Family Engagement
At every tier of the Pyramid Model, practitioners and programs should consider what strategies might be used to welcome and support diverse families; how to create opportunities to learn from families; strategies for partnering with families to promote child outcomes; and providing the supports and services that families might need to promote their child’s skill development.
(Fox & Swett, 2017, Implementing partnerships with families to promote the social and emotional competence of young children)
New Resource!
Looking to for ideas to get the word out about Pyramid Model?
This iSocial Communicating with Families Guide is designed for programs to do just that! Inside you’ll find:
ideas to share program specific information
a Cut, Copy, & Paste section to use to promote social emotional development, address challenging behavior, and invite conversation and engagement
links to additional resources and materials to share, print out and/or order and share with families
Regardless of if your program uses newsletters, daily notes, social media platforms, text, or a communication app., this guide can take your family engagement to the next level.
What is the Pyramid Model?
These Pyramid Model (PM) Information Cards have been developed to provide basic information about what social emotional development is, and how the Pyramid Model supports children, families and professionals.
Tip Card - Families Want to Know
Provides information about NH’s support of Pyramid Model and the benefits of focusing on social emotional development for professionals, families, and children and childcare.
Tip Card - What is Pyramid Model
An introduction to the tiered approach of providing universal supports to all children to promote wellness, targeted services to those who need more support, and intensive services to those who need them.
Tip Card - Calming Down & Problem Solving
Shares strategies to support children to calm down when experiencing anger, sadness and frustration. Introduces the steps of problem solving and potential solution ideas.
Positive Solutions for Families (PSF)
PSF is an evidence-based series developed by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL), designed to help parents and caregivers promote their young child's social and emotional development and to better understand young children's challenging behaviors.
The Parent Information Center has developed a Master Cadre of Positive Solutions for Families (PSF) Facilitators to help professionals working with parents of toddlers and preschool age children to promote positive and effective parenting behaviors, that in turn promote children’s social and emotional development and address the challenging behavior and mental health needs of children.
If you are interested in having a Master Cadre PSF Facilitator work with your program/community, please contact the Parent Information Center at 603.224.7005
(Note - the training materials are listed under the Preschool Parents tab.)
Videos Supporting Family Engagement
Carolyn Ramsey - Governor Wentworth Regional School District
This video highlights a number of (research-based) strategies to provide positive supports to decrease challenging behavior. This easy to understand video shares a number of family-friendly, easy-to-implement positive approaches to encourage positive behavior.
Alton Central School - In Their Own Words
Hear from a parent and staff member at Alton Central School about the benefits and impact of Positive Solutions for Families.
Always have a backup plan! Sometimes we hope for the best, but need to plan for the worst. Here are some ideas to support young children to be successful by planning ahead.
Although we all need to learn how to accept, adjust, and cope with surprises, disappointments, and uncertainty, when you’re three, four, or five years old, it helps to have some extra assistance in the process.
Helping Children Recognize Feelings and Emotions
There are a LOT of benefits to children having a strong emotional vocabulary. They tend to tolerate frustration better, get into fewer fights, engage in less destructive behavior, are more focused, less lonely, resilient…the list goes on.
This clip shows how you can teach children to recognize emotions fun!
Resources for Families
Family-friendly Fact Sheet - We have something Important to share with you! (link)
Distribute this family friendly fact sheet and let families know you’re implementing the Pyramid Model! This simple flyer highlights the benefits for families, teachers and children that come from using Pyramid Model strategies.
Connecting with Families (link)
Tips to help you be focused and responsive during phone calls or virtual meetings/check-ins with families.
Family Engagement and the Leadership Team (link)
This document provides the leadership team with information on how family membership will strengthen the leadership team, guidance for recruiting a family member, and considerations for supporting the family member as a participating team member.
The Feelings Wheel helps young children to understand feelings and emotions. It can be used as is or it can be turned into a game.
To turn it into a game simply cut out the circle and arrow, then use a “brad” (or search on the internet on how to create a game spinner) to attach the arrow. Make sure the brad/spinner is not too tight so the spinner can spin.
Talk about the expressions on the faces
Use the pictures to talk about and describe different emotions
Talk about what each feeling ‘feels like’ in your body
Teach a balance of positive, comfortable and negative/uncomfortable feelings
Take turns acting out what each emotion looks like
Talk about how you can often tell different feelings by looking at the eyes, mouth or body position of a person.
A metaphor for building positive relationships that is particularly helpful is that of a piggy bank. Whenever teachers and caregivers engage in strategies to build positive relationships, it is as if they are “making a deposit” in a child’s relationship piggy bank. Conversely, when adults make demands, nag, or criticize children, it is as if they are making a relationship withdrawal. Fill up a child's emotional "piggy bank" every day!
Children experience strong emotions or feelings that can become "too big" at times, especially when things don't go the way they expect. The turtle technique helps children gain control of their strong emotions in the moment and prepares them to be able to do so more independently over time.
Tucker Turtle attends preschool and when he gets mad, he kicks, yells, and hits his classmates. That all changes when Tucker learns to “think like a turtle”. He keeps his body and hands to himself and stays quiet while taking deep calming breaths. As he practices these skills, Tucker has better control over his emotions.
Read the story with your young child and use the accompanying cut outs with a paper plate and make your own turtle!
A scripted story to assist with teaching the Turtle Technique.
A scripted story to assist with teaching the Turtle Technique.
Sharing the Learning At Home
Developing Expectations with Families (link)
A one-page flyer to gain family input asking for input on what behaviors and expectations are most important to them, as your program begins to develop behavior expectations.
Sharing Friendship Making Skills with Families
When teaching friendship skills (Peer Mediated Skills) to groups of children- share those strategies with families to practice at home! These ideas and printables can help you do just that! (link)
This child-friendly handout shows twelve ideas to help a child calm down. When your child is calm, talk about which one(s) might work for your family. Hang it at eye level for your child, and help him or her remember the choices.
Relaxation Thermometer (link)
This Relaxation Thermometer can help you support your child to recognize how feelings affect their bodies when emotions run hot. This print out has a child friendly thermometer and tips for how to talk about strong emotions- when your child is calm and engaged and then remember to use it to recognize their feelings.
Help Us Stay Calm (link)
Strategies that help you and your child during challenging behavior.
Take a Deep Breath (link)
Self-regulation is the ability to recognize and manage your emotions and behaviors in different settings and activities. This pdf shares breathing strategies you may find helpful.
Taking a Break: Using a Calm Down Area at Home (link)
A calm down area provides a child a place to calm down and take a break. It is one strategy that might be used when children are feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed.
Introducing the Solutions Kit (link)
Let families know what a Solution Kit is why it can be an important tool for social emotional learning.
Solution Kit Home Edition (link)
A sturdy cardstock Home Edition Solution Kit. With ideas on one side for talking about solutions and picture ideas for problem solving that can be used as is or cut into.
Problem Solvers Resource List (link)
If your program is focusing on developing problem-solving skills and introducing Solution Kits let families know! This downloadable flyer links to multiple family-friendly problem solving and solution kit resources for the home. Download and print individual materials to distribute, or share individual links with families.
(National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations)
This NCPMI page offers multiple resources to assist staff in supporting families to help young children develop social emotional skills and reduce challenging behavior. Most resources available in multiple languages.
Visit https://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/Implementation/family.html to find the following resources:
Scripted Stories for Social Situations
Scripted Stories are brief descriptive stories often used to help explain expectations in social situations, and help children understand and prepare for unfamiliar situations and new experiences. You can find a few examples below.
You can also find a variety of stories (picky eating, taking turns, being a good sport, and more) by clicking here.
Scripted Story - We Can be Problem Solvers (link)
This story helps children understand the steps to problem solving.
Scripted Story - Suri Spider Selects a Solution (link)
This story helps children understand social interactions, situations, and/or rules. In this story an unhappy spider has to think of and choose a potential solution.
Making Life Easier Collection (link)
Tip sheets for families and caregivers that provide information on how to make often challenging events easier to navigate, and even enjoyable, for both caregivers and children. Topics include
Bed/nap time
Running errands
Diapering
Visiting the doctor/dentist
Backpack Connection (link)
A series of handouts that provide a way for teachers and families/caregivers to work together to help young children develop social emotional skills and reduce challenging behavior. Each handout provides information to support staff to keep families informed about what their child is learning and practicing at school and how to teach, practice it at home. Handouts are available to address four areas
Addressing Behavior
Emotions
Routines and Schedules
Social Skills
Family Articles (link)
Various articles are available in both English & Spanish versions including:
Making the Most of Playtime
Teaching Your Child to Become Independent with Daily Routines
Teaching Your Child to Cooperate with Requests
Teaching Your Child to Identify and Express Emotions