Today, we are celebrating social/emotional development. Children develop and practice self control, self concept and social competence when they become part of a classroom community. All of that can be very confusing!
“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it.” ~Charles Swindoll
We all have emotions, every single day. For some children, managing all those emotions can be overwhelming. At ELC, we use the “ZONES of Regulation” to help children learn more about themselves and their peers. Children use colors to express their emotions and learn how to regulate themselves with the use of different tools (a hug, a chewy tube, a drink of water, a walk etc.) Children also learn what helps them to calm when it’s time, and what they need throughout the day to be alert and ready for playing and learning. They also learn how to handle themselves when they are angry or anxious and what kinds of things make them feel better. We celebrate all of the emotions and don’t see any of them as being “bad” or “good.” We are all entitled to all of our emotions. How we handle ourselves is the key.
Me I Am ! by Jack Prelutsky
I am the only Me I Am
Who qualifies as me,
no Me I AM has been before,
and none will ever be
No other Me I Am
can feel the feelings I’ve within,
no other Me I Am
can fit precisely in my skin
There is no other Me I Am
who thinks the thoughts I do,
the world contains one Me I Am
this earth shall ever see,
that Me I Am I always am
is no one else but Me!
MAINE’S EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS – Social and Emotional Development
Young children’s social and emotional development is fostered through positive interactions and in settings where guidance for healthy and safe relationships exists. Children between the ages of three and five years develop a growing awareness of themselves as an individual as well as of others around them. While children each develop social and emotional skills and regulation at their own rate, as they grow socially and emotionally they will begin to express their needs and feelings, communicate and develop a growing awareness of self and others, begin to recognize the feelings of others and to develop sympathy and empathy for their peers. Children at this age display increasing confidence in themselves by their willingness to take on new tasks, by initiating play with their peers, and by demonstrating an understanding of routines and rules for behavior in their daily environment.