Embracing Emotional Wellness Month: A Top-Down Approach for School Leaders
National Emotional Wellness Month is upon us once more, and not a moment too soon. This month marks a time where we can look inward, reflect on our stress levels, and make necessary changes to collectively improve our mental health and emotional well-being. With my years of experience as a clinical psychologist and founder of […]
Using Scenario-Based Teaching & Storytelling to Support Children’s Emotional Intelligence
In my decades of experience working with children and in the early childhood education field, one thing is clear – children love stories. Not only listening to them, reading them, and exploring the pictures on the pages, but the opportunity to share their own stories (and feelings) with anyone who will listen. When it comes […]
The “As Children Develop” Series Part I: Infants 0-3 Milestones and Activities
There is no faster time of brain development than from zero to three, and some of the most formative experiences that have lifelong consequences occur in early childhood. Because of this period of expedited development, babies’ and young children’s needs vary during these early years. That’s why I’m going to focus on age-by-age information during […]
Back-to-School For Many Will Look Different Than Other Years
Each back-to-school season comes with the typical jitters and excitement; however, this year is unique in that it’s the first time pandemic babies and young children are school-aged. The New York Times¹ recently wrote an article highlighting how the pandemic affected babies’ and young children’s development–with many of them experiencing higher than average developmental challenges. The reason: isolation and […]
Helping Children Navigate Big Changes with “Franklin’s World Takes a Turn”
I’m thrilled that we’ve released the fifth book in the ECSELent Adventures series, “Franklin’s World Takes a Turn.” Each book in the series addresses topical developmental issues by helping children explore their emotions, relationships, and the world around them. Each book is designed with support to scaffold learning around familiar topics children encounter while also […]
A begin to ECSEL School Story – Part V: Navigating Co-Teaching Team Dynamics
Welcome back to “begin to ECSEL School Stories,” a blog series where we address common challenges that early childhood educators face on their journey to support children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Throughout this series, we have explored ways to help children through their big feelings like anger and disappointment, provided strategies to support children’s development […]
Mindfulness & Breathing in Classrooms are First Steps in Addressing Children’s Mental Health, Not the Whole Solution
During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the New York Times ran a piece entitled “Are We Talking Too Much About Mental Health?” In the article, the journalist cited some research that pointed to the possibility of overdoing coursework in emotional learning and mindfulness. The article explained, “…two research psychologists at the University of Oxford, Lucy Foulkes […]
A begin to ECSEL School Story – Part IV: Effectively Communicating Our Own Feelings to Children
Welcome back to our “begin to ECSEL School Stories” blog series, where we address common challenges that early childhood educators face on their journey to support children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Our last two installments focused on how to support children in learning and practicing important emotional skills like empathy and inclusion, and how to […]
This Mental Health Awareness Month, Let’s Focus on Connection
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a month where we raise awareness about the importance of mental health and ways to support mental well-being. At Housman Institute, emotional well-being and mental health are central to all of our efforts. In my last blog post, we took a look at a New York Times article that explored chronic absenteeism […]
A begin to ECSEL School Story – Part III: Turning Exclusion into Empathy
Welcome to the third installment of “begin to ECSEL School Stories,” the blog series where we address common challenges that early childhood educators face on their journey to support children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Last time, we explored the important role that early childhood educators play in modeling, guiding, and teaching foundational emotional skills to […]
Absenteeism and Behavioral Issues Are Only a Few Effects of Emotional Dysregulation
The New York Times1 recently explored chronic absenteeism in K–12 students since the pandemic, finding it has spiked and delving into the reasons and statistics. Alarmingly, many of the children have stayed home due to anxiety, other mental health issues, illnesses other than COVID, and to support their families, among other reasons. A Texas mother shared […]
A begin to ECSEL School Story – Part 2: Understanding Unkind Behaviors
Introduction: The Importance of Early Childhood Educators Welcome to the second installment of “begin to ECSEL School Stories,” our latest blog series where we explore common challenges that early childhood educators face on their journey to support children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Early childhood teachers are tasked with one of the most important jobs in […]
Celebrating Emotional Intelligence Everyday
Emotional Intelligence Day is recognized on June 6th to promote the importance of nurturing self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication. Here at Housman Institute, we’re dedicated to promoting the building blocks of emotional intelligence all day, every day. We believe that educators and parents should be equipped with the tools they need to support children’s emotions in […]
Bullying Prevention– Shaping Empathy and Understanding
Imagine a school where children, even children under eight, showed each other empathy, and resolved their conflicts with conflict resolution skills and by sharing and taking turns, rather than using physical violence or mean words. It’s possible! Through helping children learn to understand the why behind actions, they can become empowered to solve their problems […]
Preventing Bullying by Embracing Differences Through the Art of Storytelling
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela Children are […]
A begin to ECSEL School Story— Part 1: Dealing with Disappointment
Introduction: Challenges in Early Childhood Education Early childhood is foundational to one’s development. These years shape the people that children will become – our future generation. Early childhood educators and leaders have one of the most important yet difficult jobs. They are tasked with meeting the unique needs of each individual child, guiding children on […]