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Teacher Training FocusedKid s Brain Mindfulness
Teacher Training
FocusedKid
s
Brain
Mindfulness
Welcome to FocusedKids™
1. Intro
• Beginning With You
• The Developing Brain
• The Puppets
• The Calm Down Basket and Calm Down Corner
• Intro to self-regulation and co-regulation
2. Taming the Dragon - recovering from meltdowns
Mindful activities for co-regulation and Self-regulation
3. Pausing Your Classroom
Mindful Classroom Exercises - daily practice
4. On-going - FK newsletter, using resources, form your
own group to meet and practice
What is
FocusedKids?
1. A simple curriculum of mindful
exercises
2. For ages 0-5
3. Teaches kids, parents, and teachers
about their brains,
4. The skills for co-regulation, and self-
regulation.
5. A simple curriculum of mindful
exercises
6. For ages 0-5
7. Teaches kids, parents, and teachers
about their brains,
8. The skills for co-regulation, and self-
regulation.www.focusedkids.org
Why FocusedKids?
Developed specifically for
preschool ages, FocusedKids
supports adults and children in
mastering the developmental
steps of:
1. Managing emotions
2. Controlling bodies
3. Maintaining focus and
attention on a task
These are the executive function
skills of self-regulation, and are
foundational for all other
learning.
What We Do
First we teach kids about their
brains using puppets to
represent three key parts.
For the 0-3 population we
teach parents the same lesson.
What You Can Do
Learn the basics about the brain
Learn and use short mindful strategies to your advantage
Practice “brain breaks” every day
Learn the basics about the brain
Learn and use short mindful strategies to your advantage
Practice “brain breaks” every day
The brain is born wired for potential…
it needs experiences to shape the outcomes.
It is growing fastest, and is most pliable between the ages of 0-5
Brain Lesson Video
https://vimeo.com/268423906
Kids feel empowered to be in charge of their brain!
What’s going on in there?
The 0-5 Brain
• We are building the foundation of the brain architecture
• Tantrums: the still-developing brain is overwhelmed by mental demands
• We’ll actually delay development of their intelligence if we stress
them out with unrealistic expectations.
• The neurological processing in the three-to-five-year old’s brain is
twice as busy as that of a college student, and maybe adults!
• A preschooler has 100 billion brain cells (neurons), with 77%
in the cerebral cortex
• The neurons are forming connections which transmit information
from neurons to other cells….eventually 1,000 trillion!
The result of this massive mental exertion?
Raging typhoons of bewildering data
storm and flood the preschooler’s brain.
Dikes break, emotions are swamped, tears cascade, screams explode.
Strategies for helping a chaotic jungle
of neurons getting "wired" together
• Activate their minds
• Be gentle
• Chatter with them
• Provide social engagements to help develop social skills
• Play games and activities that demand attention control
• Model self-control in your own behavior
• Categorize the world to enhance math and logic learning
• Provide a healthy diet
• Body Building: 30 min/day of running and playing outside
• Limit screen-time to 1 hour/day or risk:
hyperactivity and shortened attention spans
What are Brain Breaks?
• Brain Breaks are a quick and effective way of changing or
focusing our physical and mental state.
• They are also a useful tool to use to help activate,
energize and stimulate our brains.
The most effective brain breaks incorporate some level of physical movement in order to stimulate neurological pathways and h
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl5QodAFu
Vk&list=PLeG2LJZc9m4kLjOoOcinRU1YvoPD
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Shake Break
Then they learn about
the “Calm Down
Basket.”The basket contains various
sensory tools
to assist in helping kids calm
down, focus, and
be able to return to the task at
hand.
The basket contains various
sensory tools
to assist in helping kids calm
down, focus, and
be able to return to the task at
hand.
The Calm Down Basket
Calm-Down Corner
Your Brain at the Calm-Down
Corner
The Breath
The Senses
The Body
The Breath
The Senses
The Body
Using the Breath - Sphere
190-3 with their parents
Using the Senses - Listening
When We
Listen to the
Chime,
We are Calm
and Focused.
All the parts of
the Brain are
Working
Together!
Using the Body: Movement for Integration
Exercise: Tick Tock
A brief word about trauma…..
Self-regulation is the conscious control
of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Self-regulation is influenced by:
• the environment
• interactions with others
• temperament of the child
Co-regulation is:
• warm and responsive interactions that provide support,
coaching, and modeling for children
• requires the attending adult pay attention to the child’s
clues
• respond consistently and sensitively
For infants and young children
having the regular experience that their
needs will be met,
allows them to relax and begin to develop
self-soothing skills.
For infants and young children
having the regular experience that their
needs will be met,
allows them to relax and begin to develop
self-soothing skills.
nurturing
environment
children can
begin to
demonstrate
understanding
of self-control
concepts,
and start using
them.
By the age of
three, given a
supportive,
nurturing
environment
children can
begin to
demonstrate
understanding
of self-control
Temperament matters:
• A child’s temperament can impact their ability to regulate
• Emotional intensity varies in children
• Children respond differently to sensory stimuli
• Children differ in their ability to make transitions
Each requires a calibrated response that matches the
unique needs of the child
When caring adults co-regulate their responses
to the unique needs of the child, they support the skill of
self-regulation!
Brain on Upset
Child is in emotional
overload =
Amygdala Hijacks Brain =
No problem-solving until
calmed down!
Kids learn to calm
down
using their breath,
their bodies,
and their senses.
Breathing
Using the puppets and other props
makes the experience of breathing
conscious and concrete
Focusing
While a 3 or 4-year-old
child can't yet sit and
pay
attention for extended
periods of time,
developing focus and
concentration is vital.
Focus-building is a must
for kindergarten
readiness.
The Breath
The Senses
The Body
Energy Release and Ground
We all have times during the
day when we are sluggish or
stressed. A few exercises to
help them wake up their
systems and release excess
stress, then re-ground can
help.
Moving
Children are just
beginning to learn
how to identify and
manage their
feelings, and rely
on the adult for
guidance.
Children are just
beginning to learn
how to identify and
manage their
feelings, and rely
on the adult for
guidance.
Feelings Awareness:
Name it to Tame It!
Feelings
Managing Big Feelings…
When we are frustrated, Ms Elefante has a hard time ‘remembering’
what to do to feel better. Can you help her calm down?
Pausing Your Classroom
Mindful Classroom Exercises - Daily Practice
FocusedKids Mini Book of Mindful Exercises
Great Online Resources!
www.focusedkids.org
A focused class!
A focused class!
Local Resources
• www.mindfulnessfirst.org (we collaborate with FocusedKids)
• In school services
• Mindful School (4 years):
Crockett Elementary (Balsz)
• New Mindful School:
Simis Elementary (Madison)
• Online teacher training
• Community and business services
Join our mindful community for
teachers and parents!
• Meets monthly
• Online
• $10 per month
• Monthly lessons
• CEU’s Available
• Forum
• Discounts on resources
ResourcesDeveloping Brain:
• Your Child’s Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning From Birth to Adolescence, by Jane M. Healy,
Ph.D
• Intelligence and How to Get It, by Richard E. Nisbett
• Help Your Preschooler Build a Better Brain: Early Learning Activities for 2-6 Year Old Children, by John
Bowman
• Seven Times Smarter: 50 Activities, Games, and Projects to Develop the Seven Intelligences of Your Child,
by Laurel Schmidt
General:
Ages 2-3:
Adults:
• Whole Brain Child, Dan Siegel, Tina Payne Bryson
Kids:
• The Family Book, Todd Par
• Calm Down Time, Elizabeth Verdick and Marieka Heinlen
Ages 4-5
Adults:
• Mindful Child, SK Greenland
• Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents), by Eline Snel and Myla Kabat-
Zinn
• Still Quiet Place, Amy Saltzman
• No Drama Discipline, Dan Siegle, Tina Payne Bryson
Kids:
• Beautiful Oops! Barny Saltzberg
• Color Monster, Anna LLenas
• Penguin Problems, Jory John and Lane Smith
• The Day The Crayons Quit, Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
• How to Take the Grrr Out of Anger, Elizabeth Verdick, Marjoan Lisovskis
• Adventure Skill – Self-Regulation Flash Cards, by Move with Me Yoga Adventures
(These sturdy 5.5” x 8.5” cards, with colorful images on front and easy-to-follow directions on back, offer
child-friendly activities that support well-being and enhance social-emotional learning….)
