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Flexing Prefrontal Cortex Skills
Teaching Ideas for Cognitive & Emotional Skill Development
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TEACHING Planning Build the habit of “think” before “do”.
Verbalize plans for action before doing. Helping students to construct goals (short-term and long-term). Refer back to beginning of the year “getting to know you activities” and note progress. Use a template to chart plan. (Can be individual or collaborative.) Giving students a moment to think about what their plans are before going off to do something. FirstSchool2016
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TEACHING Organization
Establish a clear understanding about the purpose and reason for doing this project, activity, etc. Provide time to think about what is needed to be successful (materials, partners, place to work). What does one have & what does one need to gather/select. Consider the behaviors one needs to be successful Prethink how one might respond if a problem is encountered Use folders, note-taking, calendaring, graphic organizers, etc. Routines and procedures – the why’s & how they support the success FirstSchool2016
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TEACHING Time Management
Model chunking of assignment. Set the stage to ensure everyone gets off to a good start. Provide reminders/cues to students about how much time has passed. Build stamina to sustain for longer periods of time. FirstSchool2016
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IMPROVING Working Memory
Have students repeat back what was just said (especially for multi-step directions) Use visual cues Chunk information into smaller bits (phone numbers) Use mnemonic devices (ROY G BIV) Make it multisensory (Act it out) FirstSchool2017
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TEACHING Self-monitoring
Provide check-in times Pause for reflection & metacognition – how am I doing; what worked or didn’t and why Use exit tickets Establish and use “safe spaces” Teach strategies for self-calming (breathing, pausing) Build a growth mindset – viewing mistakes as opportunity to learn FirstSchool2017
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TEACHING Impulse Control
In Motion/Classroom brain breaks Setting timer for transitioning – build on natural competitiveness Practice ignoring distractions & building stamina Teach calming strategies & encourage them to suggest them to peers. Put on blinders (limit peripheral vision); use binoculars (focus) Practice songs, such as Bingo, where children have to suppress saying the name of the letter and clapping instead Teach putting a moment between the impulse and the action Community reflection on what happens when we don’t control ourselves Recognition for when were able to do something that couldn’t do before One group of kids focuses on coloring within the lines ignoring the distraction of other children bouncing balloons in the air around them. Children alternate roles Walking on a string, holding something in a spoon while kids are distracting you..morphs into normal things like walking on a string to wash your hands and ignoring peers who are not doing what is asked Lego blocks (lock them together carefully); unit blocks (stack them so the building is sturdy); building with clay (squeeze just enough, but not too much to make a bird's egg), regulating the amount of paint in an easel brush (dip brush in cup of paint and push on side of can to remove excess paint). FirstSchool2017
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TEACHING Regulation of Emotions
Recognize and honor feelings - genuine-nesss and authenticity Create of safe spaces Proactive anticipation and response to things and times that might be difficult for children (not all going to get a turn; schedule change) Teach emotional literacy so students are able to recognize and talk about a broad range of feelings Select a face that best matches your mood. Use of literature, puppets, etc. to explore feelings and responses Engage in reflective conversations about how could you have handled this in a different way. Practice the more suitable response. Have reflective conversations about what can we individually and collectively to support you to be the person you want to be FirstSchool2016
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Teaching flexibility Young brain needs adults to act in ways that honor the child’s rights to desire, hope, explore and show preferences while also helping the child learn to honor the similar right of others. Prepare children in advance for upcoming change Taking turns (games, jobs, roles, etc.) Establish a classroom atmosphere of valuing different perspectives, different ways to solve problems, different answers, different ways to do things FirstSchool2016
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Teaching Task initiation
Release controlling everything – intentionally find ways to provide student autonomy Engage in collaborative ventures (adult-student; student-student) Create a risk-free environment to build confidence in students that their thoughts and ideas are valued and important; Offer rraise for showing initiative Teach and use the “thinking skills” in the first column Establish an environment where the classroom is a place for investigation Offering choices Use engaging topics that interest and motivate students FirstSchool2017
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TEACHING Persistence Teach emotional regulation Value effort
Recognize and praise progress towards a goal Establishing a growth mindset - Not born smart, get smart by continuously working at something Keep in mind the Zone of Proximal Development – balance of challenge and success Emphasize how putting forth effort will get you where you want to go . When children regulate uncomfortable emotions, they can relax and focus on learning cognitive skills. Similarly, children experience better emotional regulation when they replace thoughts like “I’m not good at this” with thoughts like “This is difficult, but I can do it if I keep trying.” Regulating anxiety and thinking helps children persist in challenging activities, which increases their opportunities to practice the skills required for an activity. Big shots are only little shots who kept on shooting! FirstSchool2016
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