid. This has made things hard for educators in lots of ways. 

Two of the main issues that educators are grappling with in many early learning classrooms are (1) large gaps in students’ social and emotional skills and (2) the pressure to meet strict literacy standards within a limited timeframe.

None of this is easy! But there is something that can help. Books. Specifically multipurpose books that incorporate both cognitive and social emotional skills. 

My new picture book, co-authored with Karen Kane, is a great tool to teach both social emotional and literacy skills. 

Alphabuddies: G is First (from HarperCollins, launch date July 4, 2023) is a picture book in panels. In this story, the letter G wants to go first in the alphabet. The letter A does not want to give up that coveted spot. In an attempt to convince G not to disrupt the order of the alphabet, A ends up saying that any change means reading will be destroyed. That’s a pretty hefty consequence. The letter Z is afraid. But G is willing to go for it and see what happens. 

The social emotional concepts that this book addresses include self-regulation, waiting, and self-expression. Taking turns, taking risks… all these things are great jumping off points for a classroom discussion. 

But not only does Alphabuddies: G is First give teachers a great introduction to group dynamics, it also contains literacy concepts—alphabet recognition, alphabet order, and letter comparison. Some of the important, fundamental concepts that kids need to think about when learning to read. 

Alphabuddies: G is First can easily be integrated into early education classroom lesson plans that allow students to practice both literacy and social emotional skills.

Alphabuddies: G is First  by Beth Bacon and Karen Kane, illustrated by Eric Barclay launches from HarperCollins on July 4, 2023.