Today's children are surrounded by a lot of stimulation. A child with sensory processing concerns, can easily become distracted and inattentive in an over-stimulating environment such as a large or noisy classroom. It can be difficult for them to regulate their bodies or emotions. I also see children struggle with coordinating their body's movements from fine motor tasks like drawing, cutting , paper folding to larger movements as in a clapping pattern , skipping, jumping, balancing , sequencing movements, and moving slowly. So, in today's Body and Breath we focussed on becoming mindful of our bodies movements by slowing down. Quieting the classroom & dimming the lights ( common for our classroom) we created three small stations. For one center, the children moved a marble slowly on a figure eight board they had to tilt slowly. This took a great deal of attention and slow precise movements. Marbles were bouncing on the floor but I was impressed how some were able to slow down enough to get through the mazes. In the second station, I placed items of varying textures in Ned's Head for the children to feel , describe and draw before looking at it. This placed their attention in their hands and gave them time to notice texture, size, shape etc. It was fun to see them look at the object and notice more. This was challenging for some as they wanted to pull the item out of Ned's Head swiftly instead of taking the time to touch and notice what sensations their hands were experiencing. The third station we had a Twister type electronic set of pads where they had to use their hands or feet to tap on the paddles as they lit up. They had to be deliberate and careful of their movements and work together as a team. |
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Helping children regulate their emotions and body takes time, effort and daily practice. Science tells us that the parts of the human brain that are critical to handling emotions aren’t fully developed until into we’re in our twenties. So this means we need to teach them strategies and ways to self calm and bring awareness to their bodies and emotions. There are many ways we do this in room 15 . Here is a sequence of movements and breathing we do that works well for many. This sequence ends with an audible long sound as we exhale. When we 'hook up' , we do this sequence three times in a row . The children become very mindful of their movements and how their bodies feel. It is common for them to ask for this sequence and share that it helps them feel calm and ready to think or listen. I have seen children independently hook up at their desks, on the playground, in assemblies etc. I do it with them and I feel the integration and calm settle within me as well.
Brain research shows us that movement and breath help to alleviate stress and anxiety. Our bodies are designed to move. We know this intuitively - taking a walk, dancing, yoga, swimming, riding a bike, golfing etc clears our heads, often shifts our moods and increases energy. We feel good. The same holds true for children. In my class, however , I have learned that children with the propensity for sensory and emotional overwhelm benefit from movement or breaks that calm, soothes and works well in short periods of time that can be repeated. The boy above does the 'hook up' independently as he has discovered it calms him. Today, he led the group in the sequence. On our exhale we add an audible VOO or AHH sound. This is optional, but feels wonderful and is fun so most do it. Another variation is to cross your ankles at the same time as you do the sequence. This is a nice sequence as it can be done in many places and is not overly noticeable. It is a great strategy to calm down, breath and release some stress. This is often what I ask the kids to do before we talk or problem solve.
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