This year in kindergarten we are using a variety of approaches to foster the development of social skills. Each morning we incorporate activities from the Responsive Classroom program that help all children to feel acknowledged and welcomed as a member of our classroom community. These activities include interactive games and songs, fun greetings, and opportunities for all children to share their ideas and feelings with one another.
We are also using lessons and activities from the Open Circle curriculum that overlap nicely with Responsive Classroom in that they both center on building community, developing respectful relationships, and problem-solving.
Additionally, we are incorporating strategies and language from a social thinking curriculum called Superflex. This curriculum provides ways children can begin to reflect on their own thinking and behavior and introduces a superhero and characters (Unthinkables) that embody different behaviors that we all experience. Below are pictures and brief descriptions of some of the characters we will introduce this year.
Additionally, a team this summer worked on creating a Social Emotional Learning Website for the whole school (K-1, 2-3, 4-5). That website is intended to help you better understand the social emotional learning that we are doing in school. There are also a variety of resources for you to access, if you are looking for ways to support your child's learning at home.
Please access it here:
https://sites.google.com/lexingtonma.org/hastingssel/home
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Meet. Superflex!
Superflex the Super Hero lives within all of us! His super powers enable him (us) to be an excellent problem solver and have a SUPER FLEXIBLE attitude. He is a great detective; Superflex is always on the lookout for clues that help him think about expected ways to act and react as he moves through the day managing his reactions, thoughts, and behavior.
Superflex the Super Hero lives within all of us! His super powers enable him (us) to be an excellent problem solver and have a SUPER FLEXIBLE attitude. He is a great detective; Superflex is always on the lookout for clues that help him think about expected ways to act and react as he moves through the day managing his reactions, thoughts, and behavior.
The Unthinkables!
Meet: Rock Brain!
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Rock Brain makes you get stuck on your ideas. He gets you to be NOT flexible!
Superflex strategies:
* Think of a different way.
*Do what the group is doing.
Superflex strategies:
* Think of a different way.
*Do what the group is doing.
Meet: Glassman!
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/0/0/14008681/2815929.png?1)
Glassman makes you have BIG reactions to little problems!
Superflex strategies:
* Freeze, take a deep breath, and think about what your choices are.
*When you feel yourself getting upset, think of a calm picture before you react!
Superflex strategies:
* Freeze, take a deep breath, and think about what your choices are.
*When you feel yourself getting upset, think of a calm picture before you react!
Meet: Kenny Can't!
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Kenny Can't makes people say, "I can't," when they have to do work or something that is new or hard. Kenny Can't makes people give up before they even try!
Superflex strategies:
* Use self-talk: "I can try." OR "I will do my best."
* Think positive thoughts: "I can do this!"
* Use calming strategies: take deep breaths or count to 10 when you start to notice that Kenny Can't is trying to change your thinking.
* Remind yourself that being the best student you can be means trying challenging things and sticking with it!
Superflex strategies:
* Use self-talk: "I can try." OR "I will do my best."
* Think positive thoughts: "I can do this!"
* Use calming strategies: take deep breaths or count to 10 when you start to notice that Kenny Can't is trying to change your thinking.
* Remind yourself that being the best student you can be means trying challenging things and sticking with it!
Meet: Space Invader!
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Space Invader makes you get too close to others and pop others' comfort bubbles.
Superflex strategies:
* Remember the one-arm rule.
* Think about if the person is a family member, stranger or a friend and what the size of your bubble should be. Comfort bubbles are smaller with your family and larger with strangers or people
you don't know well.
Superflex strategies:
* Remember the one-arm rule.
* Think about if the person is a family member, stranger or a friend and what the size of your bubble should be. Comfort bubbles are smaller with your family and larger with strangers or people
you don't know well.
Meet: Braineater!
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Description: Brain Eater makes you get distracted. He makes it hard for you to think about what the group is doing and talking about.
Superflex strategies:
* Give the School Listening Look if you are having trouble during a group time.
* Get a drink or take a walk
* Move the item that is distracting you out of the way
Superflex strategies:
* Give the School Listening Look if you are having trouble during a group time.
* Get a drink or take a walk
* Move the item that is distracting you out of the way
Meet: Was Funny Once!
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/0/0/14008681/8076257.png?1)
Was Funny Once makes you get carried away and get too silly! He makes you get silly to the point that you are no longer learning or thinking about others.
Superflex strategies:
* Before getting silly think about if it is a time to be serious or silly. If you are in school and it is a learning time then it is not a good time to be silly.
* Use the 5 point scale to help you identify how silly you are and where you should be.
Superflex strategies:
* Before getting silly think about if it is a time to be serious or silly. If you are in school and it is a learning time then it is not a good time to be silly.
* Use the 5 point scale to help you identify how silly you are and where you should be.
Meet: Mean Jean!
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/0/0/14008681/92275.png?1)
Mean Jean makes you say or do hurtful things!
Superflex strategies:
* Keep bragging, bossy, or mean thoughts in your head. These are called “keepers.”
* Before you say or do something, think about how it might make the other person feel.
Superflex strategies:
* Keep bragging, bossy, or mean thoughts in your head. These are called “keepers.”
* Before you say or do something, think about how it might make the other person feel.
Meet: Int-Erupter!
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Int-Erupter gets people to interrupt when others are talking.
Superflex strageties:
* Think about how others might feel if I interrupt. They may feel annoyed, frustrated, or upset.
* Focus on keeping my idea in my thought bubble.
* Say to myself, "I can wait for my turn to speak."
Superflex strageties:
* Think about how others might feel if I interrupt. They may feel annoyed, frustrated, or upset.
* Focus on keeping my idea in my thought bubble.
* Say to myself, "I can wait for my turn to speak."
Meet: Worry Wall!
![Picture](/uploads/1/4/0/0/14008681/2411635.png)
Worry Wall is an Unthinkable that gets us to worry about little problems or things that are not problems at all! Worry Wall may make us feel nervous or unsure about trying new things, going to new places, or changes in our routine or plans. Worry Wall makes our brains freeze or get stuck and think about the same thing over and over again.
Superflex strategies:
* Take deep breaths and relax.
* Think about happy thoughts.
* Talk back to your worry.
* Tell yourself the facts; "I know that..."
Superflex strategies:
* Take deep breaths and relax.
* Think about happy thoughts.
* Talk back to your worry.
* Tell yourself the facts; "I know that..."
Along with this list of characters you may hear some of the terms we have introduced. These include:
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Whole Body Listening: We have done a lesson to help the kids understand that we do not just listen with our ears, but we actually use our whole bodies to help us listen to others.
Flexible/Not Flexible: We use this language to indicate when we are "going with the flow" and when we are able to "change our thinking" or think of other ways to solve a problem. These terms are used throughout the day to both reinforce and acknowledge flexible thinking and as a reminder about how we might have to be if our day's schedule changes. For example: indoor recess because it is raining, or, not having enough time to finish an activity. We use our Flexibility Chain to document when cherubs are showing flexible thinking!
Expected/Unexpected: We use this language both to encourage kids to think about their own behavior based on a given situation and also to help kids understand a situation where something might happen that we don't expect. We try to emphasize that we can think and use clues to help us figure out what is expected by thinking about the situation and reading the room.
I hope you find this information helpful! My goal is to create an environment where your child can grow and thrive both socially and emotionally.