Coping Skills for Kids: Understanding Your Emotions
This session teaches coping skills for kids, helping students notice when a big feeling is taking over and Change the Channel with positive self-talk. Through a short video, a discussion about the signs in their body or thoughts, and a quick game where they finish open-ended sentences with their own ideas, they practice spotting those early cues and choosing a strategy that helps them feel more in control.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Emotional Recognition
- Goal
- Changing the Channel on Feelings
- Grade level
- Elementary School
Get everything you need to teach the skill
These materials are part of a no-prep session designed by our clinical team, with all the structure, scaffolding, and support you need to teach included.
Engaging materials
Video lessonChanging the Channel Introduction
We're learning about ways to get back in control of our feelings. Before watching, ask your group to compare how changing your thinking can be like changing shows with a remote controller.
- Extension activity
Interactive Worksheet: Dealing With Frustrated Feelings
We're learning how to identify our upset feelings so we can cope with them. Can anyone think of a way they can deal with tough emotions?
Plus everything you need to teach them
Warm-up
- Video: Hot Cocoa Breathing2:05
- Video: Daily Intention2:59
- Video: Body Squeeze2:12
Session Opener
Guiding Question: What does it mean to Change the Channel on a feeling?
Practice
- Discussion Question
- Role-Play Activity
- Mini Game
How to use it with your students
- 1Watch Play the video lesson so students see the skill in action.
- 2Practice Try the skill together with a discussion prompt, role-play, or mini game.
- 3Extend Use the extension activity to help students carry the skill further.
What's Covered
In this lesson, students learned how to notice when a big feeling like anger or sadness was starting to take over and how to Change the Channel on that feeling. They practiced naming the emotion and choosing a strategy, like taking a deep breath or thinking of something positive, to help themselves feel ready again.
Key Terms
- Change the Channel
- Change the Channel is a strategy for when a strong feeling starts to take over. You notice and name the feeling, then choose something to help your body and mind feel calmer, like taking a break, using deep breaths, or shifting your thoughts before responding.
- Big Emotions
- Strong feelings like anger, frustration, or sadness that can fill your whole brain and start to take over. When you notice one growing, you can use a strategy to calm down before you act.
Sample IEP Goal This Session Supports
-
Changing the Channel on Feelings
When experiencing strong emotions such as jealousy, disappointment, frustration, or embarrassment, learner will use a self-selected coping strategy (e.g., taking a break, positive self-talk, deep breaths) to manage the feeling and return to the task or interaction in 4 out of 5 opportunities independently/given X prompt(s).
Send this tip home to support generalization
At home or in the community, when a student notices a big feeling, try asking what might help them Change the Channel right then. Naming the feeling together first can make the next step easier to pick.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on Understanding Your Emotions is free. You can access this intervention free for 14 days through the Everyday Speech Session Library. Every user gets three free sessions, but you can get more or extend your access by sharing the Session Library with friends and colleagues.
What ages is this for?
These materials are designed for elementary school students.
What's included?
You'll get access to your choice of warm-up videos, a session opener, a core material on Changing the Channel Introduction, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, Interactive Worksheet: Dealing With Frustrated Feelings.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on emotional recognition - more specifically, changing the channel on feelings.
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