Music is a powerful and sometimes overlooked tool for creating positive environments for young people. There is plenty of research showing that music can help develop language processing skills in young children, calm dysregulated minds, and create a positive atmosphere. Musical notes can be words in a language when plain old English just won’t cut it.
As we celebrate National School Counselor Week (February 4-8, 2019), it’s a great time to remember to extend your gratitude to all mental health support staff working in your environment. School psychologists, school counselors, social workers, and school nurses are all part of a larger system that looks out for the well-being of our young people every day. These professionals work hard behind the scenes to make sure that vulnerable students get resources they need, and everyone in your education community is supported. Here are some ideas you could leverage to check in on your MHP’s this month.
By Christine Merle
Early Childhood Strategies that Work with Every Age Group
As an educator who has the opportunity to visit classrooms across a wide variety of ages, I am amazed at how many of early childhood strategies translate easily to settings with older children. Think about the following social and emotional skills and ask yourself if you can see their value – even when working with other adults!
By Ellen Leopold, Pyramid Model Master Cadre Trainer
The Pyramid Model is a social and emotional learning framework that-- when implemented with fidelity-- promotes young children’s healthy development, and prevents challenging behaviors. The core work in the Model focuses on building adults’ skills so that they can support children’s social and emotional health. This is done through strengthening relationships and directly teaching emotional literacy, self-regulation, listening, friendship skills, and basic problem solving. The Model addresses how and when to identify and provide for children who may need individualized supports.
Gratitude. It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot this time of year. But what does it really mean when all the messages we receive are about getting and buying rather than making and giving?