BSEL Library: Getting The wiggles out with "It's Hard to be a Verb"

As a teacher of students with challenging behaviors, this book has always been a favorite in my classroom! Even just the title "It's Hard to be a Verb" helped some of my students feel seen and understood; it is just plain hard to sit still and control your body when you are full of energy. What I love about this book as a teacher, though, is that 

"It's Hard to be a Verb" by Julia Cook gives students practical strategies to channel their energy in productive ways. ​

The story of Louis is one that many of our antsy students will see themselves in. He knows that he is a verb - someone who is always doing something - but "most of the time, I end up doing the wrong 'something.'" It's a great story that actually teaches students what to do when they get stuck in the same rut as Louis. Here's what I love, some notes to consider, and how you can use this book in your classroom.

What I love: 
- Louis describes many scenarios at home, school, and the community where he finds it hard to be a verb. He forgets things, must constantly be moving, and struggles with impulse control. This will help students identify various places they have difficulty too!
- Louis also describes what his body feels like before he "does the wrong something." He models for students how to identify when your body is starting to feel out of control, a skill our students need!
- When Louis has difficulty, he is often told to sit still or just focus - something our students likely hear often from the adults in their lives. However, eventually Louis mom realizes he needs to LEARN how to sit still and focus! Cue explicit behavioral instruction: She gives him proactive strategies to use, like a focus squishy, a nag board, a star chart, and the advice to "Wiggle them first so they don't make you burst." All of these strategies can be used in your classroom too.

Notes to consider:

• This book is long and might be best broken into smaller chunks over a few days - especially if you're working with students who have trouble focusing! The instruction comes at the end, so know that the first couple days with the book might be mostly identifying problem spots for students, before you get to the replacements later.
• Often when we talk about fidgety students, the focus is on boys. But girls can be verbs too! If you're going to read this with students, especially those with ADHD or executive functioning needs, I recommend explicitly highlighting what it might be like for your girls who feel like verbs also.

How to use this in your classroom:
Read it individually with a student who struggles with sitting still, focusing, or executive functioning skills. Identify what it feels like for them when they're body needs to move, situations that are difficult to manage, and strategies to help them focus. You can even link it to their individualized behavior plan, for students who have challenging behaviors like calling out, playing during work time, or frequently getting out of their seat to move about the room.
Read it with a group or class as a unit of instruction. I recommend breaking the book down into 4 or 5 days, wherever you fit in your BSEL instruction - morning meeting, closing circle, center instruction, etc. As students identify strategies that work for them when they feel like a verb, begin incorporating those into the day. Maybe students can create focus kits, or it can inform your decisions to add movement breaks at strategic times of day.

Our students who are verbs are just like Louis - they want to do their best but just sometimes find it hard! "It's Hard to be a Verb" provides an empathetic space for students and teachers to work together to identify just what students struggle with and strategies we can implement to help us do our best.

We already know books provide opportunities to teach just about any skill, and that includes behavioral, social, and emotional skills, too! Through character, conflict, and more, BSEL skills can be found on nearly every page. A library of BSEL books gives you endless options to incorporate academics as well. Grab some BSEL books and get teaching! ***This post contains affiliate links. Braving BSEL makes a small commission when you purchase using our links. Thank you for your support!***