An integral part of the begin to ECSEL approach is supporting students with age-appropriate tools to allow them to express their emotions. To support schools in their begin to ECSEL implementation, Housman Institute created our proprietary classroom tools to support student emotions.
At the center of every ECSEL classroom is Our Emotions Board. An essential ECSEL tool that provides children with opportunities to begin identifying, labeling, understanding, and expressing the many emotions they feel throughout the day. Children can check in throughout their day starting at drop-off to “put a face” on how they are feeling and they can also see how their friends are feeling Our Emotions Board serves as a visual resource to help promote language around emotions, while also personalizing each child’s (and teacher’s) emotional experiences. Our Emotions Board provides opportunities for teaching and learning about ‘cause and effect’ relationships: what am I feeling and what is making me feel this way? This tool can be introduced in classrooms for children as young as toddlers and used for all ages-even teachers and families.
A powerful ECSEL tool that will become the centerpiece of your begin to ECSEL classroom. Designed for children ages 2.5 and older, the begin to MakePeace™ Table was created to help encourage problem-solving between children who are experiencing heightened emotional states in the midst of conflict situations. It follows an 8-step process to help children (with adult guidance) to:
A foundational begin to ECSEL tool that provides young children from the earliest years with opportunities to begin recognizing, identifying, understanding, and expressing the emotions they feel throughout the day. These cards serve as a visual resource to help educators of young children promote emotional literacy around 15 frequently experienced emotions: Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared, Excited, Frustrated, Worried, Surprised, Lonely, Calm, Shy, Loved, Embarrassed, Ashamed, and Proud. All while also providing a model of emotional experiences for infants and toddlers.
Our Emotions Cards is portable and versatile, to be used anytime anyplace that situations arise and are so much fun too. Our Emotions Cards include a mirror card for even the youngest of children to observe and compare their own emotions, and each emotion card is reinforced to allow for tactile exploration. Remember, it is never too early to begin to build emotional intelligence.
Get your set of Our Emotions Cards today with tips, an on-demand webinar, and a translation sheet!