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Words a child can read, say and use, each with a meaning in a child's words and a sentence to try.
For a classroom wall, a report, or a talk at bedtime.
48words · 12feelings · 16things to say · Updated · Run by Adrian Nutiu · PDF
Ages 4 to 6: first positive words 16
Short words a young child can say about themselves and their friends. Say the word when you see the child do it.
Twelve feelings for younger children, the pleasant ones and the hard ones. Every feeling is OK to name:
a child who can say "I feel frustrated" can be helped with the puzzle.
Happy
Feels good
Feeling good and glad inside.
I feel happy when my friends play with me.
Excited
Feels good
So happy about something that you can't sit still.
I feel excited the night before my birthday.
Calm
Feels good
Quiet and peaceful inside, with no worries.
I feel calm when I hug my teddy.
Proud
Feels good
Feeling good about something you did.
I feel proud when I finish a hard puzzle.
Loved
Feels good
Knowing someone cares about you a lot.
I feel loved when Grandma reads me a story.
Surprised
Feels good
Feeling it when something happens that you did not expect.
I felt surprised when my cousin came to visit.
Shy
Hard feeling
Feeling a bit nervous around people you don't know.
I feel shy on my first day in a new class.
Worried
Hard feeling
Thinking something bad might happen.
I feel worried when I can't find my mom in the store.
Scared
Hard feeling
Feeling afraid.
I feel scared when there is thunder.
Sad
Hard feeling
Feeling unhappy, sometimes like you want to cry.
I feel sad when my friend moves away.
Angry
Hard feeling
Feeling very cross when something is unfair or goes wrong.
I feel angry when someone breaks my tower.
Frustrated
Hard feeling
Feeling cross because something is too hard right now.
Worksheets for the words on this page, each with a worked example first and an answer key that says why. Print one for a class, or let a child answer on screen and check.
Match the meaning: ages 4 to 6
Ages 4 to 6 · 16 questions · answer key included
The 16 words on the ages 4 to 6 list, in two parts of eight: read the meaning, find the word.
Helpful · Doing things that make a job easier for someone.
"I was helpful and set the table for dinner."
Friendly · Kind and nice to be with.
"The friendly girl asked me to play."
Brave · Doing something even when it feels scary.
"I was brave at the dentist today."
Calm · Quiet and not upset inside.
"I take three slow breaths to feel calm."
Funny · Making people laugh.
"My funny uncle tells the best jokes."
Part B
Kind · Being nice and helping others.
"It was kind of you to help me up when I fell."
Caring · Looking after people and wanting them to be OK.
"My caring friend gave me her tissue when I cried."
Careful · Taking your time so nothing goes wrong.
"I am careful when I carry the fish bowl."
Cheerful · Happy and smiley, and it helps others feel happy too.
"Grandpa is always cheerful in the morning."
Sharing · Happy to let others use or have some of your things.
"My sharing friend let me use her crayons."
Proud · Feeling good about something you worked hard to do.
"I am proud of my drawing."
Polite · Using good manners, like please and thank you.
"I am polite when I ask for more juice."
Fair · Treating everyone the same way and taking turns.
"It is fair if everyone gets one go on the swing."
For teachers: Read each meaning aloud and let the child point to the word in the box; write it in for a child who is not writing yet. Then say the word's sentence together, and ask when they did it too.
Match the meaning: ages 7 to 9
Ages 7 to 9 · 16 questions · answer key included
The 16 words on the ages 7 to 9 list, in two parts of eight: read the meaning, find the word.
Curious · Wanting to find out how things work and why.
"I am curious about how bees make honey."
Honest · Telling the truth, even when it is hard.
"I was honest and said I broke the cup."
Patient · Waiting without getting cross.
"I was patient while Dad finished his phone call."
Creative · Good at making up new ideas and things.
"We made a creative costume out of boxes."
Generous · Happy to share and give to others.
"It was generous of you to share your snack."
Confident · Believing you can do it.
"I feel confident about my spelling test because I practiced."
Responsible · Doing the jobs you said you would do.
"I am responsible for watering the plants."
Joyful · Full of happiness.
"The joyful music made everyone dance."
Part B
Thoughtful · Thinking about what others need.
"It was thoughtful of you to make Grandma a card."
Respectful · Treating people and things with care.
"We are respectful and listen when others talk."
Determined · Not giving up until you get there.
"I was determined to ride my bike without help, and I did it."
Grateful · Thankful for what someone did or gave.
"I am grateful that my friend helped me find my shoe."
Loyal · Sticking by your friends.
"A loyal friend stays with you even when others walk away."
Hopeful · Believing something good can happen.
"I am hopeful that my plant will grow."
Imaginative · Good at making up stories, games and pictures in your head.
"My imaginative brother turned the sofa into a pirate ship."
Organized · Keeping things in order so you can find them.
"I am organized: my homework goes in the blue folder."
For teachers: Children can work alone or in pairs. When they finish, ask them to say each word's sentence, or write one of their own about something they did.
Match the meaning: ages 10 to 12
Ages 10 to 12 · 16 questions · answer key included
The 16 words on the ages 10 to 12 list, in two parts of eight: read the meaning, find the word.
Empathetic · Able to imagine how someone else feels.
"He was empathetic and knew his friend felt left out."
Dependable · Someone others can count on, every time.
"Ali is dependable: he feeds the class fish every Friday."
Diligent · Working carefully and steadily until the job is done.
"She was diligent and checked every answer twice."
Resilient · Able to bounce back after something goes wrong.
"He was resilient: he lost the race and signed up for the next one."
Optimistic · Expecting good things to happen.
"I am optimistic that our team will play well."
Humble · Not showing off, even when you are good at something.
"She scored three goals and stayed humble, thanking her team."
Inquisitive · Always asking questions to find out more.
"Our inquisitive class asked the firefighter twenty questions."
Sincere · Meaning what you say.
"His sorry was sincere, and he fixed the tower he knocked over."
Part B
Considerate · Thinking about how other people feel before you act.
"It was considerate of you to whisper while the baby slept."
Compassionate · Feeling for someone who is hurting, and wanting to help.
"She was compassionate when the new boy missed his old school, and showed him around."
Trustworthy · Someone people can trust to tell the truth and keep a secret.
"She is trustworthy, so the teacher gave her the classroom key."
Persistent · Trying again and again until it works.
"I was persistent with my puzzle and finished it on the fifth day."
Independent · Able to do things by yourself.
"I am independent and pack my own school bag."
Enthusiastic · Excited about something and showing it.
"Our class was enthusiastic about the museum trip."
Courageous · Very brave, even when it is hard or you might lose.
"It was courageous to tell the teacher what really happened."
Tolerant · Accepting people who are different from you.
"We are tolerant of each other's ideas, even when we disagree."
For teachers: Several of these words are close neighbors. When a child picks a near miss, ask what the difference is: the sentences in the answer key show each word at work.
Choose the word that fits
Mostly words from the ages 7 to 9 list · 11 questions · answer key included
Eleven sentences with a gap and three words to choose from. In most of them two words fit, and the answer key says why.
Honest fits best: saying you broke the cup is telling the truth when it is hard. Sincere works too, because it means meaning what you say. Energetic means full of energy, and owning up is about the truth, not energy.
gentle or careful
Gentle fits best: soft hands, so the chicks do not get hurt. Careful works too: taking your time so nothing goes wrong. Outgoing means happy to talk to new people, which holding a chick does not need.
curious or inquisitive
Curious and inquisitive both mean wanting to find out more, so both are right. Inquisitive also says you keep asking questions. Polite means using good manners, and the sentence is about wanting to know.
patient
Patient: waiting without getting cross is exactly what the child did. Daring means ready to try something a bit scary, and lively means full of energy and fun; neither is about waiting.
grateful or thankful
Grateful and thankful both mean glad about what someone did for you, so both are right. Zippy means fast and full of energy, which says nothing about the friend's help.
creative or imaginative
Creative and imaginative both fit: making a costume out of boxes takes new ideas. Loyal means sticking by your friends, and a costume cannot do that.
organized or neat
Organized fits best: keeping things in order so you can find them. Neat works too: tidy, with everything in its place. Joyful means full of happiness, and the folder is about order.
dependable or responsible
Dependable and responsible both fit: Ali does his job every week, so others can count on him. Zany means silly in a funny, surprising way, and the sentence is about doing a job every time.
determined or persistent
Determined fits best: not giving up until you get there. Persistent works too: trying again and again until it works. Merry means happy and cheerful at a party, which says nothing about not giving up.
helpful or kind
Helpful fits best: setting the table makes the job easier for someone. Kind works too, because helping others is kind. Quirky means a little unusual in a fun way, and setting the table is not unusual.
generous or kind
Generous fits best: happy to share and give to others. Kind works too. Quick means fast at doing or thinking, and sharing a snack is about giving, not speed.
For teachers: In most questions two of the three words fit. Ask the child which one they would choose and why: a reason that matches the word's meaning is a right answer, even when it is not the word the sentence was written for.
Your own words as a worksheet: add them to Your list with the + beside a word in the A to Z lists or on its own page, then open Your list and choose Make a worksheet. It is made in your browser, with the answer key on the last page.
The ages are this page's own word lists, a guide for choosing a sheet, not a school grade or reading level.
Name hunt: a positive word for every letter
Type a name and get a positive word for each of its letters, with what it means. A letter that comes twice gets a new word.
AArtisticGood at drawing, painting or making things look nice.
Type a name to see a positive word for each letter.
Few positive words a child knows start with X or Y, so most of their words here hold the letter inside: eXcited, plaYful.
Questions people ask
What are positive words for kids?
Words a child can understand and use about themselves and others: happy, kind, brave, gentle, helpful and friendly for young children, and curious, honest, patient and creative as they grow. Each has a meaning in a child's words and a sentence to try.
Words for what the child does: kind, curious, determined, helpful. Name the moment too ("you kept trying at the puzzle"), so the child knows what the word means. Each character trait page has a ready line for a report card.
Lines that name what the child did: "You kept going, even when it got hard." "Thank you for helping without being asked." "It's OK to feel nervous. You can be nervous and brave at the same time." There are 16 on this page, for effort, kindness, mistakes and new things.
One word at a time, tied to something the child did. Put up a word of the week, say it out loud when you see it, and let children give each other compliment cards. The three activities here each come with a sheet to print.
Yes: 4 free worksheets. Match the meaning for ages 4 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12, and a "choose the word that fits" sheet where two words often fit. Each opens with a worked example and ends with an answer key that says why, and a child can also answer on screen and check.