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How Daily Reading Can Help Social and Emotional Learning

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How Daily Reading Can Help Social and Emotional Learning

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Reading aloud books about skills children are learning provides another model for their development. Engaging in supportive conversations and/or activities before, during, and after the read-aloud enhances learners' understanding and self-reflection…Read-alouds can also provide specific, concrete examples of these skills in a relatable context for the students.

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When the class needs a brain break or as a transition between class activities.  A great option for a brain break is GoNoodle, which offers mindfulness videos, but also provides the students with an opportunity to have fun with their classmates while having a break from lessons.  Physical activity can help students rejuvenate and “wake up” so they are able to focus on the next task. Using GoNoodle leads to “37% decrease in classroom disciplinary events” (GoNoodle, 2020)

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Morning meetings are a schoolwide classroom management practice used to address students' social-emotional learning needs on a daily basis. Every morning, teachers gather their students in a circle (for 15 to 30 minutes) to interact with one another and kick-off the day.

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In the transition back to school this fall, we have an opportunity to take a healing-centered approach to engaging students and to recapture a sense of community in our classrooms.

As we search for practices to help build safe and inclusive environments, we know that making time to rebuild connections and allow students to check-in with each other is key.

Hosting morning meetings-a structured daily ritual that provides a supportive transition for students as they enter into the classroom-is an engaging way to start the school day while fostering collaboration and kindness.

Continue reading to learn more about morning meetings and explore ways to implement this practice within your classroom community.

[Free Download] Small-Group SEL Facilitation Guides + 6 Activities

What is a Morning Meeting?

Morning meetings are a schoolwide classroom management practice used to address students' social-emotional learning needs on a daily basis.

Every morning, teachers gather their students in a circle (for 15 to 30 minutes) to interact with one another and kick-off the day. While these daily warm-ups will look different in different classrooms as educators adapt them to meet the unique needs of their students, the most widely used model of a morning meeting (developed by Responsive Classroom) includes four main elements:

1. Greeting (e.g., students and teachers greet one another by name, oftentimes at the door as they enter the classroom)

2. Sharing (e.g., students share information about events in their personal lives)

3. Activity (e.g., the class participates in a brief activity that cultivates connection and provides opportunities to practice SEL or academic skills)

4. Morning Message (e.g., students read a short message authored by their teacher to prime them for the work they'll engage in during the day)

Morning meetings are most commonly implemented in elementary schools as a class meeting at the beginning of each school day. Many elementary teachers use morning meetings for the entire year as a way to build community while ensuring that each student feels heard, valued, and respected. Morning meetings can be adapted for use with middle school and high school students, too-in fact, one of CASEL's three signature practices for supporting systemic SEL is to open each class period or meeting with a welcoming activity, ritual, or routine.

The overall goals of any morning meeting are to:

Provide students with opportunities to check-in with their emotional state by labeling or naming feelings

Establish psychological safety and trust among students and caring adults

Support social-emotional needs as the foundation for academic learning and engagement

Build a strong sense of connection and community

Set the tone for the day (and the overall classroom climate)

Encourage teamwork, a growth mindset, and collaboration

Sample Morning Meeting Greetings
Intentionally greeting students as they enter the classroom is an important aspect of any morning meeting. Review this list of sample morning meeting greetings and brainstorm ways to adapt them for your students.

The "Good Morning" Greeting: Greet each student at the door by making eye contact, saying, "good morning," and following up with a handshake or high five. Students can emulate this to greet each other.

Compliments: Each student greets a classmate and shares a compliment with them. Educators can model what this looks like and set parameters for how to express gratitude and appreciation.

Ball Toss Greetings:After students have entered the classroom and are seated (or standing) in a circle, roll or bounce a ball to one student. Ask them to greet a classmate (verbally) and gently roll or bounce the ball to them. That child can then choose someone new to greet and pass the ball to.

Morning Meeting Activity Ideas

In the Responsive Classroom morning meeting model, a core component is a brief (but interactive) activity that centers on a specific theme or social-emotional skill and that the entire class can participate in.

Consider these three morning meeting ideas to use with early and upper elementary students. These activities can be easily adapted for virtual delivery.

Superstar Ice Breaker Game: This simple, quick game (developed by PanoramaPlaybookpartnerPlayworks) helps students explore and deepen relationships. Icebreaker games promote respect, encourage playfulness, promote inclusion, and build community. Participation in these ice breakers also helps students feel more comfortable engaging in further games and activities, and are a great tool for new groups of students at the start of the year. Superstar Ice Breaker is a perfect fit as a first day of school get-to-know-you activity and can be adapted for use during a virtual morning meeting if your school is operating in a distance learning model at any point during the 2021-22 academic year.

The Warm Wind Blows: Before students enter the classroom, write the following statement on the whiteboard:"The warm wind blows for everyone who likes to ______."Then, instruct students stand in a circle in front of a clearly marked spot, such as their chair or desk. One child is selected to start in the middle of the circle and complete the statement on the board (e.g., "The warm wind blows for everyone who likes to watch movies.") Everyone who agrees with their statement needs to find a new spot in the circle, including the student standing in the middle. Whoever is left without a spot in the outer circle is then the next one to move into the middle and complete the statement.

Follow The Leader: This team building activity encourages students to practice active listening and build their observation skills. One student volunteers to be "it" and stand out in the hallway for a few minutes. Another student is selected to be the leader, whose role is to perform random physical movements (such as nodding their head or clapping their hands). The students need to watch closely and imitate his or her actions as they happen spontaneously. When the "it" person comes back into the classroom, they watch a few sets of movements and have three guesses to try and identify the leader.

Other Considerations for Designing Morning Meetings

Phase in morning meetings with scaffolding. In order to ensure that students feel safe and supported during morning meeting time throughout the school year, it's important to phase in the various structures of this group activity. At the beginning of the year, take a few days to introduce the idea to students and establish the time that morning meeting will happen in their classroom. Express your hopes for this ritual to students and gauge what their questions are. You can also consider seeking out colleagues at different grade-levels who are already implementing morning meetings in their classrooms and investigate the whats, hows, and whys of their ritual.

Include a check-in. Using a mood meter, feelings wheel, or another printable handout, provide students with an opportunity to label their emotions and share-out why they're feeling that way. This can give educators a daily opportunity to model self-regulation and help set the tone for the day with a safe and supportive discussion. The goal is to validate students' feelings, help them understand that their feelings are justified, and talk through how they might cope with their emotions.

Partner with families. Share details about your morning meetings with families and provide outlets for authentic two-way communication with caregivers. Explain the purpose of this group activity and outline ways in which morning meetings will help to build children's social-emotional skills. Consider inviting caregivers to join a morning meeting (in-person or virtually) to observe or participate.

Adapt your morning meetings to meet the unique needs of your students. While there is a specific structure and order to the components of a morning meeting, it is critical that educators feel empowered to adapt the practice to fit what's best for their students. For instance: if you notice that students are particularly energized as they enter the classroom, you might choose a more relaxing and calming activity to use during morning meeting.

Scale activities by grade-level. As a school-wide practice, morning meetings should be scaled across grade levels to ensure that students in higher grades are building upon the social-emotional skills they've acquired at each previous grade-level. Incorporate new skills each year and give older students opportunities to exercise their agency by leading or planning morning meetings. Furthermore, within a given academic year, educators can scale activities or greetings to be more advanced once students are comfortably and successfully participating in morning meetings.

Additional Morning Meeting Resources

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Morning Meetings: Cultivating a Culture of Care and Safety

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In the transition back to school this fall, we have an opportunity to take a healing-centered approach to engaging students and to recapture a sense of community in our classrooms. As we search for practices to help build safe and inclusive environments, we know that making time to rebuild connections and allow students to check-in with each other is key.

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One SEL approach to lowering the barriers: identifying and using low-cost, targeted strategies called “evidence-based prevention kernels.” These strategies, which address a specific behavior, could be taught quickly and be more feasible to implement than comprehensive programs. (Jones, Baily, Brush, & Khan, 2017)

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This brief is part of a commissioned series that draws on Navigating Social and Emotional Learning from the Inside Out, a resource that examines 25 widely-used SEL programs, providing comprehensive information and cross-program analyses about the various in-school and out-of-school-time programs currently available in the United States.

As schools and out-of-school-time (OST) programs embrace the expanding field of social and emotional learning (SEL), a number of barriers have arisen to implementing programming at scale, including time and funding. These challenges are likely exacerbated in low-income contexts and raise the need for more flexible and affordable supports.

This brief suggests one possible approach to lowering the barriers: identifying and using low-cost, targeted strategies called "evidence-based prevention kernels." These strategies, which address a specific behavior, could be taught quickly and be more feasible to implement than comprehensive programs. For example, a teacher could use a deep-breathing exercise (known as the "turtle technique") to help students calm down or hand signals to indicate a change in direction for the class.

Drawing on a content analysis of 25 top SEL programs by researcher Stephanie Jones and her team at Harvard's EASEL Lab, the brief shows how kernels could be applied across different settings-in classrooms, for example, but also on the playground and at home-to maximize their impact. It also breaks down the possible components of kernels to help practitioners understand the optimal conditions for their use.

When employed consistently and regularly, kernels could have the potential to increase both social adjustment and academic achievement, the researchers say. They also postulate that kernels could be more readily applied, easy to administer, and ultimately could come at a lower cost for schools and OST programs than comprehensive SEL curricula.

The brief highlights the research team's pilot process for developing possible kernels and samples of kernels relevant to SEL programming. The team suggests directions for developing future guides and additional study to help increase implementation of targeted SEL strategies across different contexts and grade levels.

This brief by Harvard researchers suggests that low-cost, targeted strategies, or "kernels," could be taught quickly and have the potential to build students' SEL skills in a cohesive and complementary way across settings

This brief by Harvard researchers suggests that low-cost, targeted strategies, or "kernels," can be taught quickly and have the potential to build students' SEL skills in a cohesive and complementary way across settings

Instead of tethering SEL instruction to a comprehensive, sometimes rigid curriculum, "kernels" could allow educators to focus on specific behaviors based on individual, cultural and contextual needs.

Instead of tethering SEL instruction to a comprehensive, sometimes rigid curriculum, "kernels" allow educators to focus on specific behaviors based on individual, cultural and contextual needs.

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this brief explores the need to develop and test social and emotional learning strategies that target specific behaviors and can be taught quickly.

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Kernels of Practice for SEL: Low-Cost, Low-Burden Strategies

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This brief is part of a commissioned series that draws on Navigating Social and Emotional Learning from the Inside Out, a resource that examines 25 widely-used SEL programs, providing comprehensive information and cross-program analyses about the various in-school and out-of-school-time programs currently available in the United States.

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Gratitude journaling provides tons of social emotional benefits for students. According to research just a few of the benefits kids can gain from gratitude journaling are: Increases empathy and reduces aggression.

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Character Ed / SEL worksheet for grades K-4
-- printable PDF or use fillable fields for remote learning

Activity to Building Empathy, Kindness

Objective

Gratitude Journaling has been shown to increase empathy, reduce agression, improve self-esteem and more. Children complete a week-long gratitude journal, noting things they are thankful for.

Grade Level

K - 4

For older students, try this gratitude journaling activity for teens, from our sister site, Truth Be Told Quotes.

Character / SEL Topics

Self awareness

Positive relationships

Empathy

Self Esteem

Download Resources

Our PDFs are free to print or share for non-commercial use, meaning you are welcome to link to our pages for educational purposes, add PDFs to your Google classroom or print PDFs for in-class use.

Gratitude Journaling Activity- Grades K-4

Procedures

Looking for a social emotional learning activity that increases positive attitudes and enthusiasm? Try gratitude journaling. Research shows that people who note something they are thankful for each week have a more positive outlook and are more likely to reach their goals. They also are more likely to show empathy and kindness to others.

Benefits of gratitude journaling

Gratitude journaling provides tons of social emotional benefits for kids (and adults.) According to research just a few of the benefits kids can gain from gratitude journaling are:

Increases empathy

Reduces aggression

Improves self-esteem

Increases determination and the ability to reach goals

Improves relationships

Improves physical health

For young people in particular, a study shows that children who note things they are grateful for have more positive attitudes toward school and family while young adults who kept gratitude journals had higher levels of determination and more positive states of alertness. So if you want to help kids and teens increase empathy, kindness and positive attitudes toward life, give a gratitude journal a try.

How the gratitude journal works

Print one of the worksheets above (or post the PDF and students can type in fillable fields in the online version) and have students note something each day that they are thankful for. It can be something simple, like "it's sunny today", or something heartfelt, like "my dog comforted me when I was sad." The important step is to have kids pause for a moment each day to recognize something that makes them thankful in their life. According to researchers, gratitude journals help people manage the ups and downs of emotions, and remind them that even when we are sad, there are happy things to cheer us up.

Reflect at the end of the week

At the end of the week, encourage students to look back at the things they noted, and to observe whether the journal affected their outlook. Plus the repetitive pattern coloring on the worksheet makes a nice mindfulness activity to calm students and to prompt reflection.

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Character Ed / SEL worksheet for grades K-4 -- printable PDF or use fillable fields for remote learning Gratitude Journaling has been shown to increase empathy, reduce agression, improve self-esteem and more. Children complete a week-long gratitude journal, noting things they are thankful for.

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Mindful breathing is a technique that can help improve focus and restore calm into the classroom. Best of all, it’s a strategy that helps develop self-regulation skills, something that kids and teens need throughout their lives.

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Mindful breathing is a technique that can help improve focus and restore calm into the classroom. Best of all, it's a strategy that helps develop self-regulation skills, something that kids and teens need throughout their lives.
What is Mindful Breathing?
The idea behind mindful breathing is that if we can control our breathing, we can also calm our body and mind. With that said, it's not just a nice theory; there is actually scientific evidence behind it. When upset or overwhelmed, our bodies invoke a stress response known as "fight or flight." It's an important response that helps us avoid serious danger. The trouble is that we can also have this same response during arguments, worries, or when something doesn't go our way.

Practicing deep breathing helps to slow the heartbeat and lower blood pressure, allowing us to feel calmer, focused, and more in control.
Practicing Deep Breathing
It's important to note that practicing deep breathing really is a practice. For many kids and young adults (and even adults), it feels silly and unnatural to breathe in a deep and controlled way. By making it a habit to practice deep breathing, though, it can become a healthy routine in our lives.

To practice deep breathing with kids and young adults, first explain mindfulness and why it is important. Discuss the benefits with them so that they can understand why they are adding this practice into their lives.

Then, choose any deep breathing strategy and give it a try together! Remember that this might feel silly to kids and young adults. That's okay! The goal is to give it a try and keep up the practice.
Mindful Breathing Exercises to Try
By making mindful breathing fun, easy, and memorable, students are more likely to be able to use it when they really need it in the future. Below I've listed some breathing strategies kids and young adults can practice. If you love them, check out the Mindful Breathing Cards that you can print and use today.

Bubble breathing. Most kids know what it feels like to blow bubbles. If they don't, you can certainly even use actual bubbles for this breathing activity. Have kids close their eyes and imagine they are blowing bubbles as they breathe in and out.

Shape breathing. Have kids draw any shape or design on a piece of paper (or on the board). Then, have them slowly breathe in and out as they trace their finger along the shape. With this breathing technique, kids are focused just on the shape, allowing them to really calm their minds in the moment.

Apple pie breathing. Have kids imagine there is a warm slice of apple pie in front of them. Have them slowly breathe in to smell the pie and then breathe out. Note that this breathing exercise really can be done with any type of food. I also like to do this with pizza or a warm cup of cocoa.

Marching band breathing. One of my favorite strategies involves kids imagining that their breath is a marching band. Students should count to the beat of four as they breathe in and out. You can incorporate movement with tapping or clapping as well.

When Should Kids Practice Deep Breathing?
There are many times when kids and young adults might want to practice deep breathing on a more regular basis. Here are a few:

In the morning to start of the day on a positive note

Before a big test or quiz

After a transition

Right before a morning meeting

At the beginning of a class

After lunch or recess

As an intervention for students struggling with tough emotions

Whether you practice mindful breathing with a whole class, small group, or with individual learners, this practice can help give kids and young adults the tools they need to be successful. Use some of these mindful breathing exercises or grab the full set to get started today.

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Mindful Breathing Activities for Kids & Teens

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Mindful breathing is a technique that can help improve focus and restore calm into the classroom. Best of all, it's a strategy that helps develop self-regulation skills, something that kids and teens need throughout their lives. What is Mindful Breathing? The idea behind mindful breathing is

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A daily morning meeting is a simple check-in time for each student to think about (and share) how they are feeling and what is on their mind. A daily check-in builds self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Most importantly, this can be a big deal for students who might need some extra support.

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If there's one thing we've learned this school year, it's this: We need to consistently and frequently check-in on students' social-emotional learning (SEL), well-being, and mental health.

As Cathy Woods, director of on-time graduation at Everett Public Schools (WA), said on a webinar in the spring of 2020:

"The first question for our students-and it should always have been the first step, but people are really getting it now-should be, 'Are you OK?' When we're back in the classroom and a student isn't doing what you'd expect, I hope that what comes out of COVID and distance learning is that we ask, 'Are you OK?' as the first step."

Social-emotional check-ins are an emerging practice that schools and districts are using to gather quick student feedback and deliver in-the-moment support to students. Typically done via surveys, SEL check-ins are perfect to include during morning meetings, small group interventions, lunch bunches, or general class time.

Weekly or daily SEL check-ins not only elevate student voice-but can also help students gain awareness of their emotions and work on core CASEL competencies like self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible decision-making.

If you're designing a social-emotional check-in strategy for your classroom, school, or district, this article contains guidelines and free resources to help you get started.

Download our Student Check-ins Question Bank [includes 80+ questions across well-being and SEL]
What to Consider Before Doing an SEL Check-in With Students

Before you set up your first SEL check-in, we recommend reflecting on the following questions. This will ensure that your overall check-in strategy matches student needs and aligns to school and district goals.

→ What are you hoping to learn from students? Knowing your ideal outcome will help you determine which questions to ask students. Are you hoping to focus on student well-being? Safety at school? Relationships? Once you've decided on a theme, use a similar set of questions on a repeated basis so you can measure students' perceptions and attitudes over time.
Access Panorama's check-ins question bank.
→ How often will you conduct check-ins? Frequency will vary based on your school or district's context. At Panorama, werecommend that our partner districts stick to a bi-weekly or monthly SEL check-in schedule. This ensures thateducators have fresh data and can take action to support students in the moment.

→ How will you coordinate check-ins across your school or district? We recommend aligning on who is sending SEL check-ins to students-and on what cadence-so that students receive a consistent experience. For example, maybe you assign a point person (a classroom teacher or a counselor) to send thecheck-into students.

Make a copy of this worksheet to align on goals and to coordinate on a communication plan for check-ins.

→ How will you take action if students share that they need help? Is there a qualified person or caring adult available to talk to students who raise their hand for support? Make a plan for following up on the check-in data. Students need to know that their voices are being heard and that their feedback is being taken seriously.
Download our Student Voice Data Exploration Guide with prompts and workbooks for taking action on your data.

SEL Check-in Templates

[Template] Virtual "Temperature Check" for Students

A "temperature check" is a great way to check-in with students asynchronously. Get quick feedback on how they are feeling, how learning is going, what they are planning to do during the day, and who they may need support from. Send out the Google Form below during a morning meeting, before class, or during class.
Download the full Google Form template to send your own temperature check!

[Bonus Template] Virtual Check-in Form for Teachers and Staff

As we develop new systems for meaningfully engaging with students, remember that adult SEL and teacher wellness can have a direct impact on culture, climate, and the learning environment for students. Don't forget to check in with your caring adults! Send out the below Google form to teachers and staff as an asynchronous way to check in. You could also share it before staff meetings or PLCs to get a quick pulse on how they are feeling.

Download the full Google Form template to send your own staff check-in.

How to Create an SEL Check-In with Panorama

At Panorama Education, we're excited to bring a new student check-ins tool to schools and districts for the 2020-21 school year. Using check-ins, administrators and educators can quickly ask students about how they're feeling right now and what they may need help with.Check-ins are a light, flexible companion to annual SEL measurement and can be administered right inside the Panorama platform.

Example Panorama Check-In:

1. How are you feeling today?

2. What emotion are you feeling most today?

3. What was the best part of the week for you?

4. What was the hardest part of the past week for you?

5. Would you like to talk privately with an adult from school about how you're feeling or something on your mind?

Pictured above: How to access student check-in responses in Panorama. Please note that this is demo data.
Here are the steps to creating a Panorama check-in:

1. S elect questions to ask your students. In Panorama, there are pre-loaded check-in "question sets" to get you started. The questions span many themes including: well-being, supportive relationships, safety, support and inclusion, classroom feedback, and SEL skills and competencies. You can add, remove, or rearrange questions from the pre-built question sets. We recommend selecting four to five questions per check-in.

2. Decide which students you'd like to hear from. Panorama syncs up with your roster automatically. You can create a check-in for all of the students on the roster, or all of the students you have access to in Panorama.

3. . You can send the link via email, paste it onto a Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation, or chat it out to your students on Google Hangouts or Send the check-in to students via a unique URL Zoom.

4. That way, you can quickly follow up with individual students, plan Review your responses in Panorama! Once you launch a check-in, student responses will appear in real-time on your Panorama dashboard . interventions for individual students or small groups, or plan school-wide or district-wide Tier 1 practices and programs in response.

Does Your School or District Have a Plan for Supporting Students' Well-Being and SEL This Year?

Panorama Education is the #1 provider of social-emotional learning measurement tools for schools and districts.
Interested in bringing Panorama to your district? Schedule a demo of our platform.
Contact us to learn about partnering with Panorama for annual SEL measurement and rapid-response check-in surveys.

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Social-Emotional Learning Check-In Templates | Panorama Education

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If there's one thing we've learned this school year, it's this: We need to consistently and frequently check-in on students' social-emotional learning (SEL), well-being, and mental health. As Cathy Woods, director of on-time graduation at Everett Public Schools (WA), said on a webinar in the spring of 2020: "The first question for our students-and it should always have been the first step, but people are really getting it now-should be, 'Are you OK?'

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Think-Pair-Share is a great way for students to develop social awareness and relationship skills.  This discussion technique gives students the opportunity to respond to questions in written form before engaging in meaningful conversation with other students. Asking students to write and discuss ideas with a partner before sharing with the larger group builds confidence, encourages greater participation, and results in more thoughtful discussions.

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This discussion technique gives students the opportunity to respond to questions in written form before engaging in meaningful conversation with other students. Asking students to write and discuss ideas with a partner before sharing with the larger group builds confidence, encourages greater participation, and results in more thoughtful discussions.

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Music is a powerful SEL strategy that can be used in the classroom.  Many of the parts of SEL, such as learning body awareness, are much easier through music and movement. Also, you can discuss song lyrics with students to discuss feelings. Music is created through emotion, which allows students to connect with the artist's emotions or their own emotions.

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published February 21, 2020

Paige Bell and Adrien Palmer are music teachers who create songs for Social and Emotional Learning as 'kindie' (kids' independent) rock group Narwhals and Waterfalls. Their SEL curriculum includes lyrics, chord charts, lesson plans, and activities that correspond with each of the songs on their "Simple SEL" album. They have several music videos on Youtube and are available for live performances and events in Dallas, TX and the surrounding area.

In this Q+A with Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org, Adrien and Paige discuss the benefits of music education for children from infancy through elementary school. They also share their own self-care strategies as busy teachers and performers.

Social and Emotional Learning Songs and Activities for Kids

Catharine: Why is music helpful in teaching mindfulness and SEL?

Paige and Adrien: Music is elemental and speaks to a part of us that words alone can't. Many of the parts of SEL, such as learning body awareness, are much easier through music and movement. When you combine a song asking you how you feel with movements that help you feel better, and have it all happen in the classroom with friends all around, it feels more like living than learning.

Catharine: What should parents and teachers look for when choosing songs to share with kids?

Paige and Adrien: In the classroom, songs are usually chosen to fit a theme, serve a function, or teach something. Often times this same concept doesn't get applied to the home. Although music doesn't always need to be educational, music can be an extremely powerful tool. It's helpful to choose songs that align with our children's developmental level.

When children are in their Infancy stage, approx. birth-24 months, they're already learning so much about trust, relationships and language. Singing them lullabies before sleep provides an important bonding experience, in which they experience safety and trust. Also simple, repetitive songs are great for teaching language.

In the Early Childhood-Preschool Stage, approx. ages 2-5, toddlers are starting to assert more independence and practicing their fine motor skills. This stage is great for songs that have directions in them, such as freeze dances, body movement songs, or songs that teach specific skills and transitions. Songs about cleaning up, brushing their teeth, waking up, bedtime and anything to help establish routines are great!

In the School Age stage, approx. ages 6-11, along with learning how to read and write, children's social group's expand and they start to develop a sense of self. Songs that are about feelings, self-awareness, and social skills are perfect for this age group!

Research has shown that music can be impactful in the brain development of children. Music is so powerful that it affects all parts of the brain, engaging the left and right hemispheres at the same time. So when we're able to tailor the music to our children's developmental levels, we're likely to see increased language skills, social ability, fine motor skills, and emotional intelligence along with other benefits.

Catharine: You recorded a cover of the classic Mr. Rogers song, 'It's You I Like.' What can we learn from Fred Rogers' approach to empathizing with and communicating with young children?

Paige and Adrien: First of all, to slow down. Mr. Rogers was incredibly patient and present whenever he interacted with young children.

Second, he connected with adults as well because many of the things kids need to hear are things we still long to hear.

And third, that kids need to be able to talk about difficult things. He was very intentional, and chose every word carefully, but he made sure to talk about big topics, heavy topics. Even more so now, kids are going to see and experience difficult things and need the tools to process them emotionally.

Catharine: Your videos are quite inclusive, showing a wide range of ages and ethnicities, as well as same-sex couples and parents. Why is it important for kids to see images of people who do and don't look like themselves and their families?

Paige and Adrien: We are very careful about which images we feature in our videos. 20 years ago, the images shown of different cultures and lifestyles on the screen were very limited. Stereotypes were reinforced so strongly that when individuals defied expectations, it was jarring. It's important to us that kids see people like themselves on the screen, and that they see people very different from themselves as well.

It's perfectly normal to make assumptions about people who don't look like us and cultures we don't understand. We hope to challenge those assumptions and build curiosity instead of prejudice.

Catharine: Have any parents or teachers expressed concern about any of the images?

Paige and Adrien: We haven't had anyone express any concerns about final videos, but we have had friends and family challenge us before we released them. We always ask friends to review them and have discovered some of our own blindspots through their feedback.

Catharine: Your songs "I'm Always Me" and "I Can Still Be Me" explain the difference between our feelings and our identity as a person. Why is this such an important message for kids (and adults)?

Paige and Adrien: Ideas from books like The Whole Brain Child have influenced a lot of our music. In that book, they talk about how as a child, and sometimes as adults, we need to be reminded that feelings don't last forever. When a child is feeling sad, they may truly believe they'll never feel happy again.

Both of us are also prone to introversion. We hesitate to say "are introverts" because labels like "shy" and "quiet" can limit what others expect from us. And cause us to limit ourselves. If you're always hearing how happy you are, you might suppress any sad feelings you have.

It's important that kids know their feelings aren't their true identity, that feelings come and go, and that they are free to try and be things outside of their "identity."

Catharine: One of the most important themes here at Mindful Teachers is self-care for educators and other helping professionals. How do you practice self-care in the midst of your busy schedules as teachers and performers?

Adrien: The most honest answer would be "inconsistently". But a big part of self-care is accepting my own limitations. Scheduling in downtime before and after performances sometimes means missing out on other social events, but I need that time in order to be at my best.

Sometimes, I've done extra meditations with my classes. Not only does it help us build in time, but also models to the kids the importance of acknowledging when we feel overwhelmed and addressing those feelings.

I have a morning routine of morning pages (a practice I picked up from The Artist's Way), yoga, meditation, and a big glass of water. I also go to therapy regularly. And indulge a few quirks: I bought a cheap drum set that I "play" to blow off steam after particularly crazy days.

Paige: Being a full-time music teacher is fulfilling and fun, but can also be so draining and busy. I notice that when I take time to center myself before work, I tend to be a lot more patient with my students.

My morning routine includes the 20/20/20 formula, which is a concept from the book The 5AM Club, by Robin Sharma. 20 minutes of movement, 20 minutes of reflection, and 20 minutes of growth. This usually includes yoga (or a short run), meditation and journaling.

When I follow through with my morning routine, I'm able to go through the day being proactive instead of reactive. If I wait to have self-care time until I get home from work, it may never happen.

My motto is that a little will go a long way. Even if you only have 10 minutes before work to sit and drink your coffee while reflecting, that will take you far. Find something that feels good to you and try being consistent with it.

There is a great quote from Daniel Segel's book, The Whole Brain Child, that reads

"As children develop, their brains 'mirror' their parent's brain. In other words, the parent's own growth and development, or lack of those, impact the child's brain. As parents become more aware and emotionally healthy, their children reap the rewards and move toward health as well."

Remember that self-care is NOT selfish. It's important to nourish ourselves so that we can nourish the kids in our lives. Our kids will reap the benefits of our personal growth and be able to use the tools in their lives. Hopefully that can motivate all of us to take more time for ourselves.

published February 21, 2020

Paige Bell and Adrien Palmer are music teachers who create songs for Social and Emotional Learning as 'kindie' (kids' independent) rock group Narwhals and Waterfalls. Their SEL curriculum includes lyrics, chord charts, lesson plans, and activities that correspond with each of the songs on their "Simple SEL" album. They have several music videos on Youtube and are available for live performances and events in Dallas, TX and the surrounding area.

In this Q+A with Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org, Adrien and Paige discuss the benefits of music education for children from infancy through elementary school. They also share their own self-care strategies as busy teachers and performers.

Social and Emotional Learning Songs and Activities for Kids

Catharine: Why is music helpful in teaching mindfulness and SEL?

Paige and Adrien: Music is elemental and speaks to a part of us that words alone can't. Many of the parts of SEL, such as learning body awareness, are much easier through music and movement. When you combine a song asking you how you feel with movements that help you feel better, and have it all happen in the classroom with friends all around, it feels more like living than learning.

Catharine: What should parents and teachers look for when choosing songs to share with kids?

Paige and Adrien: In the classroom, songs are usually chosen to fit a theme, serve a function, or teach something. Often times this same concept doesn't get applied to the home. Although music doesn't always need to be educational, music can be an extremely powerful tool. It's helpful to choose songs that align with our children's developmental level.

When children are in their Infancy stage, approx. birth-24 months, they're already learning so much about trust, relationships and language. Singing them lullabies before sleep provides an important bonding experience, in which they experience safety and trust. Also simple, repetitive songs are great for teaching language.

In the Early Childhood-Preschool Stage, approx. ages 2-5, toddlers are starting to assert more independence and practicing their fine motor skills. This stage is great for songs that have directions in them, such as freeze dances, body movement songs, or songs that teach specific skills and transitions. Songs about cleaning up, brushing their teeth, waking up, bedtime and anything to help establish routines are great!

In the School Age stage, approx. ages 6-11, along with learning how to read and write, children's social group's expand and they start to develop a sense of self. Songs that are about feelings, self-awareness, and social skills are perfect for this age group!

Research has shown that music can be impactful in the brain development of children. Music is so powerful that it affects all parts of the brain, engaging the left and right hemispheres at the same time. So when we're able to tailor the music to our children's developmental levels, we're likely to see increased language skills, social ability, fine motor skills, and emotional intelligence along with other benefits.

Catharine: You recorded a cover of the classic Mr. Rogers song, 'It's You I Like.' What can we learn from Fred Rogers' approach to empathizing with and communicating with young children?

Paige and Adrien: First of all, to slow down. Mr. Rogers was incredibly patient and present whenever he interacted with young children.

Second, he connected with adults as well because many of the things kids need to hear are things we still long to hear.

And third, that kids need to be able to talk about difficult things. He was very intentional, and chose every word carefully, but he made sure to talk about big topics, heavy topics. Even more so now, kids are going to see and experience difficult things and need the tools to process them emotionally.

Catharine: Your videos are quite inclusive, showing a wide range of ages and ethnicities, as well as same-sex couples and parents. Why is it important for kids to see images of people who do and don't look like themselves and their families?

Paige and Adrien: We are very careful about which images we feature in our videos. 20 years ago, the images shown of different cultures and lifestyles on the screen were very limited. Stereotypes were reinforced so strongly that when individuals defied expectations, it was jarring. It's important to us that kids see people like themselves on the screen, and that they see people very different from themselves as well.

It's perfectly normal to make assumptions about people who don't look like us and cultures we don't understand. We hope to challenge those assumptions and build curiosity instead of prejudice.

Catharine: Have any parents or teachers expressed concern about any of the images?

Paige and Adrien: We haven't had anyone express any concerns about final videos, but we have had friends and family challenge us before we released them. We always ask friends to review them and have discovered some of our own blindspots through their feedback.

Catharine: Your songs "I'm Always Me" and "I Can Still Be Me" explain the difference between our feelings and our identity as a person. Why is this such an important message for kids (and adults)?

Paige and Adrien: Ideas from books like The Whole Brain Child have influenced a lot of our music. In that book, they talk about how as a child, and sometimes as adults, we need to be reminded that feelings don't last forever. When a child is feeling sad, they may truly believe they'll never feel happy again.

Both of us are also prone to introversion. We hesitate to say "are introverts" because labels like "shy" and "quiet" can limit what others expect from us. And cause us to limit ourselves. If you're always hearing how happy you are, you might suppress any sad feelings you have.

It's important that kids know their feelings aren't their true identity, that feelings come and go, and that they are free to try and be things outside of their "identity."

Catharine: One of the most important themes here at Mindful Teachers is self-care for educators and other helping professionals. How do you practice self-care in the midst of your busy schedules as teachers and performers?

Adrien: The most honest answer would be "inconsistently". But a big part of self-care is accepting my own limitations. Scheduling in downtime before and after performances sometimes means missing out on other social events, but I need that time in order to be at my best.

Sometimes, I've done extra meditations with my classes. Not only does it help us build in time, but also models to the kids the importance of acknowledging when we feel overwhelmed and addressing those feelings.

I have a morning routine of morning pages (a practice I picked up from The Artist's Way), yoga, meditation, and a big glass of water. I also go to therapy regularly. And indulge a few quirks: I bought a cheap drum set that I "play" to blow off steam after particularly crazy days.

Paige: Being a full-time music teacher is fulfilling and fun, but can also be so draining and busy. I notice that when I take time to center myself before work, I tend to be a lot more patient with my students.

My morning routine includes the 20/20/20 formula, which is a concept from the book The 5AM Club, by Robin Sharma. 20 minutes of movement, 20 minutes of reflection, and 20 minutes of growth. This usually includes yoga (or a short run), meditation and journaling.

When I follow through with my morning routine, I'm able to go through the day being proactive instead of reactive. If I wait to have self-care time until I get home from work, it may never happen.

My motto is that a little will go a long way. Even if you only have 10 minutes before work to sit and drink your coffee while reflecting, that will take you far. Find something that feels good to you and try being consistent with it.

There is a great quote from Daniel Segel's book, The Whole Brain Child, that reads

"As children develop, their brains 'mirror' their parent's brain. In other words, the parent's own growth and development, or lack of those, impact the child's brain. As parents become more aware and emotionally healthy, their children reap the rewards and move toward health as well."

Remember that self-care is NOT selfish. It's important to nourish ourselves so that we can nourish the kids in our lives. Our kids will reap the benefits of our personal growth and be able to use the tools in their lives. Hopefully that can motivate all of us to take more time for ourselves.

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How Music Helps Kids with Social and Emotional Learning: Q+A with Paige Bell and Adrien Palmer - Mindful Teachers

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published February 21, 2020 Paige Bell and Adrien Palmer are music teachers who create songs for Social and Emotional Learning as 'kindie' (kids' independent) rock group Narwhals and Waterfalls. Their SEL curriculum includes lyrics, chord charts, lesson plans, and activities that correspond with each of the songs on their "Simple SEL" album.

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Doing an SEL assessment at the beginning of the year, so you can know your students' strengths, and then do the assignment at the end of the year.  This helps you to align your classroom and lessons to benefit your students by using their strengths.  It also helps to identify students who are at risk of developing social-emotional problems before those problems emerge.