1. SEL, Self-Regulation and School Readiness

2. All of us have moments in our childhood where we come alive for the first time. And we go back to those moments and think, 'This is when I became myself.'
- Rita Dove

3. Committee for Children
Non-profit organization
35 years
70 countries
9 million children reached

4. Presentation Overview? ?
What’s important for school readiness?
What are self-regulation skills and social emotional learning?
What strategies can help children to develop these skills?
How can developing these
skills in children positively impact your classroom?

5. Early learning is Critical
Longitudinal studies show long-term positive benefits for kids and families.
The brain “grows” (maturates) the most --92 percent of brain development -- in the first five years of life.
There are 2,000 days between birth and kindergarten. Every day counts! 5

6. What do children need to be able to do most to be ready for school?

7. Your thoughts
What do children need to be able to do in order to be most ready for school?
Say the alphabet
Follow directions
Control their behavior
Listen attentively in a large group

8. Kindergarten Teachers Agree
Aspects of self-regulation are more important than letter knowledge
But over half of students start kindergarten lacking self-regulation skills

9. Good News! Self-regulation skills & Social Skills can be taught.
Preschoolers with these skills
will have a more successful transition to kindergarten.

10. Self-Regulation Skills
What are self-regulation skills?
Why are they important for kindergarten readiness and school and life success?

11. Self-Regulation Skills
Children with self-regulation skills have the ability to monitor and manage: They can direct, sustain, and shift their attention.
Emotions
Thoughts
Behaviors

12. Ponder this…
What does a child with good self-regulation skills look like in your classroom?

13. Self-Regulation & Learning-Related Skills
Having self-regulation skills supports children in developing skills positively related to learning, such as:
Listening
Staying on task
Ignoring distractions
Waiting for a turn
Following through on a plan

14. Importance for School Readiness
Self-regulation skills
Learning-related skills
Success in the classroom

15. Related to academic success from preschool to college
What the Research Says
Related to academic success from preschool to college
Predictive of schooling decisions, college completion, wages, and employment
Self-regulation and learning-related skills are:

16. Ponder this…
What happens in your classroom when children don’t have good self- regulation skills?

17. Impact of Skill Deficit
Children lacking good self-regulation skills are at greater risk for many negative outcomes:
High rates of expulsion, especially from preschool
Low academic achievement
School dropout
Peer rejection
Emotional and behavioral problems

18. Self-Regulation Skills Protect
those with stronger self-regulation skills do better academically
than children with weaker self-regulation skills.
When children have the same number of risk factors…

19. Social Emotional Learning Skills
What are social emotional competencies?
Why are they important for kindergarten readiness and school and life success?

20. Social Emotional Learning Research
CASEL is the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning
National collaborative that focuses on advancing the science of social emotional learning, advocating for SEL standards, supporting effective SEL teaching practices.

21. CASEL

22. RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING RELATIONSHIP SKILLS SOCIAL AWARENESS
SELF-MANAGEMENT
Managing emotions
and behaviors to
achieve one’s goals
SELF-
AWARENESS
Recognizing one’s emotions and values as well as one’s strengths and limitations
RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING
Making ethical constructive choices about personal and social behavior
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
Forming positive relationships, working in teams, dealing effectively with conflict
SOCIAL AWARENESS
Showing understanding and empathy for others

23. Activity Pick one competency from the 5
Think of a time you used that skill JUST TODAY
Share with your partner/table
Group Discussion to follow

24. Social-Emotional Competence
Identify own and other’s feelings
Have empathy
Manage strong emotions
Solve interpersonal problems
Make friends and get along with others
Perform better academically
Children who are socially competent can:

25. Self-Awareness Identifying emotions Accurate self-perception
Recognizing strengths
Sense of self-confidence
Self-efficacy
CASEL 2012

26. Identifying Feelings

27. Self-Management Impulse control Stress management Self-discipline
Self-motivation
Goal setting
Organizational skills
CASEL 2012

28. Managing emotions
Coaching to Calm Down

29. Relationship Skills Communication Social engagement
Building relationships
Working cooperatively
Resolving conflict
Helping/Seeking help
CASEL 2012

30. Responsible Decision Making
Problem identification
Situation analysis
Problem solving
Evaluation
Reflection
Ethical Responsibility
CASEL 2012

31. Problem solving Steps Children are taught to calm down first then:
Say the Problem
Use words to describe the problem
Think of solutions
Think of safe things to do to solve the problem

32. These skills can be taught, but how?

33. Classroom Strategies to Develop Social Skills
Games
Visual Aids
Songs
Puppets
Story and Discussion

34. Second Step for Early Learning
Designed to promote young children’s readiness skills
for school and life
Designed for typically
developing four-year-olds
Also works with multi-age classrooms and three-year-olds

35. Weekly Theme Activities Reinforcing Activities
Set up for success
Weekly Theme Activities
Brain Builder games
Puppet Script
Story and Discussion
Skill Practices
Song
Recommended books
Reinforcing Activities
Using Skills Every Day
Home Links
Practice Opportunities
Curriculum Connections

36. Playing Games, Building Brains
Games can help children develop behavioral aspects of self-regulation known as executive function skills.
Executive Function Skills
Working memory
Flexible attention
Inhibitory control

37. Brain Builder Games Overall message for children:
About the games:
Have specific rules and steps
Include ways to increase the challenge
Played several times per week
Develop executive function skills
Overall message for children:
Your brain can get stronger and smarter with practice and effort

38. Using Games to Develop Skills
Sink or Swim
Head Start classroom in WA state

39. Visual Aids: Listening Rules
The simple actions help children remember the rules.
And the visual aids help
reinforce children’s learning.

40. Listening Rules Song
Eyes are watching Ears are listening Voices quiet Bodies calm This is how we listen At group time

41. Using Puppets to Develop Skills
“Asking for What You Want or Need”

42. Story and Discussion Color photo of real children
Story that teaches more about the skills
Followed by a brief discussion
Lasts about five to seven minutes
Can be done at a group time during the day

43. Using Story and Discussion to Develop Skills
“Asking for What You Want or Need”

44. Self-Regulation, SEL & Kindergarten

45. How might teaching self-regulation and social skills affect your classrooms?

46. Key Points to Remember
Self-regulation and social skills are important for
kindergarten readiness.
Self-regulation and social skills can be taught.
Fun, engaging strategies can help children develop these important skills.
Developing these skills
can positively impact
your classroom.

47. Foundations of School Readiness
Early learning professionals talk about foundations of school readiness

48. Questions?

49. Thank you! Jennifer Balogh 1-800-634-4449 ext 6522