Most people picture preschool as a room full of 4-year-olds running rampant and screaming at each other while you try to keep the classroom from catching fire.  And it does feel like that some days!  So here’s some research based tips to help your preschoolers keep their emotions in check and display self control.

How to Teach Emotions in Preschool and Avoid Meltdowns

The Role of Emotions in Preschool

Kids Can’t Work When They’re Upset

When you tell someone you’re a preschool teacher, do they look at you with that face and say, “There’s no way I could do that!”

And we usually reply with something similar to “It definitely takes a certain level of passion!”

You probably already know that trying to get an upset preschooler on task is not an easy thing to do.  In fact, you’re likely to end up as frustrated as the child and nothing productive is probably going to happen.

So, instead, it would be helpful to get the child to calm down so they can focus on their work.  After all, most adults have trouble focusing when they’re upset, too.

→ Remember, a preschooler’s work is play!  Here’s the rules for using worksheets in preschool.  But sometimes, we also need kids to get on task in order to stand in line or practice safety.

Students Who Manage Their Emotions Also Manage Their Behaviors

Have you noticed this?

Even preschoolers can learn to understand their feelings and notice emotional upsets in their friends.  Kids who can stay calm or move onto a new task when they’re frustrated, or walk away when a friend isn’t playing nicely, are probably some of the best behaved students in your class.

On the other hand, the kids who have outbursts every time something doesn’t go their way, are probably some of your most frustrating students.

So, helping students regulate their emotions will help you have a happier day in class!

How to Keep Your Students Happy

The biggest tool in helping a child regulate their emotions is a caregiver who knows their own emotions and can tune into the students’ feelings, as well.

Here’s a few ways to help keep your class at a healthy emotional level:

• Adjust your tone and nonverbal communication to match the child’s level of emotion.  When they tune into you, move your level of emotion back to a normal range.
• Learn how to keep your own emotions in check.  An out of control adult is definitely not going to solve the problem.
• Observe your students.  Become aware of their limits and habits.
• Keep a journal reflecting your own emotions and how they affect your teaching.
• Use sensory play or a quiet area with books, sensory bottles, music, etc. to help calm an upset or disruptive student

Two books I have read myself and really recommend to everyone who works with kids or wants to learn to control their emotions for better success in life and at work are:

• Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline
• Emotional Intelligence 2.0

Teaching Emotions in Preschool

Giving an emotion a name has a big effect on your attitude about a situation. We need to teach this concept to our students, too!

I like to spend at least a week introducing and reviewing these emotions posters.  We talk about each face, give the face a name, and act them out together.  You can also talk about what kind of event might trigger these feelings.

After we’ve spent some time talking about these posters, I hang them in a corner of my room and make a quiet area.  You can read more about creating a calming center in your classroom in this post.

We also talk about good and poor choices to make when we’re upset.  Hitting or yelling are obviously poor choices.  Instead, I remind them to refer to the poster above and make a decision that will help them calm down.

Sometimes preschoolers don’t need a “time out,” but just to sit alone for a few minutes reading a book or viewing a sensory bottle and let the emotion pass.

 

Don’t forget to follow my Emotions in Preschool board on Pinterest for more ideas!

[pin_board url=”https://www.pinterest.com/slondon11/emotions-in-preschool/?eq=emotions&etslf=NaN” size=”custom” board_width=”100%”]

 

 

You can purchase these emotions posters for yourself!