Application: Creating a Family Newsletter on Preschools, Anger, and Helping Children Regulate Emotions

As you have learned, young children feel and express anger, but they do not necessarily understand their angry feelings. They need caring, knowledgeable adults to help them learn about and control angry feelings, use words to express their feelings, show anger in ways that are not harmful to themselves or others, and learn to regulate their emotions.

For your Application Assignment this week, imagine that you are a teacher or director of a preschool. Each week you send home a 1-page newsletter to families on a topic related to children's development. This week you have chosen the topic of anger and regulating emotions. Write a 1-page newsletter for family members with information and tips on helping preschool children understand, manage, and express anger as well as begin to regulate their emotions.

To complete this Application Assignment:

Step 1: Choose and Develop Content

Review pages 209-219 in your course text. Consider that parents need information on child development that will help them understand anger in young children, the challenge of regulating emotions, and specific activities and strategies to use with their child.

Choose the information to include. Think about how you can best explain each piece of information to parents and family members. Also, decide how to organize your information, e.g., short paragraphs, bullet points, tips, lists, and other easy-to-read formats.

Substantiate your thinking by citing the text and other information you choose to use.

Write a draft of the content for your newsletter in language that parents will understand and enjoy reading. Aim for a warm, friendly, yet professional tone.

Step 2: Create and Review

Create the newsletter in a Microsoft Word document. Review your written draft and revise as needed. An elaborate design for the newsletter is not required. However, you may choose to include such elements as a name for the newsletter and a short title for each section of information you include.

Step 3: Reflect

Summarize insights you gained from this assignment about the importance and challenges of educating families about guiding preschoolers' expressions of anger and helping children learn to regulate their emotions. Your reflection should be approximately one page.
Assignment length: Approximately 2 pages

You will submit the your newsletter and your written Reflection, combined into one Microsoft Word document.

Resources to Use:

Course Text: Marion, M. (2015). Guidance of young children (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 7, "Self-Esteem and the Moral Self" (pp. 181-206)
Chapter 8, "Feelings and Friends: Emotional and Social Competence" (pp. 207-237)
Chapter 9, "Resilience and Stress in Childhood" (pp. 238-265)
Optional Resources

Podcast: "Genuine v. Phony Self-Esteem"

http://www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/WMBK.Greenspan.cfm

Article: "Stress and Children: What it is and How Parents Can Help" (PDF)

http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/stress_children_what_it_how_parents_can_help

(Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean)

Note: To open the document on this site, you will need the free Adobe® Reader® software. The link to download this software is located in the Tech Resources area.

Web Site: ACT: Adults and Children Together Against Violence

"Managing Anger at Home"

http://actagainstviolence.apa.org/anger/athome.html

"Managing Anger at the ChildCare Center & School"

http://actagainstviolence.apa.org/anger/atschool.html

Article: "Study: Verbal Aggression May Affect Children's Behavior"

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/08/04/study.verbal.aggression.may.affect.childrens.behavior