From disagreements about who gets the playdough to one child sitting in another’s space, conflicts are a regular part of life with young children. And they can feel hard for children and adults! How we respond matters not only to whether there’s peace in the classroom but also to whether children develop the skills to resolve the conflict next time. In “Everybody Wins” we will utilize a social problem solving approach that helps children resolve issues to everyone’s satisfaction while building the skills and routines to resolve conflicts on their own. We will first explore the emotional and social dynamics of conflict. We then practice a step-by-step protocol to constructively resolve the immediate conflict as well as build the cognitive and emotional skills to for future disagreements.
Note: this session is consistent with the Pyramid Model Problem Solving and Second Step’s Problem Solving approaches as well as restorative justice.
Gateways Topic: Interactions with Children
Gateways Content Area: (E) Interactions, Relationships and Environments
Gateways CDA Content Area: (3) Social/Emotional