Farmington Community Education recognizes the need for improvement in the social-emotional development of our preschool learners in order to ensure that our students entering Kindergarten are on the road to success.

Goal

The percentage of preschool students who meet or exceed the expectation level for the social emotional domain on the Gold Assessment will move from 57% in 2022-23 to 62% in 2023-24.

Why

Young children’s social-emotional development involves learning how to understand their own and others’ feelings, regulate and express their emotions appropriately, build relationships with others, and behave prosocially in groups. These crucial skills have been found to predict successful kindergarten transition, early school success, and even later accomplishments in the workplace.

How

Teachers can guide the development of social emotional competence by using the following strategies:

• Provide play materials that support and challenge children’s abilities. Promote problem solving and appropriate risk taking.

• Provide appropriate responsibilities and meaningful jobs in the classroom.

• Encourage children to see tasks through to completion. Offer support as needed.

• Help children express their feelings and resolve conflicts in constructive ways.

• Support children who need assistance in finding play partners. Teach them positive strategies for entering and participating in group activities.

• Support children as they interact with one another. Make modifications as necessary so that shy children or children with disabilities can engage in meaningful interactions with adults and peers.

• Offer opportunities for children to work together and to learn social skills. Pair more advanced learners with less advanced peers.

• Help children detect and interpret cues about how other people feel.

• Read stories to children about various emotions. Discuss why the characters look, feel, and act the way they do.

• Use positive strategies to guide children’s behavior and help them learn how to cooperate with others.

• Teach turn taking and sharing, and model cooperation.

Measurements of Success

Children will be able to do the following:

• Regulate own emotions and behaviors

  • Manages feelings

  • Follows time limits and expectations

  • Takes care of own needs appropriately

• Establishes and sustains positive relationships

  • Forms relationships with adults

  • Responds to emotional cues

  • Interacts with peers

  • Makes friends

• Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations

  • Balances needs and rights of self and others

  • Solves social problems

Dodge, D. T., Heroman, C., Colker, L. J., Bickart, T. S., Berke, K., & Baker, H. (2016). The creative curriculum for preschool, the foundation (Sixth, Vol. 1). Teaching Strategies.