Childhood is the endless discovery of the world. Have you ever noticed how our little ones are open, curious, canny and sensitive? Everything is new and intense to them, and each moment can bring out a new emotion. Each life experience is a new discovery that slowly peels away the layers of the self, the other, interpersonal relationships and the sense of collectivity.
By interacting with peers and adults during early childhood, the little ones start to shape their own way of being, acting, feeling and thinking. Around the ages of three to four, they enter a transition period, which is when they leave behind the self-centered mindset and start to learn that other people also have feelings. They realize that there are different ways of living, that each person is different, and that there are several points of view in life. That is why it is crucial to constantly stimulate their socio-emotional development.
For Joara Imparato, Early Childhood Education coordinator at be.Living, expressing our feelings, talking about them and learning to identify them is a pleasurable but challenging process for the children. “In Red, we have an annual project that is part of the Experience Field, named “The self, the other, and us”, from the BNCC (Brazilian Common Core), designed to help children through this journey of communication. But how do we do that? At school, we prioritize different languages that the children can use to build any kind of knowledge. We have different strategies to shed light onto their feelings. That is why drawing, music, children’s literature, and mindfulness practices are a regular part of our daily routine.”
Joara explains that the learning journey consists of playing, engaging, exploring and interacting with other children. “We can observe the interactions and how children learn and consolidate this learning through them. They learn by playing, sharing with peers, engaging in group experiences and broadening relationships. Learning to live alongside others makes everything better, but it is also a constant exercise of putting yourself in others’ shoes, learning how to respect their feelings, opinions and preferences,”
According to Green and Red teacher, Tatiane Rigonati, during these tough times of social isolation, it has never been so important to focus on emotional issues. “I believe this effort has become even more important during these troubled times. The quarantine stirs up strong emotions, such as missing others, fear and anguish, and it is crucial to take this opportunity to help the children identify and deal these feelings.
Throughout this period, live streams have been very important for the children to talk and share experiences amongst themselves. By asking the children “how are you feeling today?” and asking them why they feel a certain way, the teachers allow the little ones to share and discuss their emotions.
“By creating moments, proposals and situations where the children can talk about their emotions and share them with others, either through speech, gestures or artistic expressions, such as paintings and drawings, we are showing them that what they feel is very important. They start to realize that feelings have a meaning and become more aware of their own self, the world they live in, and their joys, sorrows and desires. By learning more about themselves and their feelings, they also gain a better understanding of how others feel and the impact each feelings has on others as well,” said Tatiane.
According to Red teacher, Diane Barbosa Moreira, besides the live streams, other strategies such as reading have been crucial to broaden the children’s perception of themselves and others. “Texts like “The color monster”, “I am peace” and “In my heart” allow us to discuss the content and relate it to the children’s personal experiences. This helps them focus on others, fostering empathy and dialogue. The children like to talk about themselves and they need tools to be able to express themselves.”
Diane reminds that even adults have a tough time talking about our their feelings and emotions, hence the importance of these efforts at a young age. “Sometimes, we develop activities that allow the children to discover their own characteristics and those of their friends, in order to better appreciate themselves and celebrate others as they are, with their own characteristics and ways of being.
We also create together a table of feelings for the children to talk about what bothers and what pleases them. At other times, we work with a “mood tracker”, which is something personal, in order for them to see for themselves how they felt throughout the month and think about what they can do when they’re angry, frustrated or sad. “Would talking about it help?”, we ask. The goal is to give them a safe space to share, listen and talk.”
To support children on their journey to self-discovery, Red teacher Renata Ottoniel offers mindfulness practices for the little ones. “The construction of self and self-knowledge are also associated with self-care, with reflecting on what I can do for myself to make me feel better: reading a book, playing with my family, doing some meditation or eating something I like, especially during this quarantine period when it has so important to try to do positive things, things that we enjoy, to help balance out all the negative factors we are being exposed to. To me, all of our practices are part of a process of discovery and development of subjectivity, of who I am, individually, and who I am as a being in the world.”
Ms. Ottoniel explains that, as children being to verbalize their emotions, this creates opportunities for reflection and discussion through storytelling, games, conversations or mindfulness practices, allowing them to associate what they are learning with stories and remarkable situations they have already seen. “For example, during remote learning, we had a student who was able to associate a feeling from a past experienced at home with a reading activity we had in class. There is a point in the book ‘The Queen of Colors’ in which the character is confused, and this is represented by having a bunch of colors together. However, when the student told her story, she brought her own perspective to our discussion, saying that when she felt happy and excited and started running around the house, she could see and feel all the colors. So they are developing a perception of what belongs to the collective and what belongs to the individual, to the subjectivity of each child.”
Another way to work on our feelings in a playful and lighthearted manner is through art and music. When the child comes into contact with a work of art, they can associate colors to feelings, share what they felt when they saw the work or imagine what the painter must have felt when creating it. In the world of music, singing, dancing and playing different instruments are a great way to express ourselves, combining the children’s feelings and the feelings evoked by the music itself, broadening their repertoire and knowledge of themselves, others and the world around them.
