The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) has developed an Inventory of Practices for Promoting Infant and Toddlers’ Social Emotional Competence. Read the following items from the CSEFEL Inventory of Practices Tool III and reflect on what you can do to promote development in your classroom. For the full set of practices, see:http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/training_infant.html

Practices that Promote Social and Emotional Competence in Infants and Toddlers Indicators from the CSEFEL Inventory of Practices Tool III

  • 鼓励婴儿或幼儿之间的相互作用(position infants near each other, organize activities that encourage toddlers to work together, comment on children’s interest in other children)
  • Remain nearby during social interactions to provide security, comfort, encouragement, guidance, or facilitation
  • Suggest play ideas where more than one child can play (“Can you two move that heavy box over here?”)
  • Use natural opportunities to promote awareness of others (When a child is sad, encourage children to notice. Talk about how to help the child feel better)
  • Play games and use turn-taking or give-and-take games (roll a ball back and forth, etc.)
  • Firmly share concerns about hurting, but do not ridicule or punish
  • Use photographs, pictures, or posters that show people in various emotional states
  • Ask children about their feelings and talk about how feelings can change
  • Use real-life situations to practice problem-solving
  • Label children’s emotions and your own
  • Choose books, songs, and finger plays with a rich vocabulary of feeling words
  • Work with families to share and explore techniques to try both at home and in the program
  • Respond to behavior in a way that is matched to the cause, purpose, or meaning of the behavior rather than a one-size-fits-all approach