Activities for Self-Awareness in Kindergarten

When children are happy with themselves, they more easily develop friendships.

Teaching social skills and emotional competency is as important as teaching reading, writing and math, but finding time for such lessons is difficult in a typical kindergarten schedule. Spend extra time at the beginning of the year to build a classroom environment that promotes peacemaking and unity. As children feel comfortable with themselves and each other, they participate more successfully in other aspects of learning. Once you've developed a strong sense of community, you'll spend less time resolving conflicts and more time actively teaching and learning with your students.

Identifying Emotions

At the beginning of the year, ask the children to pose for you while expressing various emotions. Take photos of the children and use the photos to produce a chart or book on feelings. Place the book or poster in a prominent place in the classroom. Select one emotion each week to discuss. Talk about situations that cause the children to feel an emotion, what that emotion feels like (pounding heart, flushed face), and discuss possible solutions. When you see a child become angry or upset, verbally label the emotion for him. Say something like, "I can tell that you feel furious right now." Then go on to help find solutions. When children learn to identify their emotions, they are better equipped to handle them.

"I Can" Projects

Ask the children to think about things they are good at and chart their responses. From the responses, ask children to identify some talents they have that might help others in the classroom. Make a poster with illustrations detailing the children's ideas. For example, one child might know how to tie her shoes. Another child might be very good at writing, reading or drawing. When a child needs help with a task, enlist the help of the "expert" child in your classroom. This activity promotes unity and teamwork, as children learn from each other. Make sure every child in the classroom has equal opportunities to be a learner and a teacher.

Calm-Down Techniques

Set up a "cozy corner" in your classroom. A cozy corner may be a soft rug, cardboard box or tent where children can go when they are feeling upset, sad or overwhelmed. Place a few books in the corner. Develop some strategies for calming down with the children, and let them help you make a poster detailing the strategies. Calm-down steps might include counting to 10, taking deep breaths, talking with an adult, listening to music, drawing a picture of the problem or writing about the problem. When children are given strategies for dealing with negative emotions, they can take responsibility for their own emotional state and more readily cope with challenging situations.

LIteracy Connections

Read stories that portray children facing everyday challenges and emotions. Children will identify with these stories and learn valuable lessons about themselves in the process. Kevin Henkes, Rosemary Wells, Leo Lioni and Eve Bunting are writers that are especially in tune with the emotional life of young children. Try "Chrysanthemum," or "Owen," by Kevin Henkes, or "Bunny Cakes," or "Yoko," by Rosemary Wells. Talk about the characters in the stories as you read. Ask the children if they've ever felt the way the characters are feeling. Ask the children what they did in those situations?

References

• "Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom;" Diane E. Levin, Ph.D; 1994
• "Adventures in Peacemaking;" William J. Kreidler and Sandy Tsubokawa Whittall; 1999

Resources

• Scholastic: Social Skills and Challenges in Kindergarten