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for Stress Management
By
Gloria S. Elder,MA
Page 3
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Pre-Schoolers-Grade 2
The PSSRP curriculum is divided into six
lessonsand utilizes videos, hand-on activities, and puppets; including Copee Bear, the mascot for this model program. Copee Bear teaches the childen how to cope with feelings, body changes, and stress in their lives. Copee is featured in practically all of the supplemental materials, such as posters, videos, and songs, which makes him a favorite of the children. |
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Three of the important lessons that will sound familiar to early childhood educators include: Lesson One- I Am A Good Person;Lesson Two- Feelings and You; and Lesson Four-Good Ways to Get Anger Out.
Person) is to encourage children to say good or positive things about themselves. Teachers encourage children to think positive and use positive statements such as, "I can handle this." "I can pass my test." "I can control my temper." Help them visualize and create a mental picture of what he or she wants to happen, not what they fear. The objective of Lesson Two(Feelings and You)is to encourage children to express themselves verbally by using feeling words in a sentence,such as I felt angry when you broke my toy. The objective of Lesson Four(Good Ways to Get Anger Out) is to encourage children to practice good ways to get anger out. Teach positive ways to release anger. They can punch a pillow, count to 10, talk to someone about angry feelings, go for a walk, or take time out to rest and relax. Positive angry releases gives the child time to accept his/her anger and not hurt themselves and others in the process.The other three lessons which may not be as familiar to early childhood educators, include:Lesson Three - Your Body Changes with Stress; Lesson Five - Deep Breathing and Relaxation; and Lesson Six - Yoga Exercises. The objective of Lesson Three(Your Body Changes with Stress) is to recognize how feelings cause changes in the body. Teacher shows picture of a sad face and says "When you feel sad you might cry and your eyes get red and swollen and you make a frown"; then teacher demonstrates (continued...) |
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sad feelings for children to see; next
children imitate the sad feeling.
Relaxation) is to help children learn three different kinds of body relaxations;(1)Deep Breathing; (2)Muscle Relaxation and (3)Guided Imagery Relaxation; Children are taught relaxation exercises to use when they feel uptight. Deep Breathing and tensing and relaxing exercises help calm the body and enables the child to relax; and The objective of Lesson Six (Yoga Exercises) is to teach children exercises that help the body feel better. Children practice different sitting and standing yoga exercises at different times during the day to get stress out of their bodies. For example, children learning to write can practice the "Elephant Trunk" by clasping fingers together to relax tired fingers. All of these lessons are of vital importance of stress management. Original Songs are included in the lessons to reconfirm the need to take time each day for oneself, the importance of getting plenty of sleep and eating fruits and vegetables. Parents make sure children eat a nutritious meal, get plenty of exercise, and have a good night's sleep. Proper nutrition, exercise and adequate rest are some of the best ways to manage stress or change in their lives. |