​During a story reading session with 5 year olds, children were feeling hot and wanted to turn on the fan. Ar and Av get up from their chair and run towards the switchboard at the same time. Av reaches first and turns on the fan and as an instant reaction Ar hits him.
 
(Facilitator (F) observing the scene calls out for them)
 
Av: Ma'am Ar hit me, he always hits me.
F(to the class): Do you all think Ar gets angry and hits people for no reason?
Class: No ma'am. 
Ar (angrily): I get angry when people don't let me do what I want to do.
F: I understand you get angry but, is it helpful to hit or hurt someone when you are angry?
Ar: Yes 
F (to the class): Do you all think hitting when angry is a good thing?
Class: No ma'am. 
T: Ar should talk to them.
F: Thank you T, do we all want to help Ar calm down when he is angry? 
Class: Yes ma'am.
F (to Ar): How do you want everyone to help you calm down?
Ar: By not talking.
F (To the class): So, can we all agree to not talk to Ar when he is angry, he'll calm himself down and then join us.
Class: Yes ma'am.
F (to Av): Why do you think Ar hit you?
Av: Because I saw Ar run and I ran before him and turned on the fan.
F: What do you think you could have done instead?
Av: Let him (switch) on the fan, next time I will get a chance.
F (to Ar): What do you think you could have done?
Ar: Ask him.
F: So, do we all agree to use our words next time we don't like something?
Class: Yes ma'am.
 
Be it a child or an adult, helping them become aware of their own emotions and learning to express them in resourceful manner is a very important skill to learn for life. When children start this early, it helps them empathize with themselves and figure out mechanisms to understand, accept and cope with their emotions better, building emotionally resilient adults of the future. 

Contributed by Yashika Ganesh, Learning Facilitator, Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool and edited by Sreeja Iyer, CEO, Sparkling Mindz.
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As part of our neighbourhood connect walks our 1.5-3 year olds went outdoors to a local park. At the park 20 months old Vivaan who had just started to talk in words noticed a ‘circle’ shaped hole on the floor. It was such a tiny hole with a yellow colour leaf lying next to it. 


One can’t fathom the deep and connected ways in which children learn and the different perspectives with which they see the world around them.

While going through the nature walk pictures with the children back at school Facilitator picked up a circular shaped block and showed it to the children for them to connect to what Vivaan had seen in the park, earlier during the day.

 To everyone’s surprise, 2.5 years old Daniel picked up another block and tried to connect it to the ‘rectangle shape’ in the picture. Can you spot the same?

 The other children didn’t see it as they were focused on Vivaan and his circle. Daniel could zoom out and see the space around Vivaan as well as where he was standing to see the stand alone tile to spot the rectangular shape.

 It was a connection the child had made which showed the capability of the child to zoom out of the current frame of reference and see something bigger and different. How many of us do this on a day to day basis in our lives?
 
Contributed by Maria Sanjana, Learning Facilitator @ Sparkling Mindz