More than half of the school year has gone by, and your students have been learning so much—how to connect letters to their corresponding sound, compare quantities, complete activities independently, and cooperate with peers. As we head into the second half of the school year, it is time to check-in to see how your students have progressed across the year. While we are going to focus specifically on students’ self-regulation and social skills, you will likely want to do the same for students’ math skills!
This week, we encourage you to revisit how you rated your students in self-regulation and socials skills on the CBRS from the Fall and ask yourself, “Where are they now?” Are there students who have made leaps and bounds in their skill development to share and take turns? Are some students still struggling to follow classroom rules? By looking at how you rated your students in the fall and comparing to their skill development at this point in time, you can better individualize your instruction and provide extra scaffolding to students who need it. This way, you can make sure that all of your students are receiving the supports they need to be as successful as possible in school.
Self-Regulation and Social Skills Check-In
1. REFLECT by looking back at students’ self-regulation and social skills scores from the fall and thinking about where their skills are now. What have you observed and learned about your students? How have they grown in their social-emotional development? It may be particularly helpful to fill out the CBRS again and compare your current responses side-by-side to those from the fall. For a refresher on these skills, see the Self-Regulation and Social Skills overview guides.
2. IDENTIFY which students are still struggling to regulate their actions and emotions and/or interact with their peers and/or teachers.
3. OBSERVE the behavior of the students who you’ve identified. See Guide to Observing Children’s Behavior for tips and strategies on how to best make use of this time and how to use this information to be intentional moving forward.
4. PLAN what efforts you can take to help scaffold students’ individual needs. Consider revisiting the different self-regulation and social skills strategies and activities in the Recommended Resources section of your VKRP portal. Consult with your school team to get ideas and/or decide if a student needs additional assessment or support. See below for a few ideas and suggestions!
For a student who…
Is easily distracted and sidetracked…
– See Guide to Using Cues and Visuals for simple ways to redirect their attention
– See Guide to Modifying Activities and Environments for ideas on how to create an environment that reduces distractions
Is very active and/or has trouble controlling behavior…
– See Guide to Using Reinforcement for ways to support positive behavior
– See Guide to Using Cues and Visuals for simple ways to cue behavior
– See Guide to Playing Games for ways to practice behavior regulation
Struggles to follow directions…
– See Guide to Using Effective Commands for ways to encourage compliance
– See Guide to Allowing Choice for ideas on how to help them feel that they have a say
Has difficulty sharing and/or taking turns…
– See Guide to Supporting Friendship Skills for ways to promote use of prosocial skills
– See Guide to Promoting Problem-Solving for conflict resolution strategy ideas
– See Guide to Using Reinforcement for ways to support prosocial behavior
Is easily upset or overwhelmed…
– See Guide to Handling Emotions for ways to encourage emotion identification and regulation
Struggles to join-in activities with peers…
– See Guide to Peer Pairing for a way to encourage and facilitate positive peer interaction
– See Guide to Supporting Friendship Skills for ways to promote use of prosocial skills
More questions? VKRP provides support via the online chat feature when you are in the system, via email vkrp@virginia.edu, and via toll free 866-301-8278 ext.
