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No-Prep Activity

Self-Controller Scanner: Helping PreK Students Manage Emotions

Self-Controller Scanner: Helping PreK Students Manage Emotions

Introduction

For young children, managing emotions can be a challenging task. As educators, it is crucial to provide students with the tools and strategies to help them understand and control their feelings. The Self-Controller Scanner is a valuable tool that aids students in recognizing their emotions and selecting the best strategy to regain control of their thoughts and feelings. In this blog post, we will explore an easy-to-implement activity and discussion questions that support Social-Emotional Learning for PreK students.

No-Prep Activity: Emotion Charades

This activity requires no preparation or materials and helps students practice identifying and expressing emotions. Here’s how to play:

  1. Have students sit in a circle.
  2. Choose one student to be the “actor.” The actor will think of an emotion and act it out without using words.
  3. The other students will try to guess the emotion being portrayed by the actor.
  4. Once the emotion is guessed correctly, the actor can share a strategy they might use to manage that emotion.
  5. Rotate the role of the actor among the students, allowing each child to have a turn.

This activity encourages students to recognize different emotions and consider strategies for managing them, which relates directly to the Self-Controller Scanner concept.

Discussion Questions

  1. How do you feel when you experience a strong emotion? What are some signs that you are feeling a big emotion?
  2. What are some strategies that you can use to regain control of your feelings? How do these strategies help you?
  3. Why is it important to respect and understand our emotions? How does the Self-Controller Scanner help us do this?
  4. Can you think of a time when you used a strategy to manage your emotions? How did it make you feel?
  5. How can we support our friends when they are experiencing strong emotions? What can we do to help them use their Self-Controller Scanner?

Related Skills

In addition to the Self-Controller Scanner, there are other essential skills that support students’ Social-Emotional Learning. Some of these skills include:

  • Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
  • Active listening: Paying full attention to the speaker and showing interest in what they are saying.
  • Conflict resolution: Finding peaceful solutions to disagreements or problems.
  • Cooperation: Working together with others to achieve a common goal.

Next Steps

Now that you have learned about the Self-Controller Scanner and its benefits for PreK students, we encourage you to explore more Social-Emotional Learning resources. Sign up for free samples of this skill and others to continue supporting your students’ emotional well-being and growth. These materials will provide you with additional tools and activities to help your students develop the skills they need to navigate their emotions effectively.

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