Use this guide to help staff think of ways to promote important social and emotional skills across age groups.

Promoting Emotional Literacy

Infants:

• Respond to cries quickly
• Label the infant’s emotions (“It’s so frustrating when a ball is just out of reach!”; “Are you surprised that you rolled over?”)
• Imitate the infant’s facial expressions and comment on the emotions (“What a sad face! What’s wrong?”)
• Provide low mirrors for infants to explore their own face

Toddlers:

• Read stories and board books about emotions (e.g., “Baby Faces”, “Baby Happy, Baby Sad”)
• Comfort toddlers during emotional moments and use emotion vocabulary (“I know you’re angry that it’s time to clean up. Let me help you.”)
• Play music that represents different emotions (upbeat music that sounds “happy” and slower music that sounds “sad”). Encourage children to move their bodies to the music

Preschoolers:

• Read books about emotions (e.g., “Sometimes I Feel Silly”; “My Many Colored Days”)
• Use drawings and photos of faces to teach emotion vocabulary (see samples available from CSEFEL).
• Encourage empathy (“How do you think he feels when….”)
• Teach children appropriate ways to handle intense emotions (count to three or use the “Turtle Technique” from CSEFEL)

School-Agers:

• Discuss emotional events in popular pre-teen books, movies, or TV shows
• Talk about your own emotions (“My dog is sick today, so I’m feeling worried about her.”)
• Encourage children to practice emotions through drama (e.g., acting out different characters’ emotions)
• Teach children appropriate ways to handle intense emotions (exercise, count to 10, take a deep breath)

Promoting Friendship Skills

Infants:

• Respond to cries quickly, so infants learn to trust others
• Help infants begin to notice others (“Can you say Hi to Bryce?” or “Wave bye-bye to Dante”)
• Comment when infants try helping others (“Are you handing the shaker to Mary? What a nice friend.”)

Toddlers:

• Provide multiple high-interest toys and encourage children to play near each other
• Set up opportunities for children to play together: pulling a wagon, bouncing a ball
• Recognize and encourage friendly behaviors (“That was so helpful”; “You two worked together to build a tower”)
• Notice and comment when toddlers try to help or use caregiving behaviors (“You are giving the dolly a bottle. You’re taking good care of her”; “Thank you for bringing me Devon’s sweater”)

Preschoolers:

• Create Buddy Activities in which children work together (cooking, creating art, playing a board game, etc.)
• Read books about friendship skills and behaviors (e.g., “Fox Makes Friends”, “Hands are Not for Hitting”)
• Teach children how to enter and exit play (Say “Can I play?” or how to give a play idea)
• Encourage empathy rather than forcing apologies (“Look at his face. That really hurt when you pushed him down. What can you do to help him feel better?”)
• Recognize and encourage friendly behaviors

School-Agers:

• Provide plenty of free time for children to play with friends
• Respond pro-actively if children exclude others from play (“We respect each other here. How can you share the space?”)
• Support children who are less socially connected. Pair them up with a more social child or a child who shares some of their interests.
• Create a Friendship Wall, Gratitude Wall, or Compliment Wall. Encourage children to write friendly notes to each other or to post about nice things that were done in the program
• Take steps to prevent bullying

Promoting Problem-Solving

Infants:

• Model problem-solving in simple routines (“Hmmm…I can’t get that block in the sorter. I’m going to try it a different way.”)
• Use the word “problem” (“Oh, no. Claire’s got a problem…her sock came off.”)

Toddlers:

• Teach children a few solutions to common problems: Get a Teacher, Say “Please Stop”, Play together
• Model and role-play how to use these solutions
• Remind children to use solutions (“If he’s upsetting you, say “Please Stop.”)

Preschoolers:

• Teach problem-solving steps using scripted stories and posters (see ones available from CSEFEL)
• Teach children to brainstorm solutions to problems using the “Solution Kit” (CSEFEL)
• Create problematic situations and discuss what to do: too few chairs at lunch, a deflated ball on the playground, etc.
• Recognize and encourage problem-solving (“You solved the problem!”)
• Remind children to use solutions (“If he’s upsetting you, say “Please Stop.”)

School-Agers:

• Remind children of ways to solve problems (Stop and Think)
• Teach conflict resolution strategies and/or peer mediation techniques
• Recognize children who solve problems peacefully