I am in Control of Me

I am in Control of Me

Share: Bring something quiet and something loud

Max dancing with his maracas! Maracas begin with M! (our letter for the month)

Color: Purple

Book: When Sophie Gets Angry by Molly Bang

This book is a favorite of mine. The illustrations are rad, and though seemingly simple to adults, it really hits home to the children.

Sophie has a toy taken away from her (see? something a 3 or 4 year old can totally relate to!) and she gets angry. Really really super angry and she is so mad she wants to scream and yell and "smash the world to smitherines. Instead, Sophie goes to her special quiet place, a big tall tree outside (----to clarify, I always emphasize to my young group that their own "quiet place" needs to be INside their house. A hidey hole behind the sofa, a corner in the entry way, the books area.

In my classrooms, I call this the "Peace Corner" and it is the area where the books are out. Aside from during circle time and group activities, the Peace Corner is always an "open" center. If a child is upset, having a difficult time playing kindly with others, just having a rough day and needing some space, they can go to the peace corner to read books.)

Anyway, Sophie spends some time in her quiet place, and when she chooses to come back inside, she feels much better. Great book, and a great way to show that it is ok to get mad, and there are ok ways to express anger.

In my classroom in California, I had a couple children with special needs in my classroom that required a lot of assistence to stay under control. I worked with the director of the school, my coteacher, parents of the children with special needs, and the curriculum specialist (my sister HolleeAnn HOLLAH!), we got permission for me to paint a huge mural on the wall of our classroom with the peace center. I painted a giant willow tree, a fishing pond, and a lavendar patch on the wall of our classroom and filled the Peace Corner with floor pillows, stuffed animals, and books. Sometimes, getting a change of scenery and a little encouragement to engage in a quiet activity is all a child needs to calm down and get themselves under control. Presently, I pull the basket of books from the shelf every week and place it behind the brown sofa with the stack of carpet squares. Simple or elaborate, once a designated Peace Corner has been established, it amazes me how well the children respond. They know that this is an area that is free of contention, and a place for them to go when they need a break.

Book: The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
This book goes through the gammet of emotions and introduces them to preschoolers. The children helped make faces to coordinate with the different ways we feel in a light and entertaining way. Some of the descriptive words are silly, which the kids love.

Dramatic Play: Act out The Way I Feel with emoticon puppets

Fine Motor: I can draw a triangle

Math: Triangles have 3 sides

Math: Numeral search! I put out a random selection of numbered cards from this set and challenged the children to find the card with the number 3 on it.

Sensory: Playdough!

Cooking: Purple Jell-o!

Snack: purple grapes, purple juice

Art: color mixing handprints

Red + Blue = Purple!


Science: Red + Blue = Purple!

Practical Life: What makes you angry? What can you do when you get angry to help you calm down? Practice Smelling a Rose, Blowing the Bubbles, Deep Breath and Count to 5.

Then we talked about other ways that are ok to express anger (scribble with a red crayon, yell into a pillow, sing a song, do a wiggle dance, use feeling words) and not ok ways to express anger (hurt self, hurt others, hurt things).

Music & Movement: If You Chance to Meet a Frown

I gave each of the children stick puppets with different emotions on them. We acted out each of the emotions, with possible solutions for helping us get under control. (practice calm down methods again)

Gross Motor/Outside Play:

Goodbye Friends