Emotional regulation the key to learning

We have been meeting and speaking with ADHD specialists this week. Our discussions have centred around managing big emotions,  something that resonates deeply with our team. This statement struck a chord with us "emotions are the on/off switch to learning." This encapsulates one of the reasons why we are dedicated to supporting children’s emotional well-being at school. When children grapple with overwhelming emotions, their stress response kicks in, impairing their ability to engage in learning. This stress response triggers physiological changes that prepare the body for perceived threats, leading to a narrowed focus on survival rather than learning. The child may become disruptive, angry or even try to run away as they attempt to cope with the chemical changes in their bodies caused by this fight or flight response.  

Our tools for schools prioritize strategies to deactivate the stress response and re-engage the parts of the brain crucial for learning and creativity. We help children to physically manage their emotions, allowing them to regain control by understanding how to deactivate the stress response, calming their bodies, enabling them to process their emotions.  

Expanding emotional vocabulary has also been seen to improve academic performance. Plutchik, the late renowned psychotherapist believed that humans can experience over 34,000 unique emotions!!! Our tools facilitate the development of emotional literacy by providing children with a framework to articulate and understand their feelings. For instance, our feelings wheel serves as a practical tool for children to identify and label their emotions accurately.  

Understanding that emotional well-being and intelligence is linked to our ability to learn is crucial. At home we can support our children’s understanding of emotions by helping them name their big feelings even if they can’t. We can say things like, “ I can see you feel surprised/rejected/ isolated/ ecstatic and I feel like that sometimes too.”