Label the child’s emotions and feelings while you are playing together. Pay attention to what the child says, but also to their facial expression and posture (verbal and non-verbal signals). Both positive and negative experiences and feelings are important.
Example: the child enthusiastically says: “I have got a new bike”. Then you can say: “I notice that you are happy with your new bike”.
Example: the child sadly tells you that his/her dog is ill. You can say: “It seems to upset you.”
It is also interesting to describe the behavior when there are emotions of surprise, enthusiasm, frustration, or if you don’t understand.
Labeling the experiences and the feelings of the child(ren) is something you should do/practice during the whole day in preschool. You can also express your own feelings of enthusiasm, surprise or disappointment if you don’t succeed with something in the play.”
Next, you can watch video fragments where the teachers of our project labelling the experiences and the feelings of the children in their classroom.
These videos are financed by the EU Erasmus+ grant. Authors are responsible for the content.
“Falling pieces”
Teacher Alberta and Melissa are playing with geometric figures. Some of the play pieces fell and Melissa laughs. Alberta acknowledges verbally her emotional state.
Do you notice how tuned the teacher and the child are, and the joy that comes from this exchange? As Alberta verbally describes Melissa’s emotional state, the more satisfied the child seems to be. Something that went wrong (the play pieces fell) becomes a source of playfulness and wellbeing.
“The glued monster”
Teacher Alberta and Rodrigo are making a collage. Rodrigo points his finger and shows Alberta that he put some glue over the monster. By observing his facial expression, Alberta labels the child’s feelings of sadness, but also helps him to understanding that there was a solution for what brought him sadness.
Can you observe, in the beginning of the video, that Rodrigo expresses sadness over the fact that a classmate is ill, in a spontaneous way? When you describe children’s feelings, they became more aware of their emotional experiences and more capable of communicating them.
“The collage”
While finishing his plastic creation, Rodrigo’s non-verbal communication is quite enthusiastic. Alberta labels his feelings of happiness.
Do you notice the emotional wellbeing of the child and how attentive Alberta is to the child’s reactions? What are the ingredients for such a tuned interaction?
Labeling feelings – Getting a car.
Abdel, a boy of 3;7 years, who speaks Dutch as a second language, is telling Soumia about a new car. Soumia labels his feelings at the end of the conversation.
Do you notice how enthusiastically Abdel is talking to Soumia, although he is not yet very proficient in Dutch? At the start of the P2G-project, Abdel hardly spoke to other children or to the teachers and often avoided eye-contact.
“Man, do not get angry” game
Teacher Dana is playing together with other children. Oliver (6 yrs. old) sits on her left side. Oliver was very shy boy who used to avoid contacts with mates, however during this game he is relaxed. Teacher Dana is labelling and verbally describing his feelings of enthusiasm and joy. In some moments, she is directing other children who breaking down the rules.
Do you notice that teacher Dana keeps her eye on Oliver although other children are trying to attract her attention? Do you notice how she names Oliver´s feelings?