Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cassandra Wong
Special Project:
McGill University
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 2
schooling sets the tone for how they will perceive their academic journey. At the tender age of
five, children are introduced to a new world wherein new expectations are to be met and more
challenging benchmarks must be achieved. The foreign space, new routines and people are
exciting yet overwhelming (Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 2000). Not all children demonstrate the
ability to properly cope with these new experiences and expectations, thus the need for a
concrete curriculum on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and resilience to explicitly teach
students skills related to coping with their emotions and stressful situations. Such a curriculum
does not currently exist for Kindergarten students in Quebec. As such, the Heart and Mind
curriculum that will be discussed within this paper was created to cater and support Quebecs
Kindergarten teachers. This concise literature review will confirm the need for implementing a
SEL and resiliency Kindergarten curriculum to complement the current Preschool Curriculum
classroom has not been a thoroughly studied topic. However, there is evidently a need for a SEL
and resiliency curriculum to support early childhood educators by providing them with resources
succeeding (Green et al., 2012). The literature available primarily focuses on children with
learning difficulties, emotional trauma, children in higher grades or highlights results on children
coming from underprivileged backgrounds. Heart and Minds objective is to cater to all
Education program touches upon the notion of self-regulation and coping with daily stressors but
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 3
does not present concrete lessons or guidance as how to go about teaching such topics. Few
studies are available for comparison regarding the general Kindergarten population. Though,
there is ample literature on the importance and benefits of SEL within schools (Greene et al,
This literature review will discuss the findings related to: 1) the early implementation an
benefits of a SEL curriculum in Kindergarten such as Heart and Mind, 2) the effectiveness of
teaching children mindfulness and coping strategies 3) teaching children how to become resilient
individuals. Through the synthesis of my research I intend to validate and strengthen Heart and
Minds purpose and need within the QEP curriculum and highlight the importance of allowing
young students the opportunity to understand their emotions and cope with their daily and life
challenges.
and school life be supported and facilitated. Such a program plays an important role in overall
school readiness (Nix et al., 2013). The early implementation of a social-emotional resiliency
program in a school setting substantially benefits a childs overall well-being and development.
master social-emotional competencies that are associated with greater and better school
performance (Durlak et al, 2011). Within their Kindergarten year students are expected to attain
social-emotional skills that are not simply to acknowledge emotions but navigate them. Social-
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 4
emotional skills include: emotion understanding, competent social problem solving, and positive
social behaviour (...) (Nix et al., 2013, p.1001). In addition to all the benefits of obtaining such
skills, Ladd et al. (1999) found that through the development of such skills there is a fostering of
Students becoming more aware and capable of coping with their emotions is in direct
correlation their academic engagement and success (Hernandez et al., 2016). Hernandez et al.
(2016) have highlighted the implications social-emotional well-being has on overall academic
achievement as well as social trajectories. Emotions displayed at school not only affect the
academic components of school but the relationships within the school. Furthermore, Durlak et
al. (2011) reinforce that emotions can also impede a childs academic engagement, work ethic,
commitment and school success. Emotions being such an impactful element to a childs life need
to be managed in order for children to have optimal conditions for academic success (Hernandez
et al., 2016). This strengthens the argument that the sooner a social-emotional curriculum such as
Heart and Mind is implemented, the sooner children will understand their emotions and how to
cope and react to them in constructive ways. An example of such a program being implemented
and succeeding in helping in academic achievement is the work of Ashdown & Bernard (2012)
who investigated the effectiveness of the You Can Do It! Early Childhood Education Program
resiliency and confidence, was taught over a span of 10 weeks, 3 times a week. At the conclusion
of the YCDI curriculum, the grade 1 students showed an increase in reading achievement
(decoding text), less disruptive behaviours and a higher level of social emotional competence
By having the student engaged in his or her learning early on in Kindergarten this ensures
and encourages students to be committed to their overall schooling and school experience
program within a childs first year at school we can quickly educate them on their emotions and
coping strategies for them and prevent their emotions from impeding on their potential successes
(Hernandez, 2016; Hemmeter, Santos & Ostrosky, 2008). Green et al. (2012) state that early
appropriate social skills, contribute to the development of higher-order cognitive functioning and
to school readiness (p.123). In accordance with this, Nix et al. (2013) found that Kindergarten
social-emotional skills play an important role in school readiness and that social-emotional skills
aid Kindergarten students adjust to school and facilitate their learning. By ensuring children can
manage their emotions and cope with them we are aiding in their overall ability to succeed in
school and life. There is evidently a need to discuss and bring emotions to light more than
The Heart and Mind curriculum offers a concise social-emotional resiliency curriculum
for Kindergarten students in the Quebec context because it corporates the pre-existing
competencies within the QEP. According to the Quebec government: Kindergarten is a special
place, where children continue their development, increasing their learning, acquiring new
learning strategies and forming relationships with other children and adults. This social
potential, to structure their personality and gradually to increase their autonomy (QEP, 2001,
p52). This year of exploration is the ideal time to introduce a social-emotional resiliency
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 6
program and easily integrate it in an already socially focused curriculum. Within the literature
there is much success attributed to joint curriculum ventures (Nix et al., 2013; Durlak et al.,
2011). Nix et al. (2013) explored the enhancement of the Head Start program with the REDI
Strategies) enrichment intervention, which primarily observed the gains in the proximal
language/ emergent literacy and social- emotional competencies. The study focusing on
Kindergarteners found great gains in Kindergarten students academic and behavioural outcomes
The PATHS enrichment intervention offered teachers lessons and extension activities,
which were created with the idea of enhancing childrens social-emotional competence (Nix et
al., 2013, p.1002). In addition to the material provided teachers were also offered professional
development which taught teachers how to coach children to calm down using dialogue and
natural social problem-solving dialogue (Nix et al., 2013). The study concluded that there were
gains in emotion understanding and competent social problem solving through the combination
of interventions (Nix et al., 2013, p.1012). There were also gains in both cognitive skills and
social-emotional skills, which were predictors for learning engagement. The PATHS program
offered students coping strategies and core themes related to friendship and emotions. The
blending of intervention strategies to promote language/ emergent literacy skills and social-
emotional competencies had additive and synergistic effects on Kindergarten adjustment (Nix et
in place is a great alternative to re-creating a whole program. As executed with the Head Start
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 7
and PATHS joint venture, the addition of the social-emotional curriculum only enhanced the
students' coping abilities and social skills. Great benefits for student would come from the
combination of the QEP and a social-emotional resiliency program such as Heart and Mind
In order to ensure a childs success in Kindergarten certain critical skills have been
identified by Hemmeter, Santos and Ostrosky (2008) the ability to recognize and express
emotions in appropriate ways, maintain relationships with peers and adults, persist at difficult
tasks, follow directions and participate in group activities, solve social problems and manage
difficult emotions (p.322). In order for students to achieve these skills they must be mindful of
their emotions and their reactions. A strategy and method that would be essential in this process
is mindfulness.
The definition for mindfulness that has been echoed throughout the literature is based on
the definition by Kabat-Zinn (2003): Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through paying
attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience
moment by moment (p.145). This trainable skill can allow students to pause and reflect on the
moment and their feelings and emotions before having a physical or vocal response (Black &
Fernando, 2013; Burke, 2010). By integrating mindfulness and meditation within my created
curriculum the students would quickly be exposed to mindfulness activities and awareness. As
Kabat-Zinn (2003) states in his work: Mindfulness is a way of being that takes ongoing effort to
develop and refine (p.149). The teaching of mindfulness would be an enhancing component to
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 8
the curriculum and teach students to reflect on their situation and their potential actions. By
promoting mindfulness as more than a momentary method for stress relief, it promotes a mindful
lifestyle and state of being (Black & Fernando, 2014; Burke, 2010; Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
emotional, cognitive and physical experience as it occurs moment to moment (Jennings, 2015,
p.738). There are ample benefits to integrating mindfulness within a curriculum, a non-disruptive
improvement of student learning and focus (Black & Fernando, 2014; Semple et al., 2009). One
of the key points within the literature on mindfulness in the classroom is the alleviation of
psychological stress on students (Black & Fernando, 2014). Black and Fernando (2014) found
that stress alleviation plays a role in improved classroom behaviour, pro-social behaviour, school
In addition, Burkes (2010) review found that students attention span and most
Kindergarten classroom is the key to a childs success and encouraging and promoting this
beneficial. As stated as one the necessary skills to acquire by the end of Kindergarten students
are to control his/ her impulses (QEP, 2001, p66). By adding a mindfulness component to a
What mindfulness therapies entail are meditative and reflective techniques (Semple et al.,
2010). Semple (2010) also examined the work of Linden (1973) who studied the effects of
meditation during a controlled 18-week study. Findings were clear that participants reported
lower anxiety following their meditation trial. Semple (2005) discovered after a 6-week pilot
project that children as young as 7 years old could respond well and learn mindfulness
techniques (p.219). This study showed promise that mindfulness techniques could alleviate
When faced with emotions such as anger and excitement children manage by coping
properties emerge (Goodman & Southam-Gerow, 2010). According to Eisenberger (2003): ...
coping refers to efforts to modulate the effects of stressful circumstances. Coping is viewed as an
ongoing, dynamic process that adapts to the changing demands of a stressful encounter or event
(p.291). The literature is clear that effective coping strategies help children overcome social
difficulties and daily stressors (Goodman & Southam-Gerow, 2010; Hemmeter, Santos &
Ostrosky, 2008; Zimmer-Gembeck, Lees & Skinner, 2011). Zimmer-Gembeck, Lees and Skinner
(2011) concluded that by having the ability to appraise a situation and associated emotions a
child could be able to select an effective coping strategy to overcome their challenges and
Heart and Mind would set forth concrete examples of coping strategies so that students
may use them on a daily basis which would coincides with the work of Zimmer-Gembeck, Lees
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 10
and Skinner (2011) and Hemmeter, Santos and Ostrosky (2008). It is through the use of
mindfulness and coping strategies that children will overcome lifes stressors and obstacles.
Coping strategies would be referred to as calming strategies in the Heart and Mind curriculum to
make the language more accessible to young children. Siegel and Bryson (2011) found that
children are capable of discussing their emotions and ultimately creating their own coping
strategies catering to their needs and self which concurs with Semple (2005).
identify their struggles as well as how to help themselves. According to Burnham (2009):
Resilience is a set of qualities that fosters successful adaptation and transformation despite risk
and adversity (p.32). By becoming resilient individuals and possessing the skills of resilience
childrens emotions are less overwhelming and their ability to cope with adversity and stress is
higher (Burnham, 2009). Jennings (2015) states that: Self-compassion involves recognizing that
suffering and personal failure are part of the shared human experience involving taking a
balanced approach to one's negative emotions so that feelings are neither suppressed nor
exaggerated (p.737). This speaks volumes on the notion that one must come to terms with
personal failures, acknowledge them and overcome them. By explicitly discussing life setbacks
with students this allows for them to have a more realistic view on life as opposed to not being
able to cope when a minor failure occurs. Heart and Mind navigates through the curriculum by
teaching children about choices and how the choices they make influence different facets of their
lives.
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 11
Szente (2007) reiterates this by discussing the importance of early exposure to child
empowerment through the support and interactions with adults which, leads children to develop a
strong belief system. Such belief systems directly impact childs self-esteem, self-worth and self-
efficacy. By teaching students about how to become resilient through strategies such as
mindfulness this allows them to have a better perception of self which in turn gives them a more
positive outlook on stressors and everyday situations. Not all students can become resilient nor
succeed in most aspects of social and emotional development without guidance and support from
their teachers (Szente, 2007). As such, Heart and Mind places the teacher at the center to act as a
pillar of support to students. The lessons within the units on anger, happiness, anxiety and
sadness offer teachers examples on how they can deliver the messages (concrete dialogue,
sample questions, tips on how to guide the instruction of the lesson) in an engaging and
stimulating way. This is all extremely relevant because who and how the message is delivered
According to Mazer et al. (2014) national surveys in the United States exploring factors
Their work focused on students emotions in relation to their perceptions of their teachers
communication. Mazer & al. (2014) observed that when teachers enact effective communication
behaviours, such as nonverbal immediacy and clarity, and are perceived as communicatively
competent, students report positive emotional experiences (p. 150). The more positive the
interaction with a teacher the more the child is likely to have retained the lesson and enjoyed the
class. This work brings to light a critical factor in the success of my created curriculum, if a
teacher does not execute the curriculum effectively and without a positive attitude then it will
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 12
add nothing to the students lives. As a role model the teacher teaching the curriculum has to
display mindfulness and effective coping strategies in order to impact his or her students.
In conjunction with a teachers effective communication skills are also his or her overall
teaching approach. The teachers way of being within the classroom and how he or she chooses
to project his or her energy greatly influences the child. According to Davis, Rimm and Siegle
(2011) an ideal teacher would be The humanistic teacher. A humanistic teacher would
approach all students and individuals with arms wide open, without any biases or negative
attitudes. Such a teacher would be able to put their preconceived notions aside and stay positive
In addition, Mazer et al. (2014) also argued that a students perception of their teachers
emotional availability impacted their own emotions (p.151, 2014). If a teacher were to project
the feeling that they were available to emotionally support their students with school related
topics, students felt more comfortable and confident. And with this feeling of emotional support,
students felt that more desirable outcomes will come and their emotional health will improve
(p.151, 2014).
The importance of the delivery and language will be evident and clear throughout every
activity of the Heart and Mind curriculum. If there is to be an impact on students the language of
delivery must follow the model of explicit teaching and a playful tone. Saarni and Buckley
feelings and intentions. Without language true meaning and expression would not be possible. It
is through the selection of the proper language that one can effectively reach children and allow
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 13
for them to understand the significance of what we are teaching them. With language such an
important element of communication, the words and wording we choose must be selective and
intentional.
Kim et al. (2007) categorize emotions as negative or positive. They constituted happy and
excited as positive emotions and sad, scared and mad as negative emotions (p.226). The
terminology negative emotion brings about much negative stigma within the literature. For
example, Goodman and South-Gerow (2010) attribute what they label as a negative emotion,
anger to be associated with negative coping and sadness with ruminative coping (p.515). Their
theories and findings promote the notion that emotions have distinct motivational behavioural
meaning direct actions related to their emotional reactions. Mazer et al.s (2014) categories of
positive emotions include a wider range of emotions which comprises of enjoyment, hope, pride,
and relief and their categorization of negative emotions include anger, anxiety, shame,
hopelessness, and boredom. What was not present within the literature was the notion that
reactions. As such, the words negative and positive will not be discussed during the presentation
Emotions are crucial in order to live meaningful lives, but we cannot allow them to rule
our lives (Siegel & Bryson, 2011, p.25). The terminology Siegel and Bryson (2011) use within
their book is big emotions. Their work prompted me to include happiness, anxiety, anger and
sadness within my curriculum. The emotions are discussed and taught to an equal extent within
Through the synthesis of my research, I find the Heart and Mind curriculum to be valid
and justified. Current findings document that SEL programs yield significant positive effects on
targeted social-emotional competencies and attitudes about self, others and school (Durlak, et al.,
2011). The social-emotional resiliency curriculum rooted in the foundation of the current Quebec
Education Program Preschool Education would enrich the current learning of emotions and
coping strategies already taught in the classroom. With guided lessons and explanations
throughout the curriculum on how to communicate the message to students, teachers should feel
confident in integrating this additional curriculum within their pre-existing curriculum. The end
goal of the curriculum is to help students become more aware of their emotions, learn to be
mindful and learn effective coping strategies to become overall resilient in life.
The teaching of emotions is complex and requires an approach that will draw in
Kindergarten students and not be too overwhelming for them to shy away from. In order to make
the Heart and Mind curriculum relevant and understandable to the students, lessons are
Storytelling allows us to understand ourselves and our world by using both our left and
right hemispheres together. To tell a story that makes sense, the left-brain must put things in
order, using words and logic. The right brain contributes the bodily sensation, raw emotions, and
personal memories, so we can see the whole picture and communicate our experiences (Siegel
& Bryson, 2011). Childrens books and stories are an integral part of a Kindergarteners day.
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 15
Teachers read to their students on a daily basis, however the selection of childrens literature is
Zambo (2007) explores the importance teaching emotional regulation to young students
as well as special needs students. She defines emotional regulation as ones ability to understand
our emotions and devise strategies to moderate them (p. 32). The author recommends using
picture books to teach emotions to children because they are easily accessible, they stimulate
cognition and have affective value. Having images and characters to provide prototypes for the
otherwise abstract emotions makes learning about emotions more concrete and relatable for
students (p. 34). Her work is quite relevant to the Heart and Mind curriculum because she sees
the strategy of using stories to teach and learn emotions as valid in conjunction with a SEL
program (p.34). Throughout Heart and Mind childrens literature will act as introductions to
emotions and lessons. Activities will be based off of certain stories in order to appeal to the
Kindergarten audience.
The curriculum that has been created is structured and formulated with a five year-old
child in mind, ensuring that there are components of play and fun incorporated within the lessons
to draw in and hold their attention. My goal is to explicitly teach students social-emotional skills
and aid them in obtaining the proper strategies to cope with their individual life stressors. By
learning through a structured yet playful fashion this allows for students to take ownership of
their own opinions and choices. To reiterate Saarni and Buckleys work, emotion communication
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 16
is both verbal and nonverbal. Teaching students the proper life cues would help support their
Heart and Mind is a practical and necessary tool to have within the Kindergarten
classroom because it would coincide with the already pre-existing QEP. The competencies the
curriculum center on are Competency 2 To affirm his/ her personality. and Competency 3 To
interact harmoniously with others and Competency Competency 4- To communicate using the
resources of language. The created curriculum teaches emotions, coping strategies such as
mindfulness and all with the end goal of helping students become more resilient. There is
evidently a need to enhance students abilities to cope with emotions and learn strategies to cope
with them. By offering students practical tools early on in their lives that they will use
throughout their personal and academic lives will truly benefit them. Also, offering teachers a
curriculum tool to help their students become more resilient is much simpler than expecting
teachers to create a new program on their own. The overall goal for Heart and Mind is to
facilitate the teaching of social-emotional learning (SEL) and resiliency to Kindergarten students,
offering concrete lessons and ideas in order to support Quebecs Kindergarten teachers.
HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 17
Works Cited
Ashdown, D.M & Bernard, M.E. (2012). Can explicit instruction in social and emotional
learning skills benefit the social-emotional development, well-being and academic
achievement of young children?. Early Childhood Education Journal, 39(6), 397-405.
Black, D. & Fernando, R. (2013). Mindfulness training and classroom behaviour among lower-
income and ethnic minority elementary school children. Journal of Child and Family
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Burnham, J.J. (2009). Contemporary fears of children and adolescents: coping and resiliency in
the 21st century. Journal of Counselling & Development, 87, 28-35.
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HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 18
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HEART & MIND- LITERATURE REVIEW 19
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