Dear Families,
Grab your scarf! That chill in the air reminds us that fall is underway. In the classroom, we start to notice and talk about all the changes around us. How the air is getting cooler and the sun sets earlier and soon we will see the leaves change color. What happens next?
The seasonal patterns can be a comfort to us, as we know that just after the longest, darkest night, the sun will begin to rise earlier and earlier and spring is coming.
The Foundations for Social and Emotional Development
During our Director’s Talk this week, we discussed the social and emotional skills that we focus on in the preschool environment and the underlying conditions needed for children to be ready for that work. In the same way we rely on seasonal patterns in our lives, children rely on the patterns and predictability of their schedules and interpersonal interactions to help them manage themselves during the emotional highs and lows of their day.
Routines and supportive interpersonal interactions create a sense of safety that is foundational in supporting children’s Social and Emotional development. Children are best ready to learn new skills when they have:
- Connection – to the adults around them and the children near them
- Predictability/Reliability – knowing what to expect and being able to rely on those around them to follow through
- Safety – feeling that both emotional and physical needs are being met
- Modeling – examples of both language and emotional co-regulation
- Practice – having a safe space and the time to practice new skills
- Joy – finding joy in the work and play of childhood and sharing joy with others
When children feel confident in these realms, they are able to develop the social and emotional skills they need for future personal and academic success. What are social and emotional skills?
- Sharing – In a group environment, what isn’t shared? But sharing objects, attention, and ideas takes practice and trust. Children are better able to develop the skills of negotiating and taking turns when they feel that their needs are recognized. Connecting this to the concept of fairness gives a fresh perspective on many conflicts. An environment that values them as individuals allows them to share their ideas.
- Finding Focus – Look! A squirrel! — Navigating a school day means shifting attention from self-directed learning to adult-directed activities. Managing those transitions is essential as is developing the stamina for longer periods of focus.
- Observing and Communicating – Identifying and expressing your wants and needs is one step toward recognizing others as separate individuals. Once we begin to see others as having their own ideas, emotions, and needs we can build relationships and meet the needs of a group by working together.
- Flexibility – Sometimes, the unpredictable happens. Can we roll with the changes? A child who trusts those around them and their environment is better equipped to develop patience and delay gratification.
- Advocacy – When is it okay to NOT be flexible? Sometimes you need a voice to advocate for you and others when solutions are inadequate to address a problem. A child needs confidence that their experience is meaningful and valued to speak up and ask for help and sometimes say No.
Our commitment in these foundations informs our decisions – from the structure of the school day, to the materials in the classrooms, to the focus of our curriculum. We can build compassion for difficult behaviors by recognizing that children respond emotionally when they are uncertain and feel vulnerable. By first understanding their needs we can then develop emotionally warm environments that address those needs. Building a foundation of social and emotional developmental practices is at the core of our work at Open House.
And right in the heart of it all is an enormous amount of joy.
Warmly,
Krista Bogetich
Education Director
To watch a video of the talk click HERE
For a text outline of the talk click HERE