This week in our classroom we have been focusing on our feelings and our relationships with others. We are learning about the different emotions we all experience as well as some ideas about how to manage them. We have also begun talking about how to be a good friend. One day a few weeks ago, after a particularly long day, my TA looked at me and said, "We do SEL all day long, don't we?" I agreed with her and was happy that she understood that social-emotional learning is woven throughout all of our preschool activities. A quality early childhood program does much more than prepare a child academically for kindergarten, although this is very important! A great programs should also support a child’s growth in all developmental domains. Most early childhood educators would agree that social and emotional growth in the preschool years is just as important as academic achievement. One reason for this sentiment is that social-emotional growth has an impact on every aspect of a young child’s life. Self-esteem, personal relationships, and academic growth are all affected by a child’s ability to feel good about themselves and their ability to successfully interact with others. Families play an integral role in the development of a child's social-emotional development, where situations and conversations arise naturally, and parents model positive relationships and problem-solving. The classroom environment, too, can also provide many opportunities to learn social skills as children grow in emotional literacy. Managing a child's challenging behavior can be difficult at times. It is important to remember that because a child's emotional, cognitive, and verbal skills are still developing, it can take a long time for them to develop impulse control as well as the ability to share and take turns. Being able to appropriately express negative emotions can also take time and lots of practice. It is essential during this stage of your child's life to accept their feelings as real and valid, even if behavior is not acceptable in a particular situation. By accepting and acknowledging how a child is feeling, you begin to build trust and help children recognize that you are trying to help them. Reflective listening is a good way to validate a child’s feelings and show empathy. By talking with a child you can help comfort them, identify their feelings, and give them perspective. Talking also enables you to teach words that will help a child build an emotional vocabulary. This will help children be better able to express themselves in future situations. Next week, as we celebrate Valentine's Day, we will be continuing our study of friends, and we also will be talking about what it means to be a good friend.
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Melissa SmithMs. Smith has a degree in Early Childhood Education and has taught kindergarten for many years. Alaska has been home to Ms. Smith for 28 years, and she can't imagine living anywhere else! She has four children, a dog and two cats. She loves reading, camping, gardening, and genealogy! Archives
April 2021
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