SEL, Self-Regulation and School Readiness

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
Committee for Children

• Non-profit organization
• 35 years
• 70 countries
• 9 million children reached
Presentation Overview
What’s important for school What are self-regulation skills
readiness? and social emotional learning?

How can developing these

What strategies can help
skills in children positively
children to develop these skills?
impact your classroom?
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!
 What do children need
to be able to do most to
be ready for school?
Your thoughts
What do
children need Say the Follow
alphabet directions
to be able to
do in order to
Listen
be most ready Control
attentively
their
for school? in a large
behavior
group
Kindergarten Teachers Agree

Aspects of self- But over half of

regulation are students start
more important kindergarten
than letter lacking self-
knowledge regulation skills
Good News!

Self-regulation skills &

Social Skills can be taught.

Preschoolers with these skills

will have a more successful
transition to kindergarten.
Self-Regulation Skills
What are self-regulation skills?
Why are they important for kindergarten
readiness and school and life success?
Self-Regulation Skills
Children with self-regulation skills have the ability to
monitor and manage:

Emotions Thoughts Behaviors

They can direct, sustain, and shift their attention.

Ponder this…

What does a
child with good
self-regulation
skills look like in
your classroom?
Self-Regulation & Learning-Related Skills

 Listening
Having self-regulation  Staying on task
skills supports children  Ignoring distractions
in developing skills
 Waiting for a turn
positively related to
learning, such as:  Following through on a
plan
Importance for School Readiness

Self- Learning- Success in

regulation related the
skills skills classroom
What the Research Says
Self-regulation and learning-related skills are:

Related to academic Predictive of schooling

success from decisions, college
preschool to college completion, wages,
and employment
Ponder this…

What happens in
your classroom
when children don’t
have good self-
regulation skills?
Impact of Skill Deficit
 High rates of expulsion,
especially from preschool
Children lacking good  Low academic achievement
self-regulation skills are  School dropout
at greater risk for many
 Peer rejection
negative outcomes:
 Emotional and behavioral
problems
Self-Regulation Skills Protect
those with stronger
self-regulation skills
When children do better
academically
have the same
number of risk
factors… than children with
weaker self-
regulation skills.
Social Emotional Learning Skills
What are social emotional competencies?
Why are they important for kindergarten
readiness and school and life success?
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.

 www.casel.org
CASEL
 SELF- SELF-
MANAGEMENT AWARENESS
Managing emotions Recognizing one’s
and behaviors to emotions and values as
achieve one’s goals well as one’s strengths
and limitations

RELATIONSHIP RESPONSIBLE
SKILLS DECISION-MAKING
SOCIAL
Making ethical
Forming positive AWARENESS constructive choices
relationships, working in
teams, dealing effectively Showing understanding about personal and social
with conflict and empathy for others behavior
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

Social-Emotional Competence
 Identify own and other’s
feelings
 Have empathy
Children who are
 Manage strong emotions
socially competent
can:  Solve interpersonal problems
 Make friends and get along
with others
 Perform better academically
 Self-Awareness
 Identifying emotions
 Accurate self-perception
 Recognizing strengths
 Sense of self-confidence
 Self-efficacy
CASEL 2012
Identifying Feelings
 Self-Management
 Impulse control
 Stress management
 Self-discipline
 Self-motivation
 Goal setting
 Organizational skills
CASEL 2012
Managing emotions
Coaching to
Calm Down
 Relationship Skills
 Communication
 Social engagement
 Building relationships
 Working cooperatively
 Resolving conflict
 Helping/Seeking help

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

CASEL 2012
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
These skills can be taught, but how?
Classroom Strategies to Develop Social Skills

Games Visual Aids Songs

Puppets Story and

Discussion
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
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
Playing Games, Building Brains

Games can help Executive Function Skills

children develop  Working memory
behavioral aspects of
 Flexible attention
self-regulation known
as executive function  Inhibitory control
skills.
Brain Builder Games
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
Using Games to Develop Skills
Sink or Swim

Head Start
classroom in
WA state
Visual Aids: Listening Rules
The simple
actions
help
children
remember
the rules.

And the visual aids help

reinforce children’s learning.
Listening Rules Song
Eyes are watching
Ears are listening
Voices quiet
Bodies calm
This is how we listen
This is how we listen
At group time
At group time
Using Puppets to Develop Skills
“Asking for
What You
Want or
Need”
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
Using Story and Discussion to Develop Skills

“Asking for
What You
Want or
Need”
Self-Regulation, SEL & Kindergarten
How might teaching self-regulation and
social skills affect your classrooms?
Key Points to Remember

Self-regulation and social

Self-regulation and social
skills are important for
skills can be taught.
kindergarten readiness.

Fun, engaging strategies Developing these skills

can help children develop can positively impact
these important skills. your classroom.
Foundations of School Readiness

Early
learning
professionals
talk about
foundations
of school
readiness
Questions?
 Thank you!
Jennifer Balogh
1-800-634-4449 ext 6522
jbalogh@cfchildren.org

www.cfchildren.org