SEL Read Aloud: Freedom Soup by Tami Charles
Summary
Freedom Soup by Tami Charles is a warm, lyrical story that follows a young girl named Belle and her Ti Gran as they cook soup joumou together on New Year’s Day. As they chop, stir, and season, Belle learns that this soup is more than a meal—it is a symbol of Haiti’s freedom and independence after years of enslavement.
Through rich illustrations and rhythmic language, the book encourages children to reflect on belonging, cultural identity, resilience, and community—powerful themes that directly tie into SEL. It invites students to understand that freedom is something remembered, honored, and shared, and that traditions can hold both joy and history at the same time.
Comprehension Questions
To guide students through the story’s meaning and encourage deeper thinking, consider these Bloom’s Taxonomy-inspired questions:
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Remembering: What are Belle and Ti Gran making, and when do they make it?
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Understanding: Why is soup joumou important to Ti Gran?
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Applying: Do you have a family tradition that is passed down from older generations?
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Analyzing: How does cooking the soup help Belle understand her history?
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Evaluating: Why do you think it’s important to remember where traditions come from?
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Creating: Draw a picture or write a sentence about a tradition that makes you feel connected to your family or community.
CASEL Discussion Questions
Use these prompts to connect the story to SEL competencies, especially Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, and Relationship Skills:
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Self-Awareness: How do you think Belle feels while listening to Ti Gran’s story?
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Social Awareness: What does the story teach us about Haiti’s history and culture?
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Empathy: How might people feel when something meaningful to their culture is misunderstood or forgotten?
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Relationship Skills: How do Belle and Ti Gran show care and connection while cooking together?
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Responsible Decision-Making: How can learning about history help us treat others with respect and understanding?
Hands-On Challenge
Design a “Belonging Bowl” Project
Help students turn the story’s message into reflection with a creative activity:
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Understand – Read the story and talk about how soup joumou represents freedom, pride, and belonging. Discuss how traditions help people feel connected.
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Ideate – Ask: “What are some things—people, traditions, or values—that help you feel like you belong?”
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Prototype – Provide students with paper bowls or templates. Inside each bowl, students draw or write the “ingredients” that help them feel connected (family, culture, kindness, language, memories).
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Test & Present – Display the bowls on a board titled “What Belonging Is Made Of.” Invite students to share one ingredient from their bowl.
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Reflect – Invite students to write or share: “Why is it important that everyone’s bowl looks different?”
In Conclusion
Freedom Soup teaches students that belonging is built through memory, tradition, and shared stories. It reminds us that freedom is not just a word—it’s something people protect, celebrate, and pass on.
When students explore stories like this, they begin to understand that honoring history and culture helps create more inclusive communities. This read-aloud opens the door to conversations about identity, empathy, and what it truly means to belong—especially in times when understanding one another matters most.
Read Aloud
If you appreciated getting to read this book with your class, you might also want to share this book with them!
Additional Resources
Copyright Notice
The image on this page comes from the book Freedom Soup by Tami Charles
