2-4-6-8: We Will Learn to Self-Regulate

In the 23 years I've been a school counselor, I have found there is an ever-widening gap between what parents and teachers believe are the most important skills to have mastered before starting school.

More parents than ever before believe academic skills learned on devices are a good way to prepare their children for school while teachers are more concerned with a child's ability to self-regulate, handle emotions, independently take care of themselves physically and get along with others.

My counseling program is in need of visual, story-based and experiential learning resources that support students' emotional needs while teaching them social skills and manners needed to be a good citizen in the classroom and community. We've found it is not enough to talk about good character, manners, and self-control.

Children need more explicit, hands-on learning opportunities to understand what this looks, sounds and feels like. Instruction needs to involve multiple opportunities to practice using these skills using tools that show more than tell. The resources needed include several interactive/perspective-taking children's books, games, materials, visuals, and activities. These resources will supplement the current counseling curriculum by providing hands-on practice in a variety of additional settings: the bus, in the lunchroom, on the playground, and in the hallway.

All students in grades K-5 will be part of the whole-group lessons that cover emotion management, skills for learning, problem-solving and coping skills. These lessons will use puppets, games, the interactive children's books and visuals to engage students actively. Students needing additional support with impulse control, manners and focusing their attention will participate in additional small group counseling opportunities using the many games and resource book activities. Those students needing the most intensive help will be invited to work in individual coaching/counseling to practice self-regulation skills,