Social and Emotional Growth for Preschoolers
At Dots, we believe a child's heart needs as much nourishment as their mind. Discover how our Montessori environment builds kindness, empathy, and self-regulation through daily practice.
I can name my feelings and choose my actions. Using "The Colour Monster" as a guide, children explore their emotions by associating them with colors. This helps them build emotional literacy, self-awareness, and the ability to talk about their feelings.
The Silence Game is a powerful exercise in self-control and mindfulness. Children pass a bell around the circle, trying not to let it ring. This beloved Montessori game cultivates a calm and focused atmosphere, teaching children to appreciate the power of silence.
Exploring emotions in action. Using our emotion cards, children practice identifying and expressing different feelings like sadness, fear, and happiness. This helps them build empathy and understand that all feelings are valid.
Dr. Montessori used a sleeping baby to teach the children about silence and respect. In this reenactment, our children watch with quiet curiosity, learning to be gentle and mindful of others in a very concrete and memorable way.
Being kind is contagious. In partnership with iSpy Hope, we incorporate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into our classroom. Here, children sort cards into "kind" and "unkind" actions, learning to recognize and choose behaviors that build a positive community.
Learning about what "hurts the heart." This SEL activity helps children understand the impact of their words and actions on others. By mending a paper heart, they learn about apologies, forgiveness, and the importance of being kind.
Starting the day right with a prayer. A child leads her classmates in the morning prayer, a routine that fosters a sense of peace, gratitude, and community to begin our day of learning and play.
Learning bus etiquette through role-play. Children practice waiting their turn, offering a seat, and being courteous to others. These Grace and Courtesy lessons help them navigate social situations with kindness and respect.
We start our day in silence. A few moments of quiet meditation helps children center themselves, improve their focus, and prepare for a productive and peaceful day of work and discovery.
Grace and Courtesy are practiced in countless ways throughout the day. From watering a plant to walking carefully down the stairs, children learn to move with intention and care for their environment and each other.
About Social & Emotional Growth: Nurturing Kind Hearts
Our social-emotional learning is not a separate lesson, as it is woven into every part of our day. For instance, when a child accidentally bumps into a friend, we do not just say sorry, as we model how to check in, repair the situation, and move forward. You will see this Grace and Courtesy in action everywhere, from how we pass materials to how we mediate disagreements in the classroom.
We teach social-emotional intelligence not through lectures but through experience. Whether it is our Silence Game that builds patience or our partnership with iSpy Hope to navigate big feelings, we focus on helping children name their emotions, like fear, sadness, or joy, and choose their responses.
In our Kudlu and Haralur Road centers, you will see children as young as two learning Grace and Courtesy, which involves simple acts like greeting a friend with a namaste, waiting for a turn, or mending a paper heart to understand empathy. This prepares them for life beyond school, where self-awareness and social harmony are just as important as reading and writing.
Parents often tell us that our focus on mindful mornings and emotional literacy helps their children handle transitions at home with much more ease. By creating a prepared environment that values kindness as much as academic progress, we help children build the confidence to understand themselves and relate to others with respect.
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