In this episode of Counselor Chat, I celebrate the powerful connection between National School Counseling Week and World Read Aloud Day, and why stories play such a meaningful role in student success.

I share how read-alouds create emotional safety, help students name their feelings, and open doors for conversations that might otherwise feel too hard to start. I also read an excerpt from my children’s book, Sammy’s Sad Day, and walked through simple, practical ways counselors can use storytelling as a Tier 1 support in classrooms, small groups, and beyond.

This episode is a reminder that success isn’t just measured in data — it’s felt in connection.

In This Episode, I Talk About:

1. Why student success starts with emotional safety, not just academics
2. How stories create shared emotional language for students
3. Why read-alouds work so well as low-pressure counseling tools
4. Using books as Tier 1 support for whole-class and school-wide impact
5. Simple reflection questions that build emotional literacy
6. How connection changes behavior and learning outcomes

“You amplify student success when a student feels seen, a teacher uses language you modeled, and a child realizes they’re not alone.

Links Mentioned

Sammy's Sad Day

Perks National School Counseling Week Free Month Deal

Mentioned in this episode:

Perks Membership

You're listening to the Counselor Chat podcast, a show for school counselors looking for easy to implement strategies, how to tips, collaboration, and a little spark of joy.

I'm Carol Miller, your host. I'm a full time school counselor and the face behind counseling essentials. I'm all about creating simplified systems, data driven practices, and using creative approaches to engage students.

If you're looking for a little inspiration to help help you make a big impact on student growth and success, you're in the right place. Because we're better together.

Ready to chat?

Let's dive in.

Hey everybody. Welcome back to another episode of Counselor Chat.

I'm your host, Carol Miller.

And today's episode,

to me, it feels especially meaningful because I thought we would celebrate two things that fit together quite beautifully.

We have National School Counseling Week this week,

and we also have World Read Aloud Day.

And if you've been following along,

you'll know that this year's World Read Aloud Day is especially important to me as my new children's book is available called Sammy's Sad Day.

And I thought today,

wouldn't it be kind of cool if we can celebrate these two things together?

Now, this year's National School Counseling Week's theme is School Counselors Amplify Student Success.

And I'll tell you, when I first heard that theme, my mind didn't immediately go to test scores or graduation rates. In fact,

it went to connection.

It went to emotional safety. And it went to those moments when a student finally feels understood.

And so today I want to talk about one simple but incredibly powerful way that school counselors amplify student success.

And that's really through stories.

More specifically,

through read alouds.

Now, National School Counseling Week is our chance to shine a light on the work counselors do every single day,

and quite often very quietly,

behind the scenes.

And World Read Aloud Day,

well, it reminds us that stories are more than literacy tools.

They're bridges.

They're bridges between feelings and words,

experiences and understanding,

and students and adults who care about them.

And when we combine counseling and storytelling,

something really powerful happens.

Students begin to lower their guard.

They see themselves in the characters,

and suddenly conversations that felt hard become possible.

My friends,

that's how we amplify student success.

Not by doing more,

but by doing what we do intentionally.

So let's pause for a second and talk about what student success is actually means.

Yes,

academic achievement, it does matter.

Attendance matters. Engagement matters.

But none of those things happen consistently when a student is overwhelmed, when they're anxious,

they're grieving,

or they're just emotionally shut down.

As school counselors, we know this.

But student success also means being able to name feelings,

knowing what to do when our emotions feel so big,

feeling safe enough to ask for help,

and believing that our feelings do matter.

And when we support those skills, we don't just help students feel better,

we help them to learn better.

And one of the most effective, low pressure ways to do that is it's a read aloud.

It's so funny. And I know that I've said this on the podcast before,

but I can remember coming from the high school and the middle school level,

and I'd be in the Facebook groups and people were saying,

hey, do you have a book for this topic or do you have a book for that topic?

And I just kept thinking, why do they always want a book?

And then I became an elementary counselor and I realized why we need the book.

It really is such a low pressured way to do just that.

Read alouds are one of the most underappreciated tools in school counseling.

And they work because they're indirect.

I mean, students, they don't feel put on the spot.

They normalize experiences without singling anyone out.

And they also help to create a shared emotional language.

And when we read a story,

students aren't talking about themselves. They're talking about the character in the book.

And that's where the magic happens. A student who won't talk in a group might suddenly say, yeah,

I feel like that sometimes a teacher might hear language that they can reinforce later.

And counselors,

it allows us to reach every student,

not just the ones who end up in our office.

And trust me that reaching every Student is Tier 1 support at its best.

So I want to share an example of what this can look like in action.

I mean, one of the reasons I wrote Sammy's Sad Day was because I kept seeing students who just didn't have enough words for what they were feeling. I mean, they weren't necessarily acting out.

They weren't always asking for help.

They were just quiet.

They were withdrawn. They were stuck.

And sometimes what students needed most isn't fixing is just validation.

So here, my friends, here is Sammy's Sad Day.

Once, in a small, bustling town so sweet, a young boy named Sammy lived on Elm Street.

Sammy often loved to run, laugh, and play. But something felt different inside him. One day,

his eyes looked tired, his smile had gone,

and he sat all alone, feeling withdrawn.

His friend Ollie took note and sat by his side. And with a gentle voice, he asked,

sammy, what are you feeling inside?

Sammy shook his head, then sighed real low.

I feel sad today.

I just don't know.

Ollie offered an understanding, nodding, then leaned near.

Sometimes we just need someone to listen and lend an ear.

And after a while, Ollie said with a comforting grin,

would a hug help you to feel warmer within?

Sammy nodded, so Ollie squeezed him tight.

Sammy felt a bit better,

but still not quite right.

Let's take some breaths. In and out and nice and slow.

Ollie showed Sammy how and they traced their breathing in a bow,

and with each big breath,

Sammy felt calm inside.

His sadness began to gently subside.

Sammy, we can write down things that help us feel good, like sunny days or a hike in the woods.

The boys grabbed papers and bright blue pens and drew happy moments that mattered to them.

Then Ollie asked, want to take a walk with me?

Sometimes a stroll helps me feel free.

And so the boys wandered together through the park,

watching all the funny and playful dogs bark step by step. Sammy started to smile.

He hadn't felt this happy in quite a while.

Thanks, Ollie, he said. I feel okay. You've really helped me on this sad day.

Ollie smiled and fist bumped his friend.

Remember, I'm here.

On me you can depend.

We all feel sad sometimes, that's true. But friends help each other. Like I've helped you.

Sadness is something that comes and goes.

Like a cloud in the sky or a river that flows.

It's okay to feel it and let it be.

But with kindness and care, we can set sadness free.

Sammy then knew that whenever he felt blue, he could accept a hug,

take deep breaths, or walk a step or two.

And if he saw a friend who looked sad or down, he'd sit by their side and help them come round.

Because in their town, the friends all knew a little kindness can carry you through.

Helping each other was just their way,

and that made their sad days feel more okay.

After reading a story like this,

I think something shifts inside of our kids.

Students really start to see that in Sammy's case, sad feelings are allowed,

that feelings don't last forever,

and you don't have to fix emotions to move forward.

And from a counseling perspective, my friends, this is huge.

Because when students can name their feelings, they can regulate them.

And when they feel understood, they're more open to learning.

And when emotions are normalized,

behaviors often decrease.

That's how a story amplifies student success.

Not in a loud way,

but in a lasting way.

So let's talk about how this can actually fit into your counseling program without adding one more thing to your plate.

So here are a few simple ways that counselors can use read alouds effectively.

I mean, you can use it totally as a push into your one lesson.

You can also use it during morning meetings or advisory,

maybe even the opening for a small group. My lunch bunch kids, I have one group in particular.

They come to me all the time.

Can you read us a story while we eat?

And I'll tell you, I love that because it keeps them nice and calm while they're eating. And they're actually the group that could still least amount of food on the table.

But you can also use books as a reset after a really tough week or an incident.

And here's the thing, you don't need a full lesson every time.

Sometimes all it takes is one story,

one reflection question,

and one moment of connection.

And you can ask questions like,

when did Sammy feel the saddest?

What helped him get through his day?

What do you do when you feel that way?

And those questions,

they build emotional literacy.

And emotional literacy, it supports learning.

So for this National School Counseling Week, I want to remind you of this.

You amplify student success in ways that don't show up in data reports.

You amplify it when a student feels seen.

A teacher uses language that you modeled.

A child realizes they're not alone.

Stories matter.

Your presence matters.

And the small things you do every day create ripple effects that you may never fully see.

So, my friends, I really want to thank you for everything you do for students,

for schools and for families.

And if you're celebrating National School Counseling Week or World Read Aloud Day,

I hope you take a moment to recognize the impact that you're making.

One story,

one conversation,

one student at a time.

I will have the links for you for Sammy's day and for actually our special for Perks.

Because with Perks, we're going to give you all your lesson planning for free for the next month.

So if you want a free month of perks,

check out the show notes because we want to make sure that you are amplifying the student voice.

All right, my friends,

until next time, I hope you have a really great week.

Bye for now.

Thanks for listening to today's episode of Counselor Chat. All of the links I talked about can be found in the show notes and at counselingessentials.org podcast.

Be sure to hit follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast player. And if you would be so kind to leave a review, I'd really appreciate it.

Want to connect?

Send me a DM on Facebook or Instagram at Counseling Essentials. Until next time. Can't wait till we chat.

Bye for now.