Learning Self-Regulation in Kindergarten

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Dr. Stuart Shanker, Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University states that healthy self regulation has five distinct domains

Volume 3-Fall 2011

IN THIS ISSUE:

p. 2 The Classroom Environment as the Third Teacher

p. 5 Self-Regulation-Biological

p. 7 Self Regulation-Social

p. 8 Self Regulation-Emotional

p. 10 Self Regulation-Cognitive

p. 11 The New Early Years WebPage

p. 12 Resources

Learning Self Regulation in Kindergarten

Dr. Stuart Shanker, Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University states that healthy self regulation has five distinct domains.

1. Biological: e.g., how well the child regulates his/her arousal states

2. Emotional: e.g., how well the child monitors and modifies his/her emotional responses

3. Cognitive: e.g., how well the child can sustain and switch his/her attention; inhibit impulses; deal with frustration, delay, distractions; sequence his/her thoughts

4. Social: e.g., the child’s mastery of rules of appropriate behavior; how well the child can co-regulate and thereby develop pro-social attributes

5. Reflective Thinking Skills. Visit our new CISSES sharepoint site to read more about Dr. Shanker’s work or click here to read his article: Self Regulation: Calm, Alert and Learning.

Special Issue on Self Regulation

New and Noteworthy!

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Learning With Us, Your K Network Planning Committee We have endeavoured in this issue to capture examples of the live learning associated with the development of healthy self regulation in Peel. We would like to thank all of our Peel Kindergarten children and their educators for allowing us to capture the complexities and developmental scenarios of self regulation. We hope these real life examples assist you in your practice.

Happy reading!

Pam Taylor, Liz Ugolini, Jody Bayes, Laura Ferrill, Tina Zita, Wendy Calder, Bev Moate, Lisa Millar, Kelly Wright, Fran Nicitopoulos, Angela Kahnert, Sarah Schoettler, Kim Arfo, Sarah Frost Hunter, Pam Evoy, Amanda Giberson, Madi Hayles

Coming in 2012! • Annual Kindergarten Conference, May 9th 2012 Mississauga

Secondary School 5:00-8:30 pm. Sign up on My Learning Plan February 2012.

• Kindergarten Book Talk, three part series, Thinking it Through, ETFO resource. Join us for this engaging professional learning opportunity with Kindergarten colleagues. Sign up on My Learning Plan this December 2011.

North:

Great Lakes Public School 4-5:30 pm

• February 23, 2012 • March 22, 2012 • April 24, 2012

South:

South Field Office 4-5:30 pm

• February 9, 2012 • March 29, 2012 • April 19, 2012

West:

Miss. West Field Office 4-5:30 pm

• February 23, 2012 • March 28, 2012 • April 23, 2012

2 KinderTALK-Fall 2011

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The Classroom Environment as the Third Teacher How the classroom supports the development of healthy Self-Regulation

Dr. Stuart Shanker, Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University states… • The organization of the classroom

environment supports children developing positive self regulation. (Click here to access the Self Regulation Observational Tool)

• Provide organized spaces; remove clutter; diminish visual and auditory distractions.

• Educators and children can co-construct learning spaces, places and zones to assist children in regulating throughout the day.

Diminishing Auditory Distractions

Wall-to-wall carpet virtually eliminates impact noise through sound absorption. Another option is to use several area rugs to reduce noise and provide cozy areas for learning around the room.

3 KinderTALK-Fall 2011

Diminishing Visual Distractions

Clean up clutter around the classroom – on the floors, on tabletops, on shelves and on walls.

Students can help organize classroom materials in bins and baskets. This helps create clutter-free spaces. Children will independently know where to access the items they want to use.

Choose soft pastel colours on bulletin boards and limit visuals on vertical spaces.

A well-organized cloakroom will reduce distractions as students access this space throughout the day.

• Colour-coded hook tags • Minimal, purposeful, authentic photographs

and printed labels, signs and messages, teacher created and student created (for example a photo of each child at their cubby, a photograph of their family at their cubby)

• Bins and baskets for extra clothing and materials

• Minimal items in cubbies and vertical spaces

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Create a classroom mailbox system out of plastic shoe holders to eliminate clutter associated with home-school notes and student creations.

Minimize visual and auditory distractions during outdoor play.

• Use cones and chalk lines to give children a sense of play space or use to practice personal space

• Allow children the option of playing with noisy equipment on grass and dry ground (e.g. wagons)

• Provide a variety of noisy and quiet outdoor activities (e.g. beanbags, buckets of water and paintbrushes)

Written by Pam Taylor and Kelly Wright

5 KinderTALK-Fall 2011

Self Regulation-Biological

I feel so hot! I know...I’ll take off my

sweater.

I’ll leave this sweater on the bench. No one will step on it and I’ll be able to find it later.

Personal and Social Development , Overall Expectation, K Program, 2006, 2010: 2. Demonstrate independence, self-regulation, and a willingness to take responsibility in learning and other activities. P. 60

Shared by Bev Moate & Amanda Giberson

Self-regulation is central to a child’s capacity to learn. It is “a cornerstone of development and a central building block of early learning” (Charles Pascal, ELECT, p.4). The ability to self-regulate, or to set limits for oneself, allows a child to develop the emotional well-being and the habits of mind, such as persistence and curiosity, that are essential for early learning and that set the stage for lifelong learning. Self-regulation involves attention skills, working memory, and cognitive flexibility-qualities that provide the underpinning for essential skills needed throughout life, such as planning and problem-solving skills (ibid, p.4). Self-regulation allows children to have positive social interactions and sets a pattern of behavior that will benefit them throughout their lives.

FDEL-Kindergarten Program 2010, p. 6&7

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Self Regulation-Biological

I’m hungry. I think I’ll go

have my snack.

I’m thirsty. I’m having a

drink.

I’m full. That’s all I need for

now.

Shared by Jody Bayes

Examples of children independently monitoring and meeting both their hydration and nutrition needs through-out the day.

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Self Regulation-Social Example of using language to communicate needs and regulate emotions and seeking out others to play with (from the ELECT document 1.1 & 2.5)

This child uses her words and hand gestures to decline a request to join her friends at the drama centre. She chose to stay at the painting station to complete her artwork. Her friends happily accepted her choice and continued on their journey around the room to find other ‘letter fairies’ to join their quest.

Example of playing with others cooperatively and offering assistance (from the Elect document 1.1 & 1.4)

At tidy up time, 2 children encounter the problem of tidying a large pile of sand. The students are overheard saying” I’ll do this side” and the other student replies “Okay, so I can do that”.

Example of Playing with Others Cooperatively (1.1 ELECT) Children demonstrating the ability to interact with one another and co-regulate.

Shared by Kelly Wright, Jody Bayes, Wendy Calder, Fran Nicitopoulos & Lisa Millar.

8 KinderTALK-Fall 2011

Self Regulation-Emotional This little girl was getting ready to eat her pudding at the snack table. She tried to peel off the seal. Pudding dripped onto her sweater.

The child looks at her sweater as tears roll down her cheeks.

The child decides to get paper towel and mop the mess as best she can.

She eats her snack and is ready to go.

Example of expressing negative emotions in ways that do not harm others, persisting when frustrated, coping with defeats and errors (2.4, 2.5 & 2.6 from ELECT).

3.

2.

1.

Shared by Bev Moate & Amanda Giberson.

9 KinderTALK-Fall 2011

More Art books Self Regulation-Cognitive

Child states, “I don’t know how to get down.” She is feeling unstable and apprehensive.

Educator asks, “What could you do to get down.” Educator offers arms if the child decides she needs them. Friend at the bottom offers suggestions of how to climb down.

Child climbs down independently but unsteadily. She cried. Educator responds, “Look at you! You did it!”

Child says, “I want to do this again,” and assertively begins to climb down on her own.

“I did it!”

(Doesn’t the smile say it all?)

Example of…

• Monitoring their own behaviour (cognitive self regulation ELECT 4.1)

• Using Language to communicate needs and regulate emotions*

• Gaining control of their behaviour*

• Increasingly coping with challenges and disappointments * (*emotional self regulation ELECT 2.5)

Shared by Bev Moate & Amanda Giberson.

10 KinderTALK-Fall 2011

Self Regulation-Cognitive

Example of focusing attention, avoiding distracting stimulation, stopping and starting their own actions. (from 2.5 ELECT)

The ability to sustain attention while completing the puzzle.

Example of Identifying actions and outcomes (ELECT 4.9).

This student displays an interest in painting. As she goes to get a paper, she notes the co-constructed paint center criteria that her peers and educator created.

Click on the image to go to the full ELECT document.

Shared by Jody Bayes, Wendy Calder, Fran Nicitopoulos & Lisa Millar

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Our New Kindergarten Resource Library Under Teaching and Learning

Click on the above image to go straight to the site.

Check out the Observational Toolkit resources at the bottom of the page under RESOURCES.

Click on the drop down menu in Section to find Observational

Toolkit.

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Click on the image to download the self regulation checklist.

Click on the image to download personal and social indicators.

Great Resources to check out!

Kindergarten Matters: Intentional Play-Based Learning. Click on the image to go to the webcast.