Good learners have good social and emotional skills.
Children who know how to take turns, cooperate with others, self-regulate their emotions and deal with frustration are ready to learn. Not only do they have more success in school, but also in life.
Parents, teachers, grandparents and other care-givers can young children learn master these critical skills by modeling positive behaviors, discussing problematic behaviors as they occur and in general promoting a positive, productive environment.
In Chicago, First Grade teacher Kristin Ziemke uses a Peace Table to resolve conflicts in her classroom. When a dispute arises, children are invited to a special table where they find question cards designed to a spark discussion about the issue at hand: "Why are you angry?" "How can we fix this?" "What should we do next time?"
She also provides storybooks (including some I See I Learn books!) about problems that require good social and emotional skills to resolve. Children are encouraged to talk about how characters in the stories handle various challenges, which helps to depersonalize the situation while providing positive models for resolution.
Nobody leaves the Peace Table until they’ve made peace!
Drawing is another good way to help young children better understand their feelings. Like the Peace Table, the act of drawing provides a cushion of time that helps diffuse the intensity of the moment and also adds a level of abstraction that makes it easier to discuss the problem. "What's going on in the drawing?" "What is the child in the picture feeling?" The drawing provides a way to talk about solutions.
Role-playing is another very good strategy that can be used to teach good social and emotional skills. For example, one child can pretend to be someone who won't share a toy and another child can take on the role of the upset and angry playmate. Have them switch roles, then talk about how it makes them feel when friends don't share and also how it feels when the do. Role-playing can be done with puppets, too.
For happier, healthier, more confident children, social and emotional skills are key!
Children who know how to take turns, cooperate with others, self-regulate their emotions and deal with frustration are ready to learn. Not only do they have more success in school, but also in life.
Parents, teachers, grandparents and other care-givers can young children learn master these critical skills by modeling positive behaviors, discussing problematic behaviors as they occur and in general promoting a positive, productive environment.
In Chicago, First Grade teacher Kristin Ziemke uses a Peace Table to resolve conflicts in her classroom. When a dispute arises, children are invited to a special table where they find question cards designed to a spark discussion about the issue at hand: "Why are you angry?" "How can we fix this?" "What should we do next time?"
She also provides storybooks (including some I See I Learn books!) about problems that require good social and emotional skills to resolve. Children are encouraged to talk about how characters in the stories handle various challenges, which helps to depersonalize the situation while providing positive models for resolution.
Nobody leaves the Peace Table until they’ve made peace!
Drawing is another good way to help young children better understand their feelings. Like the Peace Table, the act of drawing provides a cushion of time that helps diffuse the intensity of the moment and also adds a level of abstraction that makes it easier to discuss the problem. "What's going on in the drawing?" "What is the child in the picture feeling?" The drawing provides a way to talk about solutions.
Role-playing is another very good strategy that can be used to teach good social and emotional skills. For example, one child can pretend to be someone who won't share a toy and another child can take on the role of the upset and angry playmate. Have them switch roles, then talk about how it makes them feel when friends don't share and also how it feels when the do. Role-playing can be done with puppets, too.
For happier, healthier, more confident children, social and emotional skills are key!