Category Archives: Social/Emotional Development

Kindergarten Readiness – Conversations with Guest Experts #8

For each radio show on Learn and Play with Mrs A, I take notes because I’m learning so much about kids and kindergarten readiness from fascinating guests who are experts in a variety of areas. Each of them is passionate about kids and loves the work, or maybe that’s play? Here’s a play-of-the-day suggested from our play-of-the-week conversations and a little information about these awesome guests.

Emotional resilience is a skill that children will need far beyond kindergarten but the years between birth and when kids start school are an important time for emotional development. Lorelie Rozanno is a family counsellor, foster parent, and author of Gracie’s Secret. During a conversation with her about helping children learn about emotions she talked about ways to support children’s emotional development. Adults often talk to kids about “feeling good” and “feeling bad”. It’s very important not to label any feelings or emotions as bad, in case children then think that these feelings are wrong. When we ask a child something like “Do you feel bad because your toy broke?” the child may think that the feelings of disappointment, frustration, anger, and sadness, are also bad/wrong. Feelings can be comfortable or uncomfortable but all of them are good.

A play-of-the-day inspired by Lorelie to help young children learn about emotions is to listen and watch how your child is feeling and to label those emotions. There are over dozens and dozens of words that children can learn so they can tell us how they are feeling. It’s hard for them to do this if they don’t have the words. Here is a heart page to name some feeling words. Which one(s) are you and your little one feeling today?

Here is the podcast link for more of the conversation with Lorelie Rozzano:
Lorelie Rozzano/Learn and Play podcast link

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Kindergarten Readiness/Early Learning – Minding P’s and Q’s

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While working on writing posts for kindergarten readiness and early learning for each alphabet letter, p and q reminded me of the expression “minding your p’s and q’s.” This expression refers to minding your manners, and manners are an important part of social skills. Young children will begin spending time away from their parents, in groups such as day care, playschool, preschool and later kindergarten, and having learned and practiced these skills will help them be more independent.

Following is a simple, short song with some “magic words.” It piggy-backs on the tune Mulberry Bush.

Please, thank you, excuse me, sorry.
Please, thank you, excuse me, sorry.
Please, thank you, excuse me, sorry. These are magic words.

There are many picture books and stories that you can use as you read and talk with your child about manners. There are even several apps! Plus, you can make up stories to go with a moment when needed. For instance, if your child needs some reminders at the table about please and thank you, have a fork tell a spoon. Or, if a “sorry” is needed when a little one gets water all over the floor after a bath, have the towel tell you it is sorry for the mess and will help to clean up. The dirty clothes can say they are sorry for not getting into the laundry hamper.

Songs and stories are another way of sending the same message, and sometimes our words are more effective when attached to music or imagination. There are certainly other needed social skills such as being able to talk about feelings, self-regulation, sharing, negotiating and others. These and manners skills are not just important for interactions, but also for children’s self-confidence as they increasingly develop their independence. What are some other suggestions for p’s and q’s?

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Kindergarten Readiness ABC`s – F is for Feelings and Faces

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Did you know that helping your child learn about feelings and faces is very supportive for playdates, preschool, and kindergarten readiness? Interactions with family members and friends will involve feelings and emotions. Kids need to learn what their feelings are and the words to talk about them.

Learning the names of basic feelings is more than just matching. Kids often need adults to identify or label these feelings for them. For instance, we might need to say to a child “I see that you are sad. Are you feeling sad because your toy broke??” to help a little one understand how s/he feels. Or, “I notice a scowl on your face, kind of a stormy look. That tells me you might be feeling pretty angry. Is that what you are feeling?” Commenting on a child’s feelings, gives the child words that s/he does not yet know and helps make the connection between the words and the feelings. It’s easier for kids to talk about feelings when they know the words.

Some emotions to identify or label for kids might include: happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised, silly, disappointed and calm. Especially calm, so when we ask kids to calm down they know what calm is! Sometimes, when we talk about feelings, we say that we are feeling bad or good. Bad can also mean wrong and that can be confusing for children. They wonder if “bad” feelings like sad and angry are wrong. Using the words “comfortable”or “uncomfortable” feelings can avoid that confusion,.

Faces give clues about emotions but being able to tell what someone else is feeling from their facial expressions takes practice. For a play-of-the-day, here is an idea using food to make faces that show feelings. Or instead of food, making playdough faces is fun, but don’t eat them! Or making faces in the mirror. Or reading a story about feelings. What else can you and your child do for feelings and faces and fun?

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Kindergarten Readiness – Helping Children Regulate Emotions

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Christmas and holidays have been wonderful and now that the excitement is wearing off and the routine is returning, logically shouldn’t kids be more settled and calmer instead of driving you crazy? While adults may be breathing a sigh of relief, kids do not yet have the same skills to control their emotions and this is something to support for both their kindergarten readiness and life-skills learning.

For kids, there has been a lot of stress this month. Some activities have been positive and fun, and some have been disruptive and difficult. Just think of the build-up to Christmas, the toys, visits with Santa, friends and family, lots of attention, different meals at odd hours, various bedtimes and possibly unfamiliar places to stay. This has all accumulated and kids are overexcited and overstimulated.

One way to release tension is through wild, loud activity but this isn’t the best solution. Instead, we need to help children find some acceptable ways to unwind. Here are some suggestions:

Some time at the playground or a community pool or gym can give your child an outlet for all that energy.

Switch on some fast music at home and you and your child can dance and dance. Gradually, slow down the pace and change to softer, quieter music.

If you have a big drum–and some earplugs–your child can beat out some of the tension.

Run some water in the tub or the kitchen sink and let your child measure, pour, and stir. Water is very calming and you will notice your child becoming more relaxed. When needed, there is no rule that limits bathtime to once a day.

Nature can also help kids reconnect to their quiet side. A long walk or hike in the park also reconnects them to nature.

General development and early learning includes self-regulating skills and strategies. Kids do not come with these already in place, we need to help them learn how to calm themselves and release tension in acceptable ways. Some form of inside or outside physical activity is very effective.

Besides being overexcited and overstimulated, kids may also be overtired. A solution for that is a nap. For grownups, too! Could you use one?

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Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Tickles

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When we think of kindergarten readiness, all too often academics is the first thing that comes to mind. But emotions is also an important part of children’s early learning. In fact, the brain is most sensitive to the development of emotional control about the age of one year old. For more impact, check out this graph by the Council for Early Child Development.

Hands can give tickles. Sharing a tickle with a little one can be a fun part of learning about emotions and relationships. Tickles involve an element of trust. As adults, we carefully scan children’s faces for signs that the tickling is enjoyable, stopping long before a child is uncomfortable or overstimulated. We are careful not to jeopardize the give-and-take interaction. Children learn from our example and reactions.

Touching is a powerful and natural tool for healthy development. The skin isn’t the only part of the body that needs touch, so does the brain for all kinds of connections. A tickle may only be for a few seconds, but the laughing and connecting can feel good for a long time. Does this idea tickle your fancy?

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Some Handy Ideas for Kindergarten Readiness: Humor

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Did you know that telling jokes and sharing humor could be kindergarten readiness skills? A sense of humor is quite a complex series of thinking skills. Children need to recognize the intention, realize that something is different or unusual, and understand what it should be. Then, kids need to figure out the appropriate emotional response. Just like other skills, telling jokes needs practice.

Hands are for knocking, so here is a knock, knock joke:

Knock, knock. Who’s there?
Kanga. Kanga who? Kanga roo!

Because children’s sense of humor is expanding and developing, it’s not always accurate. Little ones don’t always have the punch line that matches the rest of the joke. But laughter is healthy, and we all love jokes. There’s certainly a connection to other people and interplay of emotions.

Today, for a hand learning activity, can you share something funny such as a joke or riddle or exaggeration with your child?

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Kindergarten Readiness and Importance of Values

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For some reason, academic preparation for kindergarten readiness seems to grab the spotlight and dominate the podium. There are other aspects, such as physical development and social and emotional growth too. Some aspects just don’t seem to get any air time at all. One of these is values.

Throughout the Olympics, there have been many news clips where athletes state that they have worked hard and overcome struggles to do their best. Another value is that of gratitude. The athletes have thanked families, coaches, teammates and communities for their support and help. The Olympic Games themselves are based on values.

Children younger than school age are not too young to learn values, but they are not easy to teach. Helping kids learn academics seems easier by comparison. Some basic values for kids are to be thankful, to share, to tell the truth, to use words, and to be kind. Every day will have moments when it’s appropriate to support your child to learn values. What are your family’s values and what are our scores as values teachers and coaches for out kids?

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Kindergarten Readiness Rocks! Rock, Paper, Hands…

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While working on some posts for kindergarten readiness activities with rocks, I found a video of a little boy playing Rock, Paper, Scissors all by himself. Each hand would choose something at more or less the same time. If his 2 hands came up with the same item, he just adjusted the choice. In any case, he really has to do a lot of quick thinking and concentrating as he plays.

For most young kids rock, paper, scissors is too competitive but here is another hand game that wee ones can enjoy. First, you put one hand flat on a table, then your child puts one hand on top of yours. Next, your hand, and your child puts a hand on the very top. Now, carefully slide your bottom hand out and put it on top. Then, your child slides out his/her bottom hand and put it on the top. As the hands get coordinated, try going faster and faster. Usually, the hands get all out of sequence and the game turns into giggles. This “your hand, my hand” switching is a very early game to teach taking turns and to practice focus and concentration. Children love to play, for short bits of time. For even more fun, try it with 3 or 4 people. Then it gets really complicated. Brains can’t keep up with hands.

There are other hand games, like clapping patterns or even Patty-Cake. This second video shows 2 little ones learning to coordinate together. What a lot of learning as kids remember the words and actions, and watch each other for cues. Rhythm is part of the learning and adds to the social interaction and kindergarten readiness. Do you and your child play hand games

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Kindergarten Readiness Rocks! Making Stone Soup

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A cooking activity with the story of Stone Soup is delicious fun for kindergarten readiness that rocks. Do you know the story? It has many variations but usually someone who is hungry asks for help and is turned away. But the hungry person has a stone, button, or nail with magical properties and uses it to make a huge pot of soup. The only problem is that it could use a little something. Gradually, the people who said no in the beginning do not mind sharing some vegetables, meat bones and spices just to flavor the soup. In the end, everyone’s contributions make a wonderful soup and the stone, button or nail has saved the day.

Have you ever heard that story before? This is a wonderful story to share with little ones, either by reading it from a book or just telling it. Better still is making Stone Soup. Everyone in the family can put in a favorite ingredient to make the soup. Young children may not understand the message of cooperation initially but they will remember the fun and the laughter. (We’re boiling the rock first.)

This time, the stone, button or nail has not just made soup but a wonderful memory of sharing. This kind of learning tastes best. What will you put in your Kindergarten Readiness Rock Soup?

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