NET Scheme News 2025 Spring issue 48

13 NET Scheme News Issue 48 I will never forget the day when my P5 teacher crumpled my English worksheet, demanding I redo it “properly”. That shameful moment didn’t just hinder my grammar learning — it made me dread English texts for years. Now I understand Allison Posey’s revelation: “Emotion networks are interconnected with cognitive networks... Emotions enable us to learn.” Neuroscience confirms that reading comprehension thrives when students feel emotionally secure. The hippocampus (memory) and amygdala (emotion) work in tandem — anxiety triggers stress responses that block learning, while positive engagement enhances retention. At CCC Kei Wan Primary School (Aldrich Bay), the journey of integrating social and emotional learning with reading instruction began with transformative professional development. The NET, Mr Chris North, and local English teachers implemented innovative strategies from the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Learning Hub cluster meetings, such as visual vocabulary exploration. Their Wizard of Oz unit used the TFAR model (Thoughts, Feelings, Actions, and Results) and STEAL framework (Speech, Thoughts, Effects, Actions, Looks) to deepen emotional connections with texts. This approach extended across year groups: P4 created family biographies after studying Amelia Earhart; P5 explored perseverance through Ruby’s Wish and empathy via gender equality texts; while P6 designed growth mindset posters and dramatic interpretations addressing prejudice. Building emotional connections starts with relatable content, for example, Hong Kong-themed stories or graphic novels for reluctant readers. Simple rituals like mindful breathing before reading or buddy systems foster confidence. Crucially, we value emotional responses as much as comprehension, regularly asking “How did this make you feel?” Reading becomes social and emotional learning when students analyse characters’ emotions, connect texts to their lives, and normalise reading struggles. As Posey notes,this means“designing environments for engaged learning” where stories become both mirrors of self and windows into others' experiences. I encourage all educators to: (1) include ‘emotion check-ins’; (2) model resilience by sharing personal reading challenges; and (3) select at least one text purely for joy. That fearful P5 student in me mirrors some of our students today. Through emotionally-aware teaching, we are not just creating skilled readers — we are nurturing lifelong readers who discover, as Posey suggests, that true learning happens when hearts and minds engage together. Reference Posey, A. (2019). Engage the Brain: How to Design for Learning that Taps into the Power of Emotion. ASCD:Alexandria, USA. Thanks to CCC Kei Wan Primary School (Aldrich Bay): Ms Wong Ching Man, Principal Ms Cally Leung, English Panel Chair Mr Chris North, NET Joey Venter, Advisory Teacher NET Section Feeling is Reading – Reading is Feeling: Creating Emotional Connections with English Texts Growth Mindset Posters designed by P6 students Social and Emotional Learning