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Self-Regulation Superpowers

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Lesson Plan

Introducing Self-Regulation

Students will be able to identify at least two emotions and one simple self-regulation technique.

Understanding and managing emotions is a fundamental life skill that helps children navigate social situations, focus on learning, and build resilience from a young age.

Audience

Kindergarten Student

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion and hands-on activities.

Materials

Prep

Gather Materials & Review Content

10 minutes

Gather all necessary materials: picture cards of emotions, a small whiteboard or chart paper, and markers/crayons. Review the Introducing Self-Regulation Lesson Plan, My Feelings My Choices Slide Deck, Feeling Faces Match-Up Activity, and My Calm Down Corner Ideas Journal to ensure familiarity with the content and flow. Prepare the learning space to be calm and inviting for individual instruction.

Step 1

Warm-Up: How Are You Feeling?

5 minutes

  • Greet the student and ask, "How are you feeling today?"
    - Show a few emotion picture cards (happy, sad, calm) and ask the student to point to the one that matches how they feel or describe it.
    - Acknowledge their feeling and briefly discuss it. For example: "I see you're feeling happy! That's wonderful."

Step 2

Introducing Self-Regulation

10 minutes

  • Use the My Feelings My Choices Slide Deck to introduce the concept of self-regulation.
    - Go through slides 1-3, focusing on identifying different emotions.
    - Explain that self-regulation is about being a "superhero" who can notice their feelings and choose what to do with them.
    - Emphasize that all feelings are okay, but some feelings might make us want to do things that aren't helpful, and we can learn ways to feel better or calm down.

Step 3

Feeling Faces Match-Up Activity

8 minutes

  • Introduce the Feeling Faces Match-Up Activity.
    - Guide the student through matching emotion words to facial expressions.
    - Discuss each match, asking questions like "What does your face look like when you feel angry?" or "What might make someone feel surprised?"

Step 4

My Calm Down Corner Ideas

5 minutes

  • Introduce the My Calm Down Corner Ideas Journal.
  • Explain that a calm down corner is a special, safe place where they can go when they have big feelings to help themselves feel better. Ask: "What would make your calm down corner special?"
  • Guide the student to draw or list ideas for their calm down corner (e.g., soft blanket, quiet toys, books, drawing materials).
  • Reinforce that using a calm down corner is a brave and smart choice.
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Slide Deck

Self-Regulation Superpowers!

Being a feelings superhero means understanding your feelings and choosing what to do!

Welcome the student and explain that today we will talk about feelings and how we can be feelings superheroes! Ask: 'What is a superhero? What do they do?'

What Feelings Do You See?

Happy, Sad, Angry, Surprised, Calm

Show this slide and ask: 'What feelings do you see here?' Point to each face and ask the student to name the emotion. For example, 'This face looks happy! What makes you happy?'

All Feelings Are Okay!

It's okay to feel happy, sad, or even angry.
But what do we do when we have BIG feelings?

Explain that all feelings are okay. Ask: 'When you feel angry, what does your body want to do? Is that helpful?' Guide them to understand that while feelings are okay, some actions might not be. Introduce the idea of 'calm down' choices.

My Calm Down Choices

When I have a big feeling, I can:
- Take 3 deep breaths
- Count to 5
- Hug a favorite toy
- Get a drink of water
- Ask for a hug

Introduce the idea of 'Calm Down Choices.' Ask the student to brainstorm some things they do when they need to calm down or feel better. Provide examples if they struggle (e.g., take a deep breath, count to 5, hug a toy).

You're a Feelings Superhero!

You can notice your feelings and make good choices!
Practicing makes you strong!

Reinforce that practicing these choices makes them a 'feelings superhero.' Encourage them to try one of their calm-down choices the next time they have a big feeling. Give a specific example they might relate to.

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Activity

Feeling Faces Match-Up

Draw a line from the feeling word to the correct feeling face!

Feeling Words

  1. Happy

  2. Sad

  3. Angry

  4. Surprised

  5. Calm

































Feeling Faces (Teacher will draw or use cut-outs of faces for matching)

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Journal

My Calm Down Corner Ideas

Sometimes when I have big feelings, I need a special place to calm down. This is my

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