Content area
Full Text
The toddlers stop playing when they see their family child care provider, Anita, setting up an art experience. As she places bowls of inviting materials on the table, Anita notices her authence. "You look so excited about our projectl You are being so patient while you wait to get started!"
ANITA IS USING one of the most powerful strategies for supporting infants and toddlers in their social and emotional development - labeling the emotions they are feeling in the moment. Anita recognizes that the children are both "excited" and "patient." When adults provide words for the emotions that they believe infants and toddlers are experiencing, it gives children the language to describe the feelings.
Understanding your own emotions as well as the emotions of those around you is called emotional literacy (CSEFEL 2008). Emotional literacy helps children build friendships and develop empathy - the ability to imagine how others are feeling - and respond appropriately.
Teachers, family child care providers, and family members can create an environment that supports children's emotional learning. Think about how long young children spend listening to and practicing language before they themselves can speak; it's the same with emotional literacy. When educators create a climate of empathy and emotional support, very young children can learn more about themselves and better understand their own and others' emotional experiences. These early experiences lay the foundation for a lifelong ability to reflect on one's own emotions and understand and respond to the feelings of others.
Young children experience a wide range of emotions
The feelings that adults label for infants and toddlers on a regular basis are the foundation for the children's emotional vocabulary. Think, for a moment, about all of the emotions you experience in a typical day. You might, at times, be happy, stressed, tired, attentive, engaged, jealous, frustrated, excited, or hopeful, to name...