Page 85 - Routines-Based Early Intervention Guidebook

Routines-Based Early Intervention Guidebook

Teaching how to identify emotions 6.4

An emo on is the expression of a person’s inner feeling. When this inner feeling grows,

it manifests itself in an outer expression which we interpret as being posi ve, neutral, or

nega ve. Some of the first emo ons that children express are joy, fear, and anger. Around 30‐

months‐old, children start to express emo ons that relate to the way they see themselves such

as embarrassment, guilt, or pride. As a child grows up, we teach them how to express
emo ons in a healthy way and how to change if we are experiencing an emo on that is not

desirable. They learn how to talk about their emo ons, how to regulate their feelings, as well

as how to show their emo ons in appropriate ways.
Well‐developed children are said to have “emo onal competence.” This means that a

child can iden fy what he is feeling, what other people are feeling, and can modify emo ons to

be er deal with certain situa ons. Children with emo onal competence are likely to do well in

school and engage in posi ve rela onships with other children and family members.

Children with emo onal competence are more likely to be empathe c and can
understand how others might be feeling. They are also more likely to help others and to find

ways to deal with nega ve situa ons. Children who have had nega ve experiences early in

their life may have trouble dealing with emo ons. This is where we come in. We teach the
appropriate responses in safe situa ons so that a child can generalize the ability to mes they

need it the most. Here are three quick ps:

1. Do not prac ce in the middle of a “meltdown.” Use calm mes for learning and to

prac ce new strategies.

2. Use words that a child can understand. Even with older children who have
emo onal issues, they may only be able to iden fy with 3‐5 core emo ons. Choose

words that make since with them at the beginning and expand into more complex

words over me. For instance, “mad” is good enough for describing emo ons like
angry, frustrated, upset, and furious.

3. Use real‐life examples. Those meltdowns or blowups that we are all so afraid of and

trying to avoid are now your perfect teaching opportunity. No, it is not something

that we want to experience. But, if we sit in that episode and work to employ the
following strategies, we begin to learn, teach, and make progress.

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