Feeling Words: A Little or A Lot?
Eight feeling words sorted by size: four that name a small feeling, and four that name a big one.
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0/8 sorted
How to run it
Read each word aloud and use it in a short sentence before the student places it, so the meaning is clear. After sorting, match the pairs: which a lot word goes with annoyed? Then ask for a time the student felt a little and a time they felt a lot of the same feeling. Their own examples make the difference stick far better than definitions.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentSet up the situation and wait for the student to respond on their own.Log as correct
- Nonverbal cueUse a look, a gesture or a point to the visual cue card.Log as cued
- Indirect promptAsk 'What could you say now?' or 'What might they be thinking?'Log as cued
- ModelShow what to say or do, then run the moment again so the student can try it.Log as cued
Adjust it
Work with one pair at a time, such as annoyed and furious, and act out the difference.
Add a middle word to each pair, such as annoyed, angry and furious, and use each one in a sentence.
Matching IEP goal
Given feeling words, Student will sort them by how strong a feeling they name and use one in a sentence about their own experience in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than an indirect prompt.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Eight feeling words in four pairs, each pair naming the same family of feeling at two sizes: annoyed and furious, nervous and terrified, pleased and thrilled, disappointed and heartbroken. The student sorts each word into a little or a lot. Having a word for the size of a feeling lets a student say exactly how they feel and understand how strongly someone else feels.
What to listen for
Notice whether the student sorts by meaning or by how a word sounds. Disappointed is a long word but a smaller feeling than heartbroken. Listen for whether the student can explain the difference in their own words. Students who use only angry or sad for every strength of feeling are the ones who gain most from this board.
Carrying it home
At home, try a feelings thermometer: when a feeling comes up, ask how big it is and find a word that fits. Share your own, such as I was a little annoyed about the traffic but not furious. Using the words in real moments is how they become usable vocabulary rather than test answers.
What's in this activity
- A little
- A lot
Questions
- Who is this for?
- Students in grades 3 through 6 building nuanced emotion vocabulary, including students who describe every feeling with the same few words.
- Can I change the items?
- Yes. Open it in the Activity Studio, edit or add items and keep the same board, or switch it to another template that fits the content.
- Is it free?
- Yes. It plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.