Introduction
Educators play a crucial role in fostering the development of essential life skills in their students. One such skill is learning to take a break when emotions become overwhelming. This blog post will provide an overview of teaching PreK students how to recognize when they need a break and how to effectively manage their emotions. By incorporating principles of Social-Emotional Learning, educators can help young children develop healthy coping strategies for dealing with strong emotions.
No-Prep Activity
This simple, no-prep activity can help students practice taking breaks when they need them. Begin by gathering your students in a circle. Explain that sometimes we feel upset or angry and need to take a break to calm down. Demonstrate taking a deep breath and counting to ten. Then, have each student practice taking a deep breath and counting to ten. Encourage them to use this technique whenever they feel overwhelmed or upset. By practicing this activity regularly, students will become more aware of their emotions and learn to take breaks when needed.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think it is important to take a break when we feel upset or angry?
- How does taking a break help us feel better and stay safe?
- Can you think of a time when you needed to take a break to calm down? How did it make you feel afterward?
- What are some other things we can do to help ourselves feel better when we are upset or angry?
- Why is it important to be kind and understanding when our friends need to take a break?
Related Skills
Teaching students to take a break when needed is just one aspect of Social-Emotional Learning. Other relevant skills that educators can help students develop include:
- Recognizing and naming emotions
- Developing empathy and understanding for others
- Practicing effective communication and active listening
- Building strong, positive relationships with peers and adults
- Learning problem-solving and conflict resolution strategies
Next Steps
If you’re interested in exploring more activities and resources to help teach PreK students essential Social-Emotional Learning skills, we invite you to sign up for free samples of our materials at Everyday Speech. Our platform offers a wide range of engaging and effective resources to support educators in fostering the social-emotional development of their students. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your teaching toolkit!
