Looking at the height of what seems to be an insurmountable task can be discouraging. Discouragement is a combination of overwhelm, fear, and worry over a new task that appears to be impossible, big, and difficult to accomplish. It can lead to a sense of doubt and the urge to give up, but it can also signal that something new is being learned. In this lesson, pre-kindergartners are taught how to recognize and manage their feelings of discouragement and how to move forward.
A puppet show featuring the hedgehogs, Squeak and Mimi, opens this lesson. It shows Squeak feeling discouraged because learning the letters is hard. This feeling is making him think negative thoughts. Fortunately, Mimi is there to help him manage his discouragement by helping him think positive thoughts. Squeak flips from being discouraged to motivated, instantly!
"Discouragement is a tall mountain that pre-kindergartners can easily overcome by changing their perspective."
Display the "Grumpy Grouch" visual aid and help pre-kindergartners deal with discouragement! This lesson teaches young students the different ways that they can handle being discouraged. It begins by explaining what the feeling of discouragement is, which instances it may occur, and the positive ways of managing this emotion. The students also learn that there are people who they can turn to when they need help managing their discouraged feelings.
To help the students remember the lesson on discouragement, the Positive Action song, "Grumpy Grouch/Bright Sider" is played. They sing along to the song, yell a yell, and realize that managing discouragement makes them feel good about themselves!
Discouragement is a tall mountain that pre-kindergartners can easily overcome by changing their perspective. They can shift their focus to the ongoing developmental process that happens when they are trying something new, instead of focusing on the difficulty of the new task. With this lesson, pre-kindergartners learn to take on a difficult task one small step at a time. They also learn other positive ways that they can transform their discouragement into determination. Now, instead of feeling defeated by the mountain, they see it as a chance to climb higher and stronger!
Pasela is a digital product presented by Positive Action.
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