Lessons are taught twice a month during the school year to students three to five years old by the Director of Curriculum, April Steigerwald. Using the Illinois Early Learning Development Standards, lessons are created to help children grow socially and emotionally at an appropriate rate for their age level.
- Labeling feelings
- Recognizing when they are experiencing a feeling
- What to do or how to react
- Working as a team with other students
- Following directions/listening to teachers
- Making appropriate choices in the classroom
The Choices We Make
In class, we will also focus on the choices that students make. I have found that at an early age, students begin labeling each other as "good" or "bad," according to the choices they make. It is a goal to make it very clear that there are no "bad" kids. Therefore, we refer to the choices we make as GREEN and RED choices, not good or bad.
Below are some examples of choices I give the students in my class.
Green Choices
- Keep my hands and feet to myself
- Cleaning up in a timely manner
- Using our listening ears
- Being respectful in the classroom
Red Choices
- Color the furniture
- Make someone sad
- Using our hands or feet to hurt others
Identifying the Problem and Using Coping Techniques
All classrooms at Little Jewels at the Preschool level or higher have a Calming Corner that is used. The area was introduced to the students after doing a study on the story, “Tucker Turtle.” In the story, Tucker Turtle introduces the strategies he uses when he gets upset. The link below will take you to a YouTube video of the Tucker Turtle book. https://youtu.be/Vh5z9FPucMU
Calming Center Items:
- A timer
- A blanket
- Fidget toys
