Graphs are stories; title them.

Think of a graph as a comic strip of your feelings and days: a line that goes up, dips down, and climbs again. As teachers, we can show kids that every line tells a story, and the first step to understanding that story is giving it a title. When a child draws a week of feelings or a timeline of an event, asking them to name the whole picture is a tiny, powerful habit. A title pulls the pieces together, helps us remember what mattered most, and makes the ups and downs feel like part of something that has meaning, not just chaos. I tell my students that a title is like the spine of a book — it doesn't erase hard parts, but it helps you carry them and understand how they fit into your life.

Start in simple, playful ways: have children draw a line for how their morning, school day, or week felt, then ask, "If this were a story, what would you call it?" Short, concrete titles work best for young writers: "The Week I Learned to Breathe," "A Rainy Tuesday That Turned Sunny," or "Two Steps Back, Three Steps Forward." Naming gives kids a voice about their experience. It lets them step back and say, "This is what my story looks like," which can make big feelings feel smaller and more understandable. As teachers, we can model our own titled graphs too — showing that adults have ups and downs and that we name them to learn from them.

Here are some starter titles children can borrow or remix: - "The Mountain I Climbed" - "Puzzle Pieces Coming Together" - "The Day I Tried Again" - "Storm and Rainbow" - "Small Wins, Big Heart"

After titling, ask a few gentle questions: Why did you choose that title? Which part of the line is the bravest? Where did you find help? This lets the student narrate strengths and supports, rather than only the struggle. It also opens the door to practical steps: marking a point where they used a coping trick, noting someone who helped, or planning one small next step. Teachers can create a wall of titled graphs where kids see many different stories — a reminder that everyone’s lines look different, and that hard parts are only one chapter.

Keep the language simple and encouraging: "This is part of my story," "I noticed something important," or "I can add a new chapter." Encourage kids to retitle their graphs later; a new name can show that things changed, learning happened, or feelings eased. Naming a graph is not fixing everything, but it is a way for a child to hold their experience and choose how to tell it. That choice is a gentle, steady tool for getting through hard times and growing stronger.