Infant and Early Childhood Social and Emotional Wellbeing Conference 2013
Infant and Early Childhood Social and Emotional Wellbeing Conference 2013 - in Canberrra, starting on 30th October 2013. Described as a "call to action", the program promises to be participative, innovative, stimulating, thought-provoking and enriching. Posing the questions: What vision do we want for our future? and Where should we be focussing our attention and efforts?, the conference will focus on what we can do to ensure that children thrive. Read full article
How You Praise Your Toddler Has a Lasting Impact
In a study that is the first of its kind, researchers observing real-world parent-child interactions have shown the lasting effect of parents’ praise on their children’s behaviours and thoughts. In this article, reporting on the research, you will learn about which type of praise has a positive impact on children's motivation and persistence, and be provided with examples. Read full article
Room to Breathe - Film about Mindfulness in Schools
Room to Breathe is a story of transformation as struggling kids in a San Francisco public middle school are introduced to the practice of mindfulness. Topping the district in disciplinary suspensions, and with overcrowded classrooms creating a nearly impossible learning environment, overwhelmed administrators are left with stark choices. Do they repeat the cycle of forcing tuned-out children to listen, or experiment with a set of age-old inner practices that may provide them with the social, emotional, and attention skills that they need to succeed? Read full article
Using Mindfulness for Teacher Wellbeing
Promising results from pilot studies of teachers using mindfulness in classrooms are exciting educators who say that nurturing teacher mindfulness is a great opportunity to create a caring classroom... results from a study ...of 50 teachers participating in a professional development program facilitated by CARE ... showed that having mindfulness practice in the classroom helped teachers to achieve goals in the classroom, regulate their emotions better, and relate better to students. Read full article
Social and Emotional Learning Programs for Schools
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has released the 2013 CASEL Guide: Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs - Preschool and Elementary School Edition. The Guide identifies 23 school-based programs that promote students' self-control, relationship-building and problem-solving, among other competencies. Emotional Intelligence education has been linked to academic success and many other important social and emotional outcomes for students. Read full article
Benefits of Teaching Positivity to Children
Follow the advice of "fake it 'til you make it" or just "be positive", and you may end up oozing a kind of "toxic insincerity" says Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, Professor of Psychology and specialist investigator of positive emotions and psychophysiology at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Fredrickson was speaking at a workshop that was part of the Young Minds conference held last week at Darling Harbour in Sydney. Teaching the benefits of positivity, Dr. Fredrickson says instead of ‘thinking positive’, we should aim to identify the experiences and contexts that give us a positive emotion, and then repeat them. Research indicates that experiencing positive and negative emotions in about a 3-to-1 ratio, has the potential to enhance your relationships, improve your health, relieve depression, and broaden your mind. Read full article
Teaching Emotional Intelligence - How Schools Can Educate Children for Life
Step into Anna Kearney’s third grade classroom, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, California, and you will see amongst the usual colourful art projects, a row of plastic cups stapled to the wall. There are ten numbered cups in all and they are part of Self Science, a social and emotional education curriculum developed by 6 Seconds ... Time spent on Self Science has not detracted from other academic learning, says Kearney, but instead has enhanced learning across the board. Read full article
Children Tell Adults about What Makes Them Feel Happy
“…if I could ask any child what they would like in the world I would definitely ask it. I think it would be interesting to find out what everyone’s ideas are. What they want…” (14-year old girl). When we are asked what we want most for our children, most of us will answer “happiness”. Asking children about what contributes to their feelings of wellbeing reveals some insightful answers to how we can provide that happy life. A study, conducted by the NSW Commission for Children and Young People and published in 2007, highlighted the importance of adults using parenting and educational practices that promote children’s emotional and social well-being. Read full article
10 Mindful Minutes
From the bestselling author, Academy Award-winning actress and founder of the Hawn Foundation, a practical guide for parents to help children cope with stress, improve concentration and lead happier lives. Goldie Hawn offers parents a practical guide for helping their children to learn better and live more happily. Based on the MindUP programme, supported by the Hawn Foundation, 10 Mindful Minutes outlines short, practical exercises for parents and children - taking less than 10 minutes - to help young children and teenagers. Read full article
Emotional Literacy Belongs in Schools Too
There are many examples of individual schools in the United States, the UK and even in Australia, that deliver emotional intelligence curriculum to students simply because they have been fortunate enough to have the human and financial resources (and sometimes support from a University). This video example (is a) reminder of how and why a school uses emotional literacy to improve educational outcomes and the school environment. Read full article
