Week of the Young Child Social/Emotional...

Richmond Chapter of Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children“The Week of the Young Child”April 16th-20th, 2018_________________________________________________________________________________________

Richmond Family MagazinePress Release

The Richmond Chapter of VaAEYC Develops Curriculum in Observation of The Week of the Young Child.

April 16th through the 20th is recognized nationally as The Week of the Young Child. This year the Richmond Chapter of VaAEYC will be sending hundreds of area preschools and providers a curriculum that focuses on building resiliency. The program was developed locally and provides an activity for each of the five days that focuses on concepts such as effective ways of dealing with stress, encouraging connections with safe adults, and recognizing, expressing, and regulating feelings. These activities are designed to take about 20 minutes but can be extended depending on the age and interest of each class and teacher. In addition, information will be provided for parents in hopes that these important life skills will continue to impact children outside of the classroom. Books and other resources that support resiliency will be included in the school and parent materials. The Richmond Chapter sees this as a great conversation starter as children bring home artwork to share with their parents.


Resilience Curriculum Overview

In an ever more stressful world, young children need resilience to navigate with success all that is being asked of them emotionally, academically, and socially. Resilience is defined as “the ability to cope with and overcome adversity. Having the inner strength to deal competently and successfully, day after day, with the challenges and demands we encounter.” Resilience has many components to include, self-regulation, the ability to sit with uncomfortable feelings, expressiveness, problem solving skills, knowing how to ask for help, internally finding calm, and self-regulation, to name a few. Young children are faced with stressors both externally and internally. These challenges to resilience include: moving from one developmental phase to another, too little free play time, exposure to too much information for which they do not yet have the ability to put into perspective, the pressure of “earlier is better,” family changes such as divorce or illness of a parent, and lack of insufficient sleep often due to screens or a loose bedtime routine. Other stressors may include the birth of a sibling, over-scheduling of activities, and less time spent with family as parents work long hours.

Enclosed you will find five days of activities that help build resilience. They are designed to be age appropriate and to take about 10-20 minutes depending on how children respond and how much teachers choose to extend the conversation. We hope that you will see this as the beginning of a continuing dialogue that takes place in the classroom far beyond this one week.

Steps to resilience: 1. Grow2. Learn3. Practice4. Succeed/Fail5. Improve/Rebuild

Resources Included:Lesson Plans for Ages Birth—Age TwoLesson Plans for PreschoolParenting Tips Books that Build ResilienceResilience QuestionnaireA Note to the DirectorStaff QuestionnaireAdditional Resilience Resources for Parents and Caregivers:

Center for Resilient Children – www.centerforresilientchildren.org


Teaching Resilience:Birth-Age Two Lesson Plan

Day 1 - “My Safe Person”

Supplies Daily PlanSoft blanketSmall, soft stuffed toy(s)Your smileSoft voice

Book: Welcome Precious By Nikki Grimes

1) Begin your time together with a smile and soft greeting.2) Describe soft blanket and offer child(ren) a corner to hold.3) Sing “Welcome Song” about being safe and loved.4) Read Book - Welcome Precious by Nikki Grimes5) Talk about listening ears, seeing eyes, smiling mouth, touching

hands, and smelling nose.6) Alternate child’s position (back, tummy, sitting, standing, moving,

being still).7) Talk, talk, talk about all of the things you can hear, see, touch, and

smell throughout your time together.8) End time together with a smile and the words, “Stay safe!”

Day 2 - “Finding Calm”

Supplies Daily Plan

Steps to resilience: 1. Grow2. Learn3. Practice4. Succeed/Fail5. Improve/Rebuild

Resources Included:Lesson Plans for Ages Birth—Age TwoLesson Plans for PreschoolParenting Tips Books that Build ResilienceResilience QuestionnaireA Note to the DirectorStaff QuestionnaireAdditional Resilience Resources for Parents and Caregivers:

Center for Resilient Children – www.centerforresilientchildren.org

Goal: Engage in relational activities with young children to build inner reserves that foster confidence and resilience for life.

Objective: Practice using a gentle touch and soft nurturing sounds when interacting


Soft blanketSmall, soft stuffed toy(s)Small, squishy ballsYour smileSoft voice

Book: Pat the Bunny By Dorothy Kunhardt

1) Begin your time together with a smile and soft greeting.2) Place soft blanket on floor and place child(ren) on soft blanket.3) Sing “Welcome Song” about feeling happy and calm.4) Pat soft blanket with both hands saying, “pat, pat, pat.”5) Read Book - Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt6) Talk about hands and fingers, emphasizing touching and feeling.7) Point to facial features and body parts (eyes, ears, nose, mouth,

fingers, hands)8) Move around room patting everything, naming items, and using

vocabulary such as “fast, slow, soft, gentle, firm, and hard.”9) End time together with a smile and the words, “Find your calm!”

Day 3 - “Experiencing Calm”

Supplies Daily PlanSoft blanketPlastic calming bottlesYour smileSoft voice

Book: Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes By Mem Fox

1) Begin your time together with a smile and soft greeting.2) Place blanket on floor with calming bottles for each child.3) Sing “Welcome Song” about feeling happy and calm.4) Give each child a calming bottle and show them how to shake it.5) Read Book - Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox6) Talk about using strong hands and fingers to shake the bottle. Talk

about the things in the bottle getting wiggled, shaken, and all mixed up.

7) Put bottles down and use eyes to watch the things in the bottle calm down as they fall to the bottom.

8) Have children watch or move around the room using calm motions such as bird’s wings, tip-toe walking slowly, and taking big breaths.

9) End time together with a smile and the words, “ Stay calm!”

Day 4 - “Finding Feelings”

Supplies Daily Plan


Soft blanketSmall emoji pictures or pillows of “happy, sad, and mad faces”*see attached templateYour smile and voice

Book: Feelings By Aliki Brandenberg

1) Begin with a smile and happy greeting.2) Gather children at circle time blanket with book and emojis.3) Talk about using our faces to show how we feel – smile, frown, angry

look or crying face – show the emotions on your face as you speak and ask children to imitate.

4) Read Book - Feelings by Aliki Brandenberg5) Have children point to emojis when you say words “happy, smile,

sad, crying, mad, angry.” Ask children to copy faces on emojis.6) Alternate children’s position and take a walk around the room –

waving hands for happy, slumped over for sad, stomping for mad.7) End time together with a smile and the words, “Find your feelings!”

*Demonstrate positive ways to respond to feelings: clap hands for happy, turning a frown upside down into a smile, pounding hands on blanket for mad.

Day 5 - “Experiencing Feelings”

Supplies Daily PlanSoft blanketBasket of safe musical instrumentsSmall emoji pictures or pillows*see attached templateYour smile and voice

Book: The Baby Dances By K. Henderson

1) Begin your time together with a smile and happy greeting.2) Ask children to bring their feelings to the blanket for circle time.3) Sing “Feelings” song.4) Model feelings faces (happy, sad, mad) and ask children to copy your

face.5) Ask children to hold up emoji pictures to match your expression.6) Use expanded vocabulary – glad, scared, surprised, excited, silly,

tired, cranky, embarrassed – other feelings words, showing a face to match the word.

7) Read Book - The Baby Dances by K. Henderson8) Ask children to dance to the feelings words – “What does a happy

dance look like? Sad? Mad? Silly?9) End time together with a smile and the words, “It’s good to have

feelings!”


Teaching Resilience : Preschool Lesson Plan

Day 1 - “My Safe Person”

Supplies Daily Plan

Goal: Engage in relational activities with young children to build inner reserves that foster confidence and resilience for life.

Objective: For children to transition from adults soothing them to a more autonomous soothing that fosters independence and self-reliance.


CrayonsMarkersPaper

Opening Circle Time:Say: Everybody worries sometimes. Adults worry and kids worry too!Ask: What are some things that adults worry about? What do kids worry about?Say: One thing that really helps when you are worried is to tell someone. Just talking about it can make you feel calmer and often the person you speak to can find a way to make it better.

Activity:Draw a picture of a person you trust who you can go to if you are worried.

Closing Circle Time:Ask children to share who they drew and why they chose that person.

Day 2 - “Finding Calm”

Supplies Daily PlanCrayonsMarkersPaper

Opening Circle Time:Review Day 1’s activity and discussion.

Activity:Draw something or someone who makes you feel good or happy.

Closing Circle Time:Ask children to share their pictures and why they chose that person/thing.Say: Too much worrying can make you feel bad. Ask: What does it feel like in your body when you worry? Say: Think about your picture. One way to deal with worry is to think of something or someone that makes you feel good or happy instead.Ask children to try this next time they are worried and report back to the class how it worked.

Day 3 - “Experiencing Calm”

Supplies Daily Plan


Plastic water bottle1 cup water3/4 cup vegetable oilFood coloringDuct TapeOptional: glitter


Activity:1.Remove label on standard plastic water bottle.2. Add about 1 cup water - about 1/2 full.3. Add about 3/4 cup vegetable oil. Water and oil should be about one inch from top of bottle.4. Add 3-4 drops of food colorings. Add glitter if desired. 5. Secure the cap with fun duct tape.6. Shake. If the color is right, you are done. If you need a deeper color, add a drop or two more of the food coloring. 7. Leave the bottle very still and watch as the oil and water slowly separate. Take a few deep breaths. 8. Enjoy your calming moments.

Closing Circle Time:Spend time using the calming bottles as a group. Ask: How do you feel when you use this bottle? When are times when you can use this bottle to calm down?


Supplies Daily PlanHappy/Sad Face Sheet*see attached templateCrayonsMarkersScissorsGlue StickPopsicle Stick


Activity:Have students color, cut out, and assemble “Sad/Happy Face Puppets.” *see attached sheet

Closing Circle Time:Ask: What makes you happy? What makes you sad?How do you let people know how you are feeling?Are these the only emotions people have? What are some other feelings? (Discuss emotions such as frustration, excitement, confusion, fear, etc.)What can you do with your feelings?



Supplies Daily PlanTray or shallow dishRiceDried peas or beans

Opening Circle Time:Review the week’s activities and discussions. Ask: What are some things that worry you or some bad things that have happened that you know about?Say: While some bad or scary things happen, they are very few compared to all the good things that happen in the world. Ask: Name good or kind things or people. Say: You come from a good school where there are a lot of people who care about them. Ask: Who are people in your lives who care for you? What kinds of things do they do to show they care?

Activity: Fill tray with rice and dried peas or beans.

Closing Circle Time:Say: The rice stands for all the good people and things in the world. The beans or peas represent the occasional bad or scary things.


Parenting Tips for Building Resiliency at Home

Make sleep a priority. Children handle stress best when they are well rested. 10-12 hours a night is the goal.

Free play is one of the best ways for children to release tension. Try not to over schedule your child with too many organized activities.

Limit screen time and try to involve your child in large motor play. This includes running, riding a bike, skating, etc. Children ages birth-2 should not have any screen time. About an hour a day of screen time is what is recommended for children under the age of 6.

Try to get them outside in the fresh air every day that weather permits. Even ten minutes is better than nothing.

Spend some time each day giving your child your full attention. Make sure to turn off your electronics and really focus on the child. Listen to what they have to say, talk about your day and spend some quality time engaged in conversation and what we call “floor time.”

Try not to push your child academically. Support them moving forward at their own pace and in their own time.

Help your child learn to sit with uncomfortable feelings. Try not to give in to temper tantrums. Use clear firm limits.


Books That Build Resilience

When Bad Things Happenby Ted O’Neal

Notes:

What Do You Do With a Problem?by Kobi Yamada

Notes:

The Goodnight Caterpillarby Lori Lite

Notes:

D.W. Go To Your Roomby Marc Brown

Notes:


Dinosaurs DivorceBy Marc Brown

Notes:

Wemberly WorriedBy Keven Henkes

Notes:

Simon and the Worry WatchBy Susan M. Brown

Notes:

How Do Dinosaurs Say I’M MAD?By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

Notes:


David Gets in TroubleBy David Shannon

Notes:

No, David!By David Shannon

Notes:

The Very Cranky BearBy Nick Bland

Notes:

When Sophie Gets AngryBy Molly Bang

Notes:


Mad at MommyBy Komako Sakai

Notes:

Just For You!: Stop, Drop, and ChillBy Derrick D. Barnes

Notes:

The Paper Bag PrincessBy Robert N. Munsch

Notes:

Charlie AndersonBy Barbara Abercrombie

Notes:


Just Like Josh GibsonBy Angela Johnson

Notes:

I Like Myself!By Karen Beaumont

Notes:

Bear’s Loose ToothBy Karma Wilson

Notes:

Most PeopleBy Michael Leannah

Notes:


Resilience Questionnaire

Please circle the most accurate answer under each statement:

1. I believe that my mother loved me when I was little.

Definitely True Probably True Not Sure Probably Not True Definitely Not True

2. I believe that my father loved me when I was little.


3. When I was little, other people helped my mother and father take care of me and they seemed to love me.


4. I’ve heard that when I was an infant someone in my family enjoyed playing with me, and I enjoyed it too.


5. When I was a child, there were relatives in my family who made me feel better if I was sad or worried.


6. When I was a child, neighbors or my friends’ parents seemed to like me.


7. When I was a child, teachers, coaches, youth leaders, or ministers were there to help me.



8. Someone in my family cared about how I was doing in school.


9. My family, neighbors, and friends talked often about making our lives better.


10. We had rules in our house and were expected to keep them.


11. When I felt really bad, I could almost always find someone I trusted to talk to.


12. As a youth, people noticed that I was capable and could get things done.


13. I was independent and a go-getter.


14. I believed that life if what you make it.


Results:


How many of these 14 protective factors (“Definitely True” or “Probably True” answers) did I have as a child and youth? ________

Of these circled, how many are still true for me? _______


A Note to the Director

The Richmond Chapter of VAaeyc would like to thank you for implementing this program. We hope that your teachers and students found the activities engaging and that your school/center saw it as time well spent. We cannot underestimate the importance of helping young children build resilience in school and at home. We hope that you will come back to the activities and concepts throughout the year, as repetition is essential to children being able to internalize the tools presented in the curriculum.

We would love to get feedback from you or your staff about their experience with the program. Please take a few minutes to complete a survey on the Resilience teaching resource “Staff Questionnaire.”It may be completed online here.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DXHR3WH


Staff Questionnaire

Directions: Please circle your response to the following questions.

1. On a scale from 1 to 10 (10=easy) with what amount of ease did you find in carrying out the activities?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Difficult Easy

2. How well did your students engage with the activities overall? (1=not engaged at all, 10=fully engaged)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Not at all Fully engaged

3. Did you get any feedback from parents as to their sense of their child’s engagement in the activities?

No feedback Some positive feedback Some negative feedback

4. How likely are you to continue using some of the ideas in your classroom?

Not likely Somewhat likely Very likely

5. Please take time to write anything else you would like to share with us. All responses will remain anonymous unless you would like to sign your name.

Thank you for your support and for all the great work you do as an early childhood educator!

Week of the Young Child Social/Emotional...

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