Morning Check-In Magic

Emory Read

Tier 3

Lesson Plan

Sunny Check-In Lesson Plan

Students will learn to identify and express their current feelings using visual emotion cards and establish a simple Check In/Check Out routine to start and end their day with awareness and calm.

Teaching a consistent Check In/Check Out routine helps preschoolers recognize emotions early, supports self-regulation, reduces challenging behaviors, and builds confidence in making positive choices.

Audience

Pre-K

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Model with visuals, guide practice, and reinforce steps.

Materials

Emotion Expression Cards, - Check In/Check Out Visual Guide, and - Feelings Sticker Tokens

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Review the set of Emotion Expression Cards
Print and laminate the Check In/Check Out Visual Guide
Gather a pouch of Feelings Sticker Tokens
Familiarize yourself with each step in the Check In/Check Out routine

Step 1

Warm-Up and Introduce

2 minutes

Greet the child warmly and invite them to sit in a cozy corner.
Tell them: “Today we’re going to learn a fun routine to tell how we feel!”

Step 2

Label Emotions

3 minutes

Show the Emotion Expression Cards one by one.
Name each feeling (happy, sad, excited, mad).
Ask the child to point to the card that shows how they feel right now.

Step 3

Model Check In

4 minutes

Display the Check In/Check Out Visual Guide.
Verbally walk through each step:
1. “I look at my feelings card.”
2. “I say what I feel.”
3. “I place a sticker on my feeling.”
Demonstrate with your own feeling and place a Feelings Sticker Token.

Step 4

Practice Check In

3 minutes

Invite the child to do the Check In with your support.
Prompt them through each step of the Check In/Check Out Visual Guide.
Provide praise for naming and placing their sticker correctly.

Step 5

Explain Check Out Routine

2 minutes

Show that at the end of the day they will use the same routine to “check out.”
Emphasize: “We do Check In in the morning and Check Out at the end to share how our day went.”

Step 6

Closing Praise and Token Reward

1 minute

Praise the child for participating: “Great job using your Check In!”
Give an extra Feelings Sticker Token as a reward.
Encourage them to practice tomorrow morning.

Lesson Plan

Morning Check-In Plan

Students will identify and express their current feelings using visual emotion cards, practice a simple Check-In routine with sticker tokens, and understand they’ll use the same process to Check-Out at day’s end.

Launching the day with a structured Check-In builds self-awareness, reduces challenging behaviors, and reinforces positive choices, helping preschoolers feel supported and ready.

Audience

Pre-K

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Model with visuals, guide practice, and reinforce steps.

Materials

Emotion Expression Cards, Check In/Check Out Visual Guide, and Feelings Sticker Tokens

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Review the set of Emotion Expression Cards
Print and laminate the Check In/Check Out Visual Guide
Gather a pouch of Feelings Sticker Tokens
Familiarize yourself with each step of the Check-In/Check-Out routine

Step 1

Warm-Up and Introduce

2 minutes

Greet the child warmly and invite them to sit in a cozy spot.
Explain: “Today, we're going to share how we feel and learn a routine to help us have a great day!”

Step 2

Label Emotions

3 minutes

Show each card from Emotion Expression Cards and name the feeling (happy, sad, excited, mad).
Ask the child to point to the card that matches their current feeling.

Step 3

Model Check-In

4 minutes

Display the Check In/Check Out Visual Guide.
Verbally walk through each step:
1. “I look at my feeling card.”
2. “I name my feeling.”
3. “I place a Feelings Sticker Token on my card.”
Demonstrate with your chosen emotion and place a token.

Step 4

Practice Check-In

3 minutes

Invite the child to follow the Guide:
1. Pick your feeling card.
2. Tell me what you feel.
3. Place your sticker token.
Provide praise: “Great job naming your feeling!”

Step 5

Explain Check-Out Routine

2 minutes

Show that at the end of the day we’ll use the same steps to “check out.”
Emphasize: “This helps us share how our day was and feel proud of our choices.”

Step 6

Closing Praise and Reflection

1 minute

Praise the child: “You did great sharing your feeling!”
Ask: “How do you feel now compared to before?”
Encourage: “Try this routine tomorrow and we’ll talk about it at the end of the day.”

Slide Deck

Welcome to Check-In Time!

Good morning! Today we have a fun routine to share how we feel and prepare for a great day together.

Greet the child warmly and set a positive tone. Explain why we’re checking in: to share feelings and start the day feeling good.

How Are You Feeling Today?

Point to the card that shows your feeling right now:
• Happy
• Sad
• Excited
• Mad

Hold up each Emotion Expression Card and name the feeling aloud. Encourage the child to point.

3 Easy Check-In Steps

Look at your feeling card.
Name your feeling out loud.
Place a Feelings Sticker Token on your card.

Show the Check In/Check Out Visual Guide. Walk through each step slowly, modeling with your own feeling and placing a token.

Let’s Practice Together

Pick the card that matches your feeling.
Tell me what you feel.
Stick your token on the card.
Great job!

Guide the child through each step, giving praise at each point. Physically hand them a token when it’s time to stick it.

And Don’t Forget Check-Out!

We’ll use the same 3 steps at home time:

Look
Name
Sticker
This helps us feel proud of our choices.

Explain that at the end of the day they’ll follow the same steps to “check out” and share how their day went.

You Did It!

Amazing job sharing your feeling!
How do you feel now compared to before?
Can’t wait to try this again tomorrow!

Celebrate the child’s participation. Ask a simple reflection question to encourage self-awareness.

Worksheet

Emotion Expression Cards

Print and cut out each card along the dotted lines. Use these cards during your Check-In routine to help children point to and name how they feel.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
HAPPY
☺️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
SAD
☹️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
EXCITED
😃
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
MAD
😠
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Reading

Check-In Visual Guide

Use these 3 simple steps every morning (and again at the end of the day) to share how you feel and start or end your day with pride!

1. Look 👀

Grab your Emotion Expression Cards.
Take a close look at each face.
Find the card that shows how you feel right now.

2. Name 🗣️

Say the feeling word out loud.
Try one of these sentences:
- “I feel happy.”
- “I feel sad.”
- “I feel excited.”
- “I feel mad.”

3. Sticker 🏷️

Choose a Feelings Sticker Token.
Place your sticker on the card you picked.
Celebrate: “Great job sharing my feeling!”

✨ Remember:
• Do these same 3 steps at the end of the day to Check-Out and tell how your day went.
• You’re practicing self-awareness and making great choices each time!

Activity

Feelings Sticker Tokens

Print this sheet on sticker paper or cardstock. Cut along the dotted lines to create your own feelings tokens.
Use these tokens when you Check-In and Check-Out to mark how you feel!

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

⭐	😊	⭐	😊	⭐	😊
⭐	😊	⭐	😊	⭐	😊
⭐	😊	⭐	😊	⭐	😊
⭐	😊	⭐	😊	⭐	😊
⭐	😊	⭐	😊	⭐	😊
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Tips:

Use a hole punch or scissors to cut on the dotted lines.
You can also stick these directly if you have sticker paper.
Save extras for when you need an extra token reward!