Need self-regulation strategies for preschoolers? Teach your kids to self-soothe using music and much more!

<h2>Teaching Self-Regulation</h2>

<p> As an adult, can you think of any ways you soothe yourself when you’re stressed? 
  Do you sigh or take deep breaths, count to 10, go for a walk, or talk yourself through 
  a task? When you’re sad, angry, lonesome, anxious, irritable, or down, do you listen 
  to music, hum, or sing to lift your spirits? As adults, we use many methods to 
  self-regulate, including those centered around music. The great news is we can teach these 
  skills to young children and set them up for success in the classroom and beyond! </p>

  <h2>What Is Self-Regulation?</h2>
  <p> Self-regulation means “managing thoughts and feelings to enable goal-directed actions” 
    (<a href="https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/reports-and-policy-briefs/PromotingSelf-RegulationIntheFirstFiveYears.pdf" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>).
    Self-regulation helps us cope with strong feelings, shift our attention, and control 
    our behaviors so that we can focus 
    on our goals and get along with others. Fortunately, self-regulation is a teachable 
    skill, similar to literacy!

  </p>


<h2>Why Teach Self-Regulation to Preschoolers?</h2>
<p> As humans, we practice self-regulation from infancy. Babies avert their gaze when 
  distressed or suck their thumbs or fingers to self-soothe. Although self-regulation 
  skills can be learned throughout the lifetime, there are a couple of life stages when 
  teaching self-regulation directly can be most effective – during early childhood and 
  adolescence. Here, we’ll focus on self-regulation strategies for preschoolers.
</p>

<h2>What are the Benefits of Self-Regulation?</h2>
<p> The benefits of self-regulation are wide-ranging and can last a lifetime. 
  According to <a href="https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/reports-and-policy-briefs/PromotingSelf-RegulationIntheFirstFiveYears.pdf" target="_blank">
  Duke, UNC, and the U.S. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation</a>, 
  “Stronger self-regulation predicts better performance in school, better relationships
   with others, and fewer behavioral difficulties. Moreover, the ability to regulate 
   thoughts, feelings, and actions helps children successfully negotiate many of the 
   challenges they face, promoting resilience in the face of adversity.” 
</p>
<br>
<p>The <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/self-regulation-and-toxic-stress-foundations-understanding-self-regulation-applied" target="_blank">U.S. Administration of Children & Families</a> 
reports that self-regulation: 
</p>

<ul>
  <li> Can improve mental health, emotional well-being, academic achievement, physical 
    health, and socioeconomic success
  </li>
  <li> Can help individuals organize behaviors, control impulses, and solve problems 
    constructively </li>
  <li> Can be taught and strengthened with focused attention, support, and practice opportunities 
    in various contexts
  </li>
  <li> Can be reinforced by caregiving adults through warm and responsive interactions in which support, 
    coaching, and modeling are provided to facilitate a child’s ability to understand, 
    express, and modulate their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
  </li>
  <li> Develops over an extended period from birth through adulthood </li>

</ul>

<h2>Self-Regulation and Music: Strategies for the Classroom</h2>
<p> Here are some self-regulation strategies centered around music to use 
  with your students:
</p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MusicForKiddos/videos" target="_blank">Music for Kiddos</a> – Available for free via YouTube, Music for Kiddos features songs 
    by board-certified music therapist Stephanie Leavell. These pleasant, simple songs 
    also feature accompanying videos, which are approximately 2 minutes long. Watch, 
    sing along, and teach your students songs like I <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Tw8D56WjI" target="_blank">Need a Break</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DV-qxbwUo8" target="_blank">Breathe</a>, 
    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHlA_bCLyEY" target="_blank">Yoga Song</a>, 
    and I <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS_wLy8K38s" target="_blank">Can Do Things When They’re Hard</a>.
  </li>
  <li> <a href="https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/7-music-games-for-practicing-self-regulation" target="_blank">PBS Music Games for Practicing Self-Regulation</a> – 
  PBS’s resource has ideas and links 
  to activities like <a href="https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/action-rhymes-and-fingerplay-books" target="_blank">finger play songs</a> 
  including Miss Mary Mack, Wheels on the Bus, Shoo 
  Fly, and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. It also suggests 
  <a href="https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/practice-self-control-by-playing-freeze-dance" target="_blank">Freeze Dance</a> 
  for self-control, 
  drawing along to music (music maps), singing and rocking a doll or toy to Rock-a-bye Baby, 
  drumming on a hamper or pot, and conducting others in singing ABCs using a baton or 
  a wand. 
  </li>
  <li><a href="https://www.musictherapyworks.co.uk/relaxation-and-emotional-regulation" target="_blank">Music Therapy Works</a> – 
  This UK-based charity provides music therapy for infants through young children with special needs. They recommend using guided listening and imagery to process emotions and promote positive thinking, making music together to foster interpersonal connection, writing songs and singing to promote creative self-expression, using consistent slow tempos and soft harmonies to align with the body’s 
pace and rhythms, and performing progressive muscle relaxation to music.
  </li>

</ul>


<h2>Other Ideas for Teaching Self-Regulation for Preschoolers</h2>
<p>While our focus here has been primarily on music, early childhood educators can teach self-regulation strategies in various ways! Get creative and use teachable moments to jump in and model self-regulation. Turn virtually any activity into a mini self-regulation lesson when a child becomes 
  upset. Here’s a list of more ideas from our team to promote self-regulation:</p>

  <ul>
    <li> Provide sensory items like fidget spinners or poppers </li>
    <li> 		Provide manipulatives like self-regulation stones or calm-down cubes </li>
    <li> 		Take a wiggle break </li>
    <li> 		Practice taking deep breaths together </li>
    <li> 		Provide sensory headphones </li>
    <li> 		Get a cup of water </li>
    <li> 	Read a book about emotions </li>
    <li> 	Teach self-talk </li>
    <li> 	Name our feelings – sad, frustrated, mad, lonesome </li>
    <li> 	Use an emotions chart </li>
    <li> 		Notice physical sensations – queasy belly, tight fists, clenched jaw </li>
    <li> 		Ask self-awareness and self-reflection questions </li>
    <li> 		Model or act out self-regulation for the children  </li>
    <li> 	Practice maintaining or shifting focus to/from objects, emotions, or activities </li>
    <li> 	Practice turn-taking </li>
    <li> 	Practice sharing materials </li>
    <li> 	Give choices </li>
    <li> 	Build in transition time </li>
    <li> 	Build trust and positive relationships </li>
    <li> 	Create a structured environment with calm-down spaces </li>
    <li> 	Help students understand the “why” </li>
    <li> 	Play games to practice self-regulation, like Red Light, Green Light, Duck Duck Goose, Simon Says </li>
    <li> 	Teach problem-solving steps </li>
    <li> 		Teach patience, empathy and compassion </li>
    <li> 	Role-play social or emotional situations </li>
    <li> 	Post visual reminders of self-regulation strategies </li>
  </ul>
</br>
  <p> We hope you’ve found our resource on using music and other methods to help your 
    students with self-regulation a helpful addition to your teaching toolkit. Don’t 
    forget to bookmark this page so you can return to it when needed! While you’re here, 
    take a look at our other helpful <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog?subCategory=Education" target="_blank">resources for educators</a>.

  </p>
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Self-Regulation Strategies for Pre-Schoolers: Music, Dance, and More!