Professor’s New Book Focuses on Critical Literacy for Socio-emotional Learning

Smita Guha, Ph.D., Professor, Fulbright Scholar, and Chairperson in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in The School of Education at St. John’s University, is the author of a new book, Critical Literacy for Socio-emotional Learning: Empowering Teachers to Write Children’s Literature.

Who or what motivated you to write this book at this particular point in time?

My students motivated me to write this book. I gave an assignment to create a children’s book that addressed family, school, or community. After the class ended and they received their grades, I shared my proposal and asked for their consent to include their books. Those who signed the consent form and sent a digital copy of their books were included. I also spoke to the late Brett Elizabeth Blake, Ph.D., about my plan, and she encouraged me to submit a proposal to the Peter Lang Group. 

What is the most significant challenge currently facing critical literacy for socio-emotional learning, and in what ways does your book address this challenge?

Mental health issues among children are a significant challenge. Social-emotional learning has a long-term positive impact on children’s mental health. School closures and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic aggravated distress, anxiety, and depression among children. Since schools often have limited resources, innovative and effective approaches are necessary to address children’s mental health needs.

It is important to focus on critical literacy so that children can receive socio-emotional learning. However, children’s books that address socio-emotional development are limited. Many children face challenges in getting along with peers, developing self-esteem, or coping with bullying. Because teachers interact with students regularly, it can be effective to encourage teachers to write children’s books tailored to their students’ needs.

This book provides a framework for teachers to write books after observing the socio-emotional needs of their students. It also includes examples of books created by preservice and in-service teachers. These books were pilot tested with children, involved families, and were developed into audio formats to ensure inclusion for all learners.

The major interlocutor of this book is assessing children’s socio-emotional needs, posing a problem, and providing solutions through literacy. A key feature of the book is its approach, which enables teachers to identify challenges and address them by writing children’s books that support both literacy and socio-emotional development.

What is the central message conveyed by your book?

The central message is to empower teachers to write children’s books for their students, as they interact with students daily and are well-positioned to identify their needs. By doing so, teachers can integrate literacy with socio-emotional learning in ways that are meaningful and responsive to their classroom contexts.

If you could ensure that every reader gains one specific insight from your book, what would that insight be?

The key insight is understanding how to create a children’s book that addresses socio-emotional needs. The book provides practical guidance so that teachers can transform classroom observations into meaningful literacy resources for their students.

In what ways does your book challenge the prevailing approaches within socio-emotional learning?

A review of online resources showed that many approaches to social-emotional learning focus on programs, surveys, or structured frameworks (e.g., Navigate 360, PowerSchool). While these approaches are valuable, this book emphasizes teacher-created children’s literature as a practical and context-responsive strategy.

Research also highlights the role of children’s literature in promoting well-being and global development (Pulimeno, Piscitelli, & Colazzo, 2020). This book extends that perspective by providing a structured process for teachers to develop their own socio-emotional learning materials based on classroom observations.

• (2025, August 21). The complete guide to social-emotional learning.
  https://navigate360.com/the-complete-guide-to-emotional-learning/
• (n.d.). Social-emotional learning with Performance Matters.
  https://www.powerschool.com/social-emotional-learning-with-performance-matters/
• Pulimeno, M., Piscitelli, P., & Colazzo, S. (2020). Children’s literature to promote students' global development and well-being. Health promotion perspectives, 10(1), 13–23. https://doi.org/10.15171/hpp.2020.05

The School of Education congratulates Dr. Guha on the release of her new book, now available worldwide.  We anticipate another book from her in the near future, as she continues to advance multiple exciting projects.