Students in elementary school are learning how to regulate emotions outside of their home. They may struggle more to understand emotional regulation as they start new routines, are around different people, and away from their family. Here are some tips to help them build emotional regulation and be more successful in the classroom.

Everyday activities to help build emotional regulation

Talk about emotions

Talking about emotions in day to day activities can help children recognize their emotions and build their emotional literacy. Asking questions about how a student feels during a lesson, how they felt coming to school that morning, or how they feel coming back from recess helps them build the language to identify emotions and helps them focus on how they felt doing daily activities.

Mindfulness walks

When walking through the school, on the playground, or taking walks to the bus it can be helpful to turn transitions into a mindfulness activity. You can ask students to think about what they see or smell, focus on the sounds they hear, or practice taking deep breaths. This is a great activity to incorporate to keep kids calm during transition times and have them start thinking about the way they feel during different activities.

Incorporate coping strategies

During school is a great time for children to start learning coping skills outside of their home while being in a new environment and around new people. Coping skills are helpful to regulate emotions and can having a good library of skills can help children successfully manage emotions through their life. Providing a “calm down area”, fidget tools, or writing/drawing supplies are great ways for kids to practice coping skills when they are having difficulty managing their emotions.

Visuals

Utilizing visual reminders of emotions can help children who are struggling to identify with how they are feeling. Having visuals of words written out, face charts with different emotions, or coping skills can help kids focus on feelings or coping strategies. Visuals can be individualized as well such as a visual reminder to raise your hand or ask before moving around the class placed at their desk.

Emotional Regulation skills to practice

PAX Good Behavior Game

The Good Behavior Game is a proven prevention and protection tool a teach can use in the classroom to improve outcomes for children in the classroom. Please use the link for the PAX Good Behavior Game information and directions.

Since young children require much more individual strategies, please use the links below to see different activities for elementary aged activities that best fit your classroom.