• Tools of the Mind for Families

    How can I support self-regulation development at home?

    • Support make-believe play at home: Choose a familiar setting for pretend play, and make props and sets with materials like sheets, chairs and recyclables
    • Use the Tools playful approach to transition: Engage your child in pretending when it's time to leave the playground or get ready for bed. For example, leave the playground swinging your trunks like elephants or tip-toeing like mice trying to get past a cat!
    • Give your child a strategy to stay regulated during wait times: Learn songs and fingerplays from the classroom and sing them during wait times, like when you're waiting at the doctor's office.
    • Play simple memory games to build working memory: Put a few favorite toys or snacks on the table and ask your child to say their names to help you "remember." Then cover them, take something away, and have your child tell you what changed.
    • Read and re-read picture books together: Let your child begin to tell you what happens next when you turn the page. Soon, with the support of the illustrations, your child will "read" the story to you!
    • Encourage children to think out load when they are engaged in challenging tasks: While getting dressed or looking for a missing puzzle piece, encourage your child to say aloud the steps in the process. This kind of self-talk, called private speech, supports concentation, sustained effort, and success!
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