Keyword: Emotional Development
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Emotional Development
This list contains resources to help educators and families support emotional development in young children.
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Helping Children with Big Feelings in the Classroom
Big feelings can be overwhelming, and when young children get upset, it can be equally overwhelming for their teachers. Teachers can teach children several calm-down techniques such as breathing strategies, asking for a hug, doing wall or chair push-ups, or taking a break.
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Helping Children with Big Feelings
Big feelings such as frustration or being upset can lead to strong reactions in adults and children. For children who have little control over their environment, these feelings can occur for reasons adults see as inconsequential or silly. Regardless of what causes a meltdown, teaching, modeling, and supporting them to calm down in that big…
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“I’m Missing My Friends!” Supporting Young Children’s Emotions During the Pandemic
The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted school, work, routines, schedules, and friendships. As difficult as this time is for adults, children are also struggling to process these changes while missing their friends. We will share strategies for supporting children’s emotional well-being during this time.
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Families, Social-Emotional Learning, and the Pandemic
In this podcast, we speak with Kelly Russell, the program director of CU Early, which serves infants, toddlers, and expectant parents in Champaign, Urbana, and Mahomet. We explore how the pandemic has changed service delivery for home visits, developmental screenings, and support groups. We also delve into the changing social and emotional needs of families…
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Helping Young Children Understand Changing Holiday Traditions
It is very likely that our wintertime or holiday traditions will look different this year. Now that we are several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve all gotten somewhat accustomed to canceled events, changes in expectations, and disappointments.
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Challenging Behaviors in Young Children
This toolkit includes information on child development, the meaning of behavior, strategies adults can use with young children, and additional resources for families and educators.
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COVID-19 Parenting Pep Talk: Be With Your Child’s Big Feelings
For many of us, changes in routine and lack of choices have brought on feelings of sadness, anger, and frustration. Though we may be experiencing these difficult emotions, as adults we can understand that changes to our daily routines are to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
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Returning to Early Childhood Programs During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our lives. Our routines have been changed. We have been unable to see our loved ones. We are concerned for our health and the health of others. As children and families slowly transition back to work and child care, families and caregivers may have concerns about how to best…
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COVID-19 Parenting Pep Talk: Make Time for Connection
Before the COVID-19 situation, many of us, myself included, were used to taking our young children to childcare or preschool on working days. Now, we may be working from home or different hours, and we may have lost many of our predictable daily routines. In addition, many family, friends, and coworkers are no longer part…
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COVID-19 Parenting Pep Talk: (Re)focus on Positive Guidance
In spring 2020, our world was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Illinois, our stay-at-home order has caused drastic changes in daily routines for everyone. With schools, many childcare centers, and most other places closed to stop the spread of COVID-19, we have found our daily routines profoundly changed.
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Helping Young Children With Disabilities During a Trying Time: Adding Structure and Routine
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, you may be a parent or caregiver of a young child with special needs who was previously attending a child care center, preschool program, or receiving other services. You may now be caring for your child at home with few outside supports—and this can feel overwhelming. We know young children thrive…
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Positive Guidance for Young Children: Be Thoughtful
Young children are learning to manage their behaviors and feelings. Your responses matter to children in these moments. Sometimes adults need to stop behaviors that are unsafe or extremely disruptive and help children understand how to behave appropriately.
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Positive Guidance for Young Children: Take a Break and Calm Down
Young children are learning to manage their behavior and feelings. At times, they may be “out of control” and need an adult to help them calm down and learn how to express their emotions in appropriate ways.
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Positive Guidance for Young Children: Plan Ahead
Young children are curious and actively explore the world.
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Positive Guidance for Young Children: Be Consistent
Young children are learning to manage their behaviors and feelings. They may need many reminders of what appropriate behavior looks like. Clear directions from adults in a calm, firm tone of voice help children know what to do.
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The Impact of Trauma on the Lives of Young Children (Part 1)
In this podcast we interview Dr. Catherine Corr from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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Waiting to Paint
When teachers set out activities that are of high interest to children, conflicts can arise. Being prepared with strategies to help children cope with the challenge of waiting for a turn can minimize conflicts.
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Social and Emotional Development
This section of the guidelines describes how infants and toddlers develop relationships with the people around them, develop a sense of self, and learn to be sensitive to the wants and needs of other people.
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Try and Try Again (audio)
This podcast, based on a blog written by Dr. Rebecca Swartz, provides information about how adults can help young children develop persistence to try and try again when they encounter everyday challenges. To see the main text of the podcast, you can read the original blog post. Related IEL Resources Blog: Try and Try Again
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Try and Try Again
Families, teachers, and caregivers want young children to be successful. It can be hard to watch a child struggle or become frustrated.
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Feelings Are Fantastic (audio)
This podcast, based on a blog written by Dr. Rebecca Swartz, provides information about how young children learn to manage their feelings and provides strategies adults can use to help them learn to express their feelings appropriately. To see the main text of the podcast, you can read the original blog post. Related IEL Resources…
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Young Children’s Mental Health
This list contains a variety of resources associated with the mental health of young children.
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Toddlers and Tantrums
This list contains a variety of resources associated with toddlers and tantrums.
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Imagination and Fantasy in Early Childhood
This list contains a variety of resources associated with imagination and fantasy in early childhood.
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Supporting Resilience in Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
This list contains a variety of resources associated with supporting resilience in children exposed to domestic violence.
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Supporting Young Children with Challenging Behaviors
This resource list contains a variety of resources associated with supporting children with challenging behaviors.
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Supporting Children with Autism in Child Care and at Home
This resource list contains a variety of resources associated with supporting children with autism in childcare and at home.
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Project Work as a Context for Social Development
One of the most important goals of early education is the development and strengthening of social competence. One of the benefits of project work is that it provides many opportunities to develop and apply important social skills.
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Feelings Are Fantastic (blog)
Young children are learning to manage their feelings and express them with appropriate language and behavior.
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Two Trains
Sadie (26 months) pulls two trains across the carpet and sits down on the teacher’s lap. Sadie and the teacher are talking about the two trains while Daniel watches. Daniel reaches down to take the handle of one of the trains, to which Sadie objects. The teacher then asks Sadie to give one of her…
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A Tower Together
The teachers provided balance in both supporting Anna and allowing her space to work through situations independently. She followed Anna’s reactions and did not intervene too early.
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Snack Time
This interaction demonstrates the teachers’ cooperation and understanding of their roles in classroom management. It also demonstrates appropriate teacher-child interactions at the snack table.
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I Don’t Like That
This video takes place in a toddler room of a university laboratory child care and preschool. Jordan (29 months) has put on sunglasses, and Sadie (25 months) walks up and stands very close to him. He tells her “I don’t like that,” but she stays close to him. The nearby teacher steps in and tells…
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Blue or Purple
This is a nice example of the caregiver reading the cues of the child and assisting them through an interaction that had the potential for conflict.
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A Big Tower
The video takes place in a toddler room of a university laboratory child care and preschool. Anna (28 months) is building a tower alone with large interlocking blocks. Kenyon (26 months) runs in and knocks over her new tower. Anna takes it in stride, and Kenyon helps her rebuild. He promptly knocks over their new…
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Papa and Wayne: A Simple Game With Baby
In this video we see a spontaneous playful interaction between 6-month-old Wayne and his grandfather (Papa). Many families play games like this, which are important both to children’s sense of belonging and their ability to communicate with others.
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Tattoos and Teakettles: “Housekeeping” Conversations
In this video, three preschool girls interact with each other and their teacher in the dramatic play area during choice time.
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“She Goes First”: Cooperative “Housekeeping” Play
In the clip, Victoria (age 5), Micaela (age 5.7), and Mandi (age 5.8) are engaged in what is sometimes called “housekeeping play.” Speaking in Spanish, they put some of their ideas about family life into action as they pretend to wash dishes, prepare food, and eat together.
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The Right Word: Conversation and Print During Pretend Play
This clip shows children don’t necessarily need structured activities to meet benchmarks. When teachers schedule large blocks of time for free play, children can learn in unexpected ways by engaging with each other and the classroom environment.
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Keep It Moving: Playing With Hoops
This video shows children playing with hula-hoops in a large space for motor activities at an early childhood center.
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When Children Mourn
Though you cannot shield children from grief, you can help guide and comfort them.
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Supporting Adult-Child Relationships
Young children thrive when the adults around them show they care.
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Feelings Are Fantastic
Children are learning the words to express their feelings and how to show feelings in appropriate ways. Here are some ways you can help them to be successful as they learn these important skills.
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Helping Children Handle Disappointment
Helping children handle disappointments can provide them with lifelong coping skills.
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Children in Refugee Families Need Extra Care, Attention
Many refugees are settling in the United States as a result of wars in the Middle East, Africa, Central America, and Asia, and many arrive in Illinois as part of our nation’s formal refugee resettlement program.
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Time to Play, Time to Dream: Unscheduling Your Child
Would you be surprised to find your child’s day is as hectic as your own?
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Please Don’t Go! Separation Anxiety and Children
It is often hard for a parent or other loved one to leave a young child who cries and clings. Here are some things to remember about separation anxiety.
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Teachers Can Support Young Children’s Mental Health
Caregivers, teachers, and family members all have roles to play in fostering young children’s mental health. In this Q&A, we address questions about children’s mental health.
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Using Words to Discipline Children
Here are some words to use when you want to change your child’s behavior without yelling, spanking, or being angry.