Involving Parents to Boost Kids’ SEL Development
Source: https://www.edutopia.org/
Promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) in preschool is crucial for supporting children’s emotional development, especially for those impacted by the pandemic. Both teachers and parents play key roles in helping children understand and manage their emotions. By working together, they can create a nurturing environment that fosters emotional growth and builds positive habits for the future.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SEL IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is essential for emotional regulation and forming social connections. Research shows that children who develop SEL skills early are better equipped to handle future challenges. Since many preschoolers struggle with emotional regulation, parental involvement is crucial. When parents participate in SEL activities and discussions, they reinforce emotional understanding and strengthen the parent-child bond, helping children navigate emotions and build strong social connections.
BUILDING EMOTIONAL VOCABULARY
Identifying emotions is the first step in social and emotional learning. Young children often feel emotions intensely but struggle to name or express them. Educators can start by introducing fun emotion posters and a play-based environment where preschoolers can strengthen their emotional vocabulary.
The following activities help children identify and articulate their feelings:
Rainbow parachute game: Have children hold a large parachute. The teacher calls out an emotion (e.g., “happy” or “angry”), and children place a small ball on the corresponding color of the parachute. As they shake the parachute, the ball bounces across the colors (link colors with feelings, teamwork).
Color corners: Set up four corners in the room, each representing an emotion (e.g., joy, fear, anger, surprise). When an emotion is called out, children move to that corner, then act it out or draw how it feels on a small whiteboard (relate emotions to physical actions, express feelings).
Emotions dice: Create large foam dice with different emotions on each face. Children take turns rolling the dice and must act out the emotions that land face up. A variation of the game involves other students guessing the emotions (nonverbal skills, express creativity).
Clay emotion frames: Provide colorful clay for children to create shapes or faces representing various emotions inside a small frame. Afterward, they present their creations and explain what each emotion means (reinforces vocabulary, confidence in speaking).
Emotion monsters: These can be made using either clay or watercolor to explore deeper emotions. For the clay, children mold shapes into monsters and add faces to represent various emotions. For watercolor, review different emotions and choose an emotion, then paint a splash of color on paper and blow on the wet paint to create patterns. Once the paint dries, children draw faces and add googly eyes to bring their emotion monsters to life (artistic expression, coping with hard emotions).
HABIT BUILDING WITH EMOTION TRACKING
Once children have an emotional vocabulary, tools for habit building enable parents to continue SEL practices at home. I use the following two helpful tools for emotion tracking.
Mood meter poster: A mood meter can be displayed in the classroom, categorizing emotions into four color zones. Children can place stickers or name tags on the meter each day to reflect their current mood, promoting self-awareness and encouraging regular emotional check-ins.
SEL class cards: Create SEL cards for each week, featuring discussion topics and resources on the back. In class, children can use the cards for review or to share feelings during circle time, while parents can use them at home to reinforce lessons and spark conversations.
To complement vocabulary building and habit formation, simple breathing exercises can help preschoolers with emotional regulation while practicing focus and controlled breathing. Encourage parents to practice the following techniques at home.
Shapes breathing: Show children how to trace shapes with their fingers while controlling their breath. For example, they can draw a triangle in the air, inhaling as they trace one side and exhaling as they trace the next.
Blowing games: In this activity, children blow on lightweight objects such as feathers or strips of paper across a table. Alternatively, they can create a paper caterpillar and use a straw to blow it along a surface.
Yoga for kids: Introduce simple yoga poses that promote body awareness and relaxation. For example, you can show children how to imitate a stretching kitten while focusing on their breathing.
Bubble breathing: Blowing bubbles is a fun way to visualize slow, controlled breathing. Children take a deep breath in, hold it, and then slowly blow out to create bubbles.
Hoberman sphere: Use it to model deep breathing. As the sphere expands, children inhale deeply, and as it contracts, they exhale slowly. You could also add a creative story making the sphere a magic object to make this exercise more engaging for children.
THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP
Consistent practice of SEL skills, with parental involvement, helps children develop emotional resilience and better mental health. Engaging parents is crucial for reinforcing emotional learning and building lasting habits. Parents can create a “calm corner” at home with sensory items to help children practice self-regulation. Involving parents in SEL strengthens the connection between home and school, providing a stable environment for emotional growth. Through fun activities, calming tools, and daily check-ins, SEL can become an integrated part of daily routines, preparing children to thrive emotionally in school and life.
Read More: https://childreninfobank.com/safebank/involving-parents-to-boost-kids-sel-development/
Image Source: https://www.edutopia.org/
