14.6.1: Supporting Emotional Development

Supporting Emotional Development and Learning

Children's emotional learning is supported by adults who are warm, caring, and responsive. Remember that Erikson believed that trust was the foundation for a child's emotional learning. Adults can foster a sense of trust by providing affection, developmentally appropriate guidance, and a supportive social environment. Through positive relationships and experiences, children will be able to identify emotions in themselves and others, express their emotions, and begin to control their emotions.

Using Language to Support Emotional Development and Learning

One of the easiest ways an adult can support a young child's emotional development and learning is to acknowledge and label emotions expressed by the child and others. Children need to hear the names of different emotions and associate what each might "look" like. Adults who provide narration of daily activities can add information about emotions, "Mommy has to go to work. I see you are sad." Adults can model healthy emotional behavior by labeling their own emotions and expressing their own emotions appropriately.

Reading children's books provides another opportunity to talk about emotions. Children's books can provide variety within a child's emotional vocabulary. Many children's books focus on characters who are experiencing common childhood dilemmas. Children can learn vicariously about emotions through a character's experiences. When reading books, adults should mention a character's emotional state and how it relates to the context of the story. Adults can ask questions about what the characters might do to manage their emotions.

Helping Children Manage Emotions

As children navigate new experiences, they encounter new emotions that they might not know how to manage. When adults are attentive and notice children struggling with their emotions, they can step in and provide guidance. Adults might help children name what they are experiencing and provide appropriate ways to express their emotions. The following are simple strategies for helping children manage their own emotions.

Positive reinforcement	Positive reinforcement helps children identify when they are managing their emotions in socially acceptable ways. Commenting, "I like how you used your words to tell Donia that you are angry" is a way to praise a child who verbally expresses that they are angry instead them choosing to hit another child.
Creative expression	Providing children with opportunities to express themselves through art and music allows them an outlet for their feelings. An angry child may wish to draw a picture of what sparked those feelings. A sad child's mood may boosted by some fun, upbeat music. A scared child can paint a big picture with the sounds of a thunderstorm in the background.
Role-playing	Role-playing can be used to help children make sense of emotions. Children can act out situations in dramatic play or during a large group circle time, identify the emotions evoked, and decide on ways to handle the situation.
Teach coping strategies	When children experience situations that bring on new emotions, sometimes they do not have appropriate coping strategies to manage their emotions. Adults can teach children simple strategies such as taking deep breaths and counting to ten when they are angry, engaging in physical activity when they are sad, or relying on a stuffed animal or other comfort item when they are scared.
Calm corner	Many classrooms and programs plan for a space where children can retreat when they need emotional support. Often, sensory items such as fidgets, playdough, stress balls, and bubbles are provided for children to use to help them calm down. Children are allowed to choose when they need to use the space, adults may initially provide support to children in the space.