Each week the Sheldon staff reviews one of our Head Start Policies & Procedures and felt it was important that families stay up to date on these as well. This quarter our focus is on Mental Health, Child Development & Education, Disability. If you ever have any questions regarding our policies and procedures, please reach out!
Supporting Social and Emotional Development
POLICY:
While promoting school readiness, staff will support each child’s social and emotional development through design of the physical environment and a schedule of activities. By doing this, they are building trust, encouraging self-control and respect for the feelings and rights of others, fostering development and supporting each child’s home language, culture and family composition. This policy relates to Head Start Performance Standards 45 CFR Part 1302.31
PROCEDURE:
1. Set clear and consistent limits, develop rules, post visual cues, and enforce them consistently. Review and update rules throughout the year.
2. Have realistic, appropriate expectations of children based on knowledge of early childhood development and each child’s strengths and needs.
3. Include anti-bias curriculum goals in lesson planning. Provide opportunities for children to build trust; feel good about him/herself; appreciate and interact comfortably with others who are different from themselves; develop skills to recognize and deal with hurtful attitudes and behavior directed toward themselves and others.
4. Provide many opportunities for children to initiate activities and make choices.
5. Use goals from Second Step and Conscious Discipline to address self-control and respect feelings and rights of others (understanding self and others, impulse control and anger management). Document in lesson plans Supporting Social and Emotional Development
6. Help children to make friends.
7. Create space and time for children to interact and work together, such as games, build with blocks, dramatic play, puppet show, etc. to promote team-building concepts and activities. Provide encouragement and suggestions to enable children to solve problems on their own, complete challenging tasks, and learn from their mistakes.
