Social Emotional Learning

4/2/2021

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

Cool Down and Work Through Anger by Cheri J. Meiners, M.Ed. This title is one of many in this series that provides honest discussion about anger (and can be connected to other strong feelings) and what to do about it. I always tell the kids all of our feelings are OK. However, learning skills to help us navigate those rough patches in a way that leave everyone feeling safe and happy is important to maintaining positive friendships and family relationships.

What to Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D. is a favorite interactive workbook to help students understand their worries and strategies to help overcome them. There are several chapters and we will be doing some of the worksheets during Social Group in most of our classes. I recommend watching one or two chapters at a time to get the most out of this title.

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."

In April, our mindfulness exercise is "Fearless Feather." Students are given the choice to close their eyes or keep them open after they find a comfortable sitting position. Then, focusing on the breath, I guide them to "Breathe in....and breathe out" slowly. After three slow breaths, they say, "I am brave" out loud.

Recreational SEL

Why Do We Celebrate April Fool's Day? Mystery Science walks us through another fun discussion! Did you celebrate April Fools Day this year? If so, I hope the prank made you laugh (which is indeed the best medicine!) Enjoy!

Theme Day Ideas for Fun at Home! The Chaos and the Clutter To add a little extra fun at home! Enjoy!

Music!

My Penguin is Not Polite Unexpected! Using manners is all about using social thinking and knowing that what we say and do makes others have thoughts about us (and we want those thoughts to be positive!) Good old fashioned "please and thank you" can go a very long way!

Parent's Corner

Go Zen - 50 Calm Down Ideas It's all about the strategies! When we are in the thick of it, we don't often think to pull out our strategies. I recommend practicing a favorite few with your child (children) when everyone is calm and posting some visual reference that is easy to access in a pinch. If you have practiced with your child, using the strategy will be easier. Let me know which ones you found useful!

Help Children Express Opinions Though I am certain I am preaching to the choir, here's a nice tip sheet to help kids feel more comfortable expressing their opinions (of course, politely!)

The Key to Helping Your Child Manage Big Emotions: The ABCs of Co-regulation The author presents the strategy of helping dynamics stay calm to navigate bumps in the road in a simple but easy to use manner. (Wish I had read this when my kids were little!) I hope you find it helpful!

Andrea Lowen Nair - "After School Restraint Collapse" Has your child ever come home from school and just completely unravel or melt down? In this article, Ms. Nair, a counseling psychologist, provides a nice description, explanation and some strategies to help your child transition from school back to the home environment. (These strategies may also be helpful in other circumstances as well!)