The Foundation for Supporting Children’s Learning & Development Section 7 – Social Skills Teaching Research Assistance to Childcare Providers

Social and Emotional Skills Form relationships (Friendship skills) Recognize and manage emotions (Self-regulation skills) Identify emotions (Empathy Skills) Handle difficult situations (Problem solving skills) Children need these skills to:

Stages to Teaching Social-emotional Skills Stage 1 Show & tell Stage 2 Practice makes perfect Stage 3 You got it!

Teaching Friendship Skills Helping each other Taking turns Sharing Organizing play

Friendship Skills: Use role play to show puppets helping each other. Plan activities that involve children helping each other to complete tasks Helping each other Teach board games or set up games with balls Plan activities where children have to take turns to complete a task Taking turns

Friendship Skills: Taking Turns Use role play to show how children offer to share their toys. Set up activities where children work together and share materials. “Catch” children sharing and praise them. Sharing Demonstrate ways to initiate play using “Lets…” statements. Such as “Lets play trucks.” Role play “right” and “wrong” ways to organize play Play Organizers

Practical Strategies Video

Teaching Empathy Skills Identifying Feelings Feeling empathy Responding

Teaching Empathy Concepts & Skills

Teaching Empathy Brainstorming Activity

Teaching Empathy General Strategies Adults…… –Label children's emotions –Validate children’s feelings –Praise children for labeling emotions –Model/talk about their own emotions

Teaching Empathy General Strategies (Cont.) –Model feelings using puppets –Draw attention to how others are feeling –Role play situations –Reinforce empathic behavior –Tell stories related to feelings at circle time

ALSO……….. Use visuals related to feelings in the classroom Happy Sad Mad

Teaching Self Regulation Skills Emotions are not the problem! What you do with emotions can be. Self-regulation = emotions & cognitive thinking

Teaching Self Regulation Skills Indirect StrategiesDirect Strategies Modeling Hints and clues Withdraw support Recognize emotions Relaxation process Self-regulation Strategy

Self-Regulation Strategies “Tucker Turtle” technique

Other Self-Regulation Strategies Stop, breathe, and think. Stop, count, and work out the problem How do I feel? Take three deep breaths. Count to five slowly. Say, “Calm down.” Talk to a grown up about it.

Teaching Problem Solving Skills 1. Identify & define problem2. Brainstorm solutions3. Decide where to start 4. Create problem-solving tools 5. Test & analyze solutions.

Problem Solving Skills Brainstorming Strategies Flexible thinking Avoid judgment Reflect on ideas Break into smaller pieces Open- ended questions

Problem Solving Activity