SUPPORTING CHILDREN’S SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE POLICY

RATIONALE

Curious Minds Early Learning support all tamariki (children) to become competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society. Kaiako (teachers) and whānau (families) work together to support tamariki in developing social and emotional skills creating boundaries that are fair and support and guide behaviour to ensure physical and emotional safety for everyone at the Centre.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to ensure:

• the social and emotional competence of tamariki is fostered through consistent, warm, and reciprocal relationships between tamariki, kaiako and whānau.

• The holistic wellbeing of each tamaiti (child) is fostered through relationships, environments and programmes based on respect, dignity and equitable outcomes.

• tamariki and their whānau experience an environment where they know the limits and boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

This policy will outline how the Centre curriculum supports tamariki developing social and emotional competence and the understanding of appropriate behaviour.

REFERENCES AND REGULATIONS

Te Whāriki (2017): Belonging/Mana whenua:

Children and their families experience an environment where: Goal 4 – they know the limits and boundaries of acceptable behaviour.

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008: 43 (1.a.ii & iii)

Licensing Criteria for Education & Care Services 2008 and Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework (amended 2022):

• C10: The service curriculum supports children’s developing social competence and understanding of appropriate behaviour.
• C13: Information and guidance is sought when necessary from agencies/services to enable adults providing education and care to work effectively with children and their parents.

He Māpua Te Tamaiti, Ministry of Education (2019).

We will always focus on the behaviour, and not the tamaiti (child)

PROCEDURES

At Curious Minds Early Learning we believe that kaiako need to be calm and grounded and practice self-regulation to be able to best support and co-regulate the emotions of all tamariki. In practice this means:

• Kaiako engage in personal reflection, tune into their behaviours, needs and emotions, recognise triggers and understand the messages and purpose of the emotions they are experiencing.
• Kaiako articulate their needs and emotions; are consciously aware of how these are expressed and how their verbal and non-verbal emotional expressions affect self and others.
• Kaiako develop and utilise a range of effective strategies to regulate their own emotions and role model expected behaviours.
• The Centre Manager and Management of Curious Minds Early Learning show a commitment to and support the emotional health and wellbeing of all kaiako and staff.

At Curious Minds Early Learning, we structure our programme to enhance the well-being of tamariki and their sense of belonging through responsiveness to their needs. We:

• Set clear and consistent expectations concerning safety, respect for others and the environment.
• Form caring, positive relationships with tamariki and their whānau, based on trust and respect.
• Understand and anticipate the patterns and needs of each tamaiti.
• Act as a good role model for all tamariki and their whānau.
• Offer support and reassurance when needed.
• Continually assess the needs of the room and work together to ensure there is an orderly, calm and responsive space where our tamariki are happy and engaged.
• Provide opportunities for tamariki to move away from stressful situations and easily retreat to quieter spaces when needed.
• Create calm and pleasant routines for meal and rest times.
• Provide energetic outdoor play.
• Provide music, rhythm and movement.
• Offer interesting and stimulating activities.
• Nurture and strengthen the identity of each tamaiti as they engage in a journey of self-discovery about who they are, where they come from and how they fit in the world.

In guiding and supporting social and emotional competence we:

• Acknowledge the individual feelings of each tamaiti and promote the message that all feelings are okay feelings to have.
• Help tamariki to understand their feelings by naming them and encouraging the tamariki to verbalise emotions they see in their peers. Kaiako engage in intentional teaching to support tamariki developing emotional literacy- developing ways to communicate their emotions and needs in an effective and positive way.
• Help tamariki to focus on what they can achieve.
• Promote leadership in their own learning, encouraging them to have control over things that affect them, developing skills to self-regulate and build and manage their learning through interactions with peers, kaiako and whānau.
• Assess the emotional and social competence of each individual and in collaboration with the tamaiti, mātua (parents), and the teaching team, develop intentional teaching plans which are age and stage developmentally appropriate. These teaching plans include emotional coaching, emotional socialisation and prosocial teaching strategies to foster and support the development of social and emotional learning.
• Engage in emotional communication, where kaiako observe holistically what is happening for the tamaiti, assessing the emotions and underlying needs, validating their emotion and need, and together with the tamaiti develop a response to address and meet their emotional and social needs.
• Create environments to support social and emotional learning, providing opportunities for individuals and groups to actively self-regulate, explore, and seek spaces for solace when required.
• Plan programmes which provide rich and diverse opportunities for tamariki to learn about emotions and needs; strategies for communicating and expressing themselves, skills for listening and responding to others social and emotional needs, and techniques for self-regulation.
• Avoid using the words “NO” and “DON’T” when guiding behaviour. Instead, kaiako intervene and positively redirect by stating what we WOULD like the tamaiti to do- never focusing on what we don’t want e.g. “I would like you to use your walking feet inside- rather than NO running in the classroom.”

If a tamaiti is requiring support and guidance with limits and boundaries, we:

• Get down to their level.
• Address them by their name,
• Convey the message in a consistent and calm tone, redirecting the tamaiti.
• State and demonstrate the preferred behaviour, offering acknowledgment and praise.

We never use any form of physical constraint, unless the tamaiti is in danger of hurting themselves, or others.

Under no circumstance will a tamaiti ever be ‘punished’ for displaying an undesirable behaviour. These include but are not limited to; yelling/shouting, seclusion/time-outs, or any form of physical or ‘corporal’ punishment.

In guiding and redirecting behaviour, we:

• Remind the tamaiti of the behaviour expectations and give a warning to stop the undesired behaviour. Explain to the tamaiti the effect of their behaviour on their peers and the environment.
• Offer alternatives and choices to empower them e.g. If a tamaiti is throwing equipment, we would suggest they throw a soft ball outside or throw bean bags and catch them.
• If a tamaiti is becoming overly boisterous during play with others, we suggest they play a jumping game, music and movement or participate in physical activity outside.
• If a tamaiti is becoming restless, we can redirect them by suggesting they help the kaiako by setting up an activity or participating in a game involving physical activity.
• Offer them closed choices of what they can do e.g. “Do you want to walk inside or use your running feet outside?”.
• Follow through with natural or logical fair consequences e.g. if a tamaiti is jumping on the couch, the natural consequence is they are asked to move away from the couch.

If kaiako and/or mātua become concerned about the behaviour of a tamaiti, we will ensure there is open communication about that behaviour.  As a teaching team, kaiako will work collaboratively to observe the tamati to try to identify any patterns to the behaviour. If necessary, kaiako and mātua will work in collaboration to develop an individual social and emotional plan for that tamaiti which would clearly state strategies both parties can implement. This would be formulated through the following processes:

• Kaiako will seek feedback from mātua/whānau.
• Observation of the behaviour of the tamaiti will be noted and what led up to this particular behaviour (trigger). (See appendix 1)
• Analysis of behaviour patterns:
  1. How often does the behaviour occur?
  2. When does it occur?
  3. Who is involved?
  4. Is the behaviour observed at home or in certain situations e.g. on outings, or is it observed solely in the centre?

We would consider:

• The development stage- focusing on social and emotional competence.
• Whānau and cultural background.
• Their relationships with his/her peers.
• Whānau circumstance and recent changes to whānau circumstances.
• Degree of familiarity with, and understanding of, Centre routines and events.
• Consistency of behavioural expectations between the Centre and home.
• The personality and characteristics of temperament of the tamaiti.
• The health and general well-being of the tamaiti.
• Involvement of agencies for support and information – Oranga Tamariki, Ministry of Education, Early Intervention Services.

All of the above considerations would be discussed confidently and confidentially with mātua/whānau, and an individual support plan put in place that provides consistency between home and the Centre. This plan would be reviewed on a regular basis and feedback between all parties shared daily when appropriate. If the strategies implemented by kaiako fails to reduce the behaviour/s and it becomes a bigger concern, external support may be sought from specialist education services.

Biting and other hurting behaviours

• Biting and other hurting behaviours are common behaviours for infants and toddlers. Infants explore their world with their hands, eyes, ears, and mouths while toddlers are only just beginning to learn how to regulate their feelings and reactions to others.
• Mātua will be informed if their tamaiti has bitten or was bitten and given an explanation of how it occurred and how the situation was resolved.
• When a tamaiti is constantly biting, specific strategies will be implemented by the kaiako and discussed with the mātua. Kaiako will try to recognise triggers and prevent occurrences of biting, to reduce harm to others and help tamariki learn more positive strategies for social engagement.
• If a tamaiti is constantly being bitten an individualised protection plan will be developed in partnership with mātua.
• Kaiako will NOT give out the name of any other tamariki involved.
• Kaiako will support tamariki who have been bitten. For instance, supporting them in developing strategies to protect themselves from harm and being bitten again.
• An explanation is given to the tamaiti who has bitten that such behaviour is not acceptable. They are encouraged to use words and/or gentle hands to communicate their feelings.
• All kaiako, both permanent and casual, will be made aware of procedures for biting and other hurting behaviours.
• Whānau will be reassured that biting is a normal behaviour in young tamariki and everything is being done to reduce the instances for biting within the Centre. (See Appendix 2)‍
• Kaiako will give informal feedback to any concerned mātua regarding the process of specific strategies in place. Specific time will be made for mātua wishing to discuss issues with kaiako in more depth.
• Tamariki who bite will not be excluded from our programme.
• If the strategies implemented by kaiako fails to reduce the instances of biting or other hurting behaviours and it becomes a bigger concern, external support may be sought from specialist education services.

LINKS TO OTHER POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

• Inclusive Education policy
• Collaboration with Whānau policy

He Māpuna te Tamaiti Strategies for Biting