This Week in Guidance

This week I will be reading the book "Respect and Take Care of Things" by Cheri J. Meiners, M.Ed. The theme of respect ties into our topic of diversity as students learn to not only treat all people with respect but their property and the property of others as well. Students will learn the importance of taking care of themselves and the things around them by cleaning up, returning things that they use or borrow, helping with chores, and being safe when using things such as scissors. They will also learn that it's important to be careful when using something that belongs to someone else and to ask permission.

This Week in Guidance

This week as a school we will celebrate diversity by studying other countries and cultures. I am excited to learn about all the activities our little ones will be doing. I will be reading the story "Hey Little Ant" by Phillip and Hannah Hoose. The story is about a little boy who sees an ant on the sidewalk and has to decide whether or not he will squish him. His peers are encouraging him to step on the ant while the ant is pleading for his life. I will encourage students to talk about what they would do in this situation all the while reminding them that just because we have the power to do something doesn't mean it is the "right" thing to do. I will talk about peer pressure and how it is always more difficult to do the "right" thing than the "wrong" thing. I will also talk about how every one and every thing should be treated with respect.

This Week in Guidance

For the next several weeks we will be talking about diversity. This week's lesson is from the book "Accept and Value  Each Person" by Cheri J. Meiners, M.Ed.  The little girl in the story learns that while we all look differently, dress differently, and have different interests, we should accept people for who they are without judging. She learns that everyone wants to be accepted and that it is fun to learn about others and to make new friends. She also learns that we all have strengths and that we can help others and allow others to help us. She learns that if she has a problem with someone she can use her words to solve the problem. She also learned about the importance of forgiveness. You can help reinforce these concepts with your preschooler. As you notice people who look differently than you point out something positive about the difference and model acceptance of people despite our differences.

This Week in Guidance

Welcome back students and families. I hope you had an enjoyable break. For the next few weeks we will be discussing the topic of diversity. This week's story is called Whoever You Are by Mem Fox. The story talks about how we are all different on the outside but we are the same on the inside. It points out that people all over the world live in different homes, work different jobs, and talk differently but again we are all the same on the inside and we all have things in common. One way you can reinforce this week's lesson is to point out differences between your own family members and people that you know and emphasize that these differences are what make us interesting and fun. It is also important that your child know that everyone should be treated with respect regardless of our differences. When we use our Magic Triad we are showing respect.

This Week in Guidance

 

I'd like to take this time to thank all of our students and their parents for helping the puppets solve their problems. The children are learning some great life skills that will help them for a life time. Because last week was a short week I will be doing the lesson on being afraid (see previous entry below on Nov. 24th) with Mrs. Rucker's, Mrs. Keys's, and Mrs. Ricks's classes. This week in Mrs. Meason's and Mrs. Meraz's classes we will be focusing on the feeling of anger. Anger is a normal feeling that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. How we respond to anger, however, is typically learned by observing those around us. In other words, children learn by watching (parents, siblings, T.V., videos, etc.) how others respond to anger provoking situations. One way you can help your child with this skill is to teach them to recognize when they are feeling angry and to label the emotion. For example, if you see that your child is becoming angry because he/she didn't get to buy a toy while at Wal-Mart, you might say "You really feel angry that you can't have that toy." Then you can help them learn how to cope with the feeling by saying "When I feel angry I feel better when..." (I talk about it/think of something else/take a few deep breaths/read a book/do something else/count to 10/sing my favorite song/play outside/draw or color a picture/squeeze some Play-Doh/go somewhere quiet etc.). Once you acknowledge the feeling, if your child continues to whine or cry, you should try to ignore the behavior and periodically continue to acknowledge their feelings. You may need to set a limit with your child if the behavior continues or escalates by offering a choice for example, you could say "If you choose to continue to cry, then you choose to give up (watching a favorite T.V. show; playing a favorite game, etc.)" and "If you choose to calm down and take your breaths, then you  choose to watch your show tonight".  It is important to know that when you state your choices you have to consider your child's age and ensure that the choice is developmentally appropriate. It would be inappropriate to say that a 2, 3, 4 or 5-year-old could not watch T.V. for the entire day, or for a few days. For them, that is an eternity! It is also important to help children learn the physical cues associated with anger by stating "Your face is really red; I bet your heart is beating really fast; You have an angry face" etc. All of these interventions will help your child learn to identify and appropriately cope with their emotions. If you would like further information regarding this topic please let me know. I also have a video "Choices, Cookies & Kids: How to teach your child Self-Control & Self-Discipline" by Dr. Garry Landreth that you can view at school to learn more about how to set limits with your child. Please watch the puppet show under the tab "Puppet Scenarios" with your child and ask him or her to share what they learned from this week's lesson. You may type a comment from your child in response to the puppet's problem. This will provide the perfect opportunity for you to address the topic with your child. Once your child identifies strategies that can be used, you can reinforce the strategies by encouraging your child to try them when they are angry.

This Week in Guidance

 

 

This week I will return to the Blue hallway and we will read the story "When I feel Afraid". Students will learn what to do when they feel scared. The little girl in the story learns that she can talk to someone who cares about her or someone she trusts like a family member, a teacher, the counselor, or the principal. She also learned that it helps to get your mind off of your worries by talking, laughing, or playing with friends; she can think about something that makes her happy; she could read books, draw pictures, play outdoors, take a walk, make something, play games, sing a song, go to a quiet place where she feels safe and take some deep breaths, say a prayer or think about the good things in her life. When she feels scared at bedtime she can use a night light, sleep with a stuffed animal or have mom or dad tuck her in and read her favorite bedtime story. The story also talks about things that scare young children like storms, the dark, watching scaring movies or playing scary games like zombies. As a parent it's important to realize that times are much different than when we were growing up. Children can easily be exposed to information way above their developmental level simply because of changes in technology. Many people now have over 600 T.V. channels and sometimes our kids, for one reason or another watch movies that are PG-13 or even 'R' rated. Remember there is a reason for the ratings (most professionals believe this information is not appropriate for a certain age group). Many of us spend a great deal of time on our smartphones, tablets, computers, online gaming etc. It's easy to forget that most of these programs and games are not appropriate for young children due to the violence, cursing, sexual themes etc. Another thing parents should keep in mind is that 4- and 5-year-olds cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality so they believe these things are real! If you notice a situation in which your child seems scared, please encourage them to practice the skills they learned from the lesson.



This Week in Guidance

 

 

 

This week students learn about the power of their words. Students are encouraged to use "Magic Triad" or kind words.  They learn that they have the power to choose which words they use and that those words can hurt or help others. Helpful words are words such as "Good morning", "Hello", "Let's work together", "I'm glad we're friends", "We can take turns", "I like your smile" etc. Hurtful words are words such as "You're not my friend", "You're shirt is ugly", "We don't want to play with you", etc. Students learn that everyone makes mistakes and sometimes uses hurtful words and when we do we should apologize. When students hear hurtful words, they should say "Words are not for hurting. Please don't say those things" or "Those are not Magic Triad words, please don't say those things." They also learn that they can tell a grown-up or get help if needed. Please encourage your child to use Magic Triad words and praise them when you hear them using kind words. If you happen to use an unkind word, serve as a model for your child by saying "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, those were not Magic Triad words." If your child seems hurt by something someone said, acknowledge their feelings by stating "You felt sad/mad/scared when he/she said....." This will help your child learn to recognize his/her feelings and to start to understand how their own words can affect another person's feelings. When you say something kind to your child and they smile it is just as important to acknowledge that feeling as well. You might say "You felt really happy when I said....." We all know that words affect our thoughts, thoughts affect our feelings and feelings affect our behavior. When someone says something kind it usually leads to a pleasant thought that makes us feel happy. When we are happy we tend to engage in more healthy behaviors. Let's help our kiddos develop a healthy self-esteem and good social skills by encouraging kind words!