Social Emotional Learning

3/5/2021

Suggested activities can be repeated and you can choose what to enjoy at any time during the week.

I hope you enjoy them!

Book Club

We are finishing up Size of the Problem and will be moving on to our next selection in the next couple of weeks.

In When My Worries Get Too Big by Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D. we will start to talk more about what we can do when we have bigger feelings and or problems. It is OK to have big feelings. And, it is OK to experience big feelings when we have small problems. At the same time, young children are still learning how to figure out the expected reaction to problems based on the size of the problem even if the problem comes with big feelings. There is a scale at the end of the book that provides a way to talk about the big feelings. In addition, the author shares some strategies to help navigate big feelings as well.

Things I Am Good At is the first of several work pages in "When My Worries Get Too Big!" Exploring the activities we enjoy and are good at gives us something to go back to when we start to worry or have strong feelings that are overwhelming.

Calm Down Strategy Cards - The Chaos and the Clutter Here is another great set of strategies to help ourselves calm down. Print. Color. Review and pull them out when your child needs a strategy!

Size of the Problem - Activities in Color For extra practice or review, try out one or two activities!

Mindfulness

Mindfulness exercises can be done at any time! I generally guide the students in the beginning and sometimes at the end of each lesson. These brain based exercises can help bodies and brains remain calm and focused. This year's series of mindfulness exercises largely came from a collection titled "Little Renegades."

This month, our mindfulness exercise is "Turtle Taps." Students are asked to sit tall in a chair and pretend the top of their head is a turtle shell. They are asked to tap the top of their heads lightly with their fingers and then think about how it feels. This helps us focus on the sensation. One can also tap their forehead lightly which, for some, can be calming.

Recreational SEL

A Joy Story - Joy and Heron Sometimes helping others can lift our own spirits up. Here is a charming story about kindness and learning to be sensitive to what someone else might be experiencing. Feel free to dialog with your child about this story.

Spring is almost here! Here are some fun activities to enjoy! Ladybug Life Cycle - The Chaos and the Clutter (There are additional links to activities at the bottom of the ladybug page.) Enjoy!

Music!

Home School Psychologist - Choose Your Own Adventure - Sadness We all feel sad from time to time. And, with any strong feeling we may experience, there are strategies you can do to help yourself feel better. In this episode of Home School Psychologist, Adam Parker starts us off and, of course, leads us in song.

Parent's Corner

10 Simple Everyday Ways to Improve a Child's Behavior and Mood An easy to incorporate list of strategies and activities that may help parent's at home! We've all had those moments...I hope this helps! (And, provides fuel for FUN!)