Support for Children’s Regulation

While participating in a read-aloud about feelings, children name feelings and talk about what makes them feel that way. If a child says “fall down” in response to a question about what makes him sad, the teacher might provide a short explanation by saying, “Jordan feels sad when he falls down.” Identifying feelings and what caused them is an important step in developing children’s self-regulation skills.

In this activity, children will identify feelings by recognizing nonverbal cues. In the Guide Practice section, the teacher provides short explanations for why a child might feel happy or sad. Helping children make connections between their feelings and reason for them supports their regulation.

Children are learning to understand their feelings and behavior. They are learning how to express their feelings and how to show feelings in suitable ways. This article shares some ways you can help children to be successful as they learn these significant skills.

Toddlers have strong feelings and often they are not able to manage them on their own. This article shares a few ideas on how to offer toddlers positive guidance that helps them build both self-control and language.

Have you ever had a friend move away? Have you had a pet die? Have you lost someone close to you? Sad times are part of life, just as much as happy times. This article shares some ideas for working with children who are going through some sad times.

Book reading is a great time to discuss and make connections between feelings, actions, and events. In this video you will see a toddler teacher read a story to make a connection between the character’s actions and their feelings.

This video shows teachers providing short explanations that help children of multiple age groups understand why someone is feeling a certain way.

Watch and listen as the teacher notices a child laying down during circle time and calmly provides a logical consequence for their behavior choice.

This video shows teachers explaining reasonable consequences for children’s behaviors and enforcing consequences that are specifically related to misbehavior.

In this short clip, watch as the teacher calmly gives a reminder to the child by stating how to successfully sit in a large group setting.

In this short clip, watch as the teacher calmly gives reminders to the children of how to sit and listen during a shared reading activity.

Watch as the teacher calmly redirects and reminds a child where to keep their hands during story time.

This teacher gives an excited group of students a calm reminder to help them sit correctly on the carpet.

In this short clip watch as the teacher notices a child is no longer paying attention in the activity and asks a question to redirect their attention back to the activity.

In this short clip, watch as the teacher calmly gives a reminder of behavior expectations for the activity and consequences for those who break the rules.

In this short clip watch as the teacher provides additional support for a student by drawing attention to the established rules and routines of the classroom.

In this video, you will see teachers encouraging self-regulation by implementing and consistently following classroom rules and procedures. You will notice that the children are aware of expectations as proof that these routines occur regularly.

Watch how this teacher uses several strategies to transition children from an activity—she uses a song to cue the children, talks in a warm tone about what will happen after cleanup, and gives children plenty of time to transition while staying relaxed and focused on the expectations.

In this video, teachers support toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children to communicate effectively as conflict arises with their peers.

In this video, the teacher assists the children with interacting and communicating with one another by modeling which words to use so they can both play with the tunnel. Teachers can use supportive language to help children communicate in a respectful manner during play and during conflict.

Teachers should intervene quickly to help children solve problems when more than one child wants the same toy, wants to play in the same spot, or wants another child to move out of the way. Watch as the teacher in this video interprets what the children are trying to do and say but also suggests actions and words to help resolve conflicts while sharing playground equipment.

Teachers support children’s positive interactions with peers through role-playing. As children become comfortable initiating friendships, the language they learn from this activity will help them speak respectfully and expand on each other’s play ideas.

Teacher can support interactions between toddlers by providing children with common phrases that children say to each other. Watch as the teacher in this video coaches children with words to say while greeting each other. By supporting these conversations, the teacher helps children in communicating with their peers.

In this intentional activity, teachers will guide children’s communication and interactions with each other by modeling how to speak respectfully. Teaching children how to interact with their peers proactively prevents conflict.

As children roll a ball to a friend, caregivers can guide children to speak respectfully to each other. Toddlers may point at a friend instead of saying their name, and teachers can support children’s positive peer interactions by giving reminders that make all children feel included.

Some young children need assistance to communicate with classmates. Teachers can use this activity to proactively prevent conflict by modeling respectful communication and encouraging children to use it as they share with a partner.

In this video, teachers encourage children to develop self-help skills like handwashing and serving themselves. Building these skills promotes children’s independence, self-reliance, and self-esteem.

The teacher in this video involves children in the management of activities by allowing them to choose their classroom jobs for the week. As the children choose a job, she gives a brief description of the job and how the child can be successful. Teachers can use a classroom helper chart to enforce the classroom’s routines, as well as support children in learning responsibility and practicing self-help skills.

In this video exemplar, the teacher involves children in the management of activities by assigning children to their classroom jobs for the week and using the helper chart as a visual of these assignments. Teachers can use visuals, like a classroom helper chart, to enforce the classroom’s routines, as well as support children in learning responsibility and practicing self-help skills.

In this video example, the teachers encourage the children to be independent and practice self-help skills, such as self-serving during mealtime. Teachers can encourage independence and self-regulation skills by including children in classroom routines and procedures.

Practicing proper handwashing with children helps them learn the importance of this self-care skill and healthy behavior. The movements of the hands and fingers during handwashing build the muscles children will use for more complex activities as they grow older, such as zipping a jacket or picking up and writing with crayons.

This publication from the New York City Department of Education includes a list of tools teachers can use to support children in developing their independence, self-regulation, and self-confidence. Toddler and preschool teachers can use these interactive visuals, like the attendance chart, to enforce the classroom’s routines and procedures and encourage children’s self-help skills.