- Description:
I was recently gifted the Conscious Discipline’s Baby Doll Circle Time Curriculum from the SPS Counseling Department. I would like to implement this curriculum with our school’s Wonder Years and Kindergarten Classes (whole class/small groups). In order to utilize the curriculum I will need at least 12 realistic, educational baby dolls.
- Need Represented: Relationship is the most valuable asset we have as human beings. The objective of Baby Doll Circle Time is, "to enhance the quality of the relationship between caregivers and children by strengthening attachment, attunement, and social play" (Baby Doll Circle Time, 5). Dr. Becky Bailey talks about the importance and influence of the first three years of life on our mental model of relationships, mental model of self, foundation for the ability to attend and motivate ourselves, and the development of the way we will self-regulate and manage stress. It is crucial, as educators, that we teach, support, and offer endless opportunity to practice social play in a safe, healthy environment. Baby Doll Circle Time is a research based method for reinforcing secure attachment and promoting strong, healthy connections between children, peers, and caregivers. We currently have a need in our schools and communities to teach strong social/emotional foundational skills, especially to our youngest students to ensure they have the best start possible to their educational careers.
- Academic Impact: Having the materials to use this curriculum will proactively address many relationship concerns we see in the classroom today i.e. decrease in empathic thinking, lack of self regulation skills, overall disconnected students, etc. To have this foundational instruction interwoven into our Wonder Years program of studies will be beneficial to our Wonder Years students, teachers, and community. This curriculum teaches engagement, impulse control, focus, empathy, self-regulation, enhances working memory, and task initiation. All of these skills are vital for personal and academic success! The impact of utilizing this program reaches beyond this cohort of children and this school year, but rather sparks a chain reaction that can affect siblings, families, and a larger population for years to come!
- Student Population: I am an elementary school counselor at a Title 1 building. We were recently labeled a "Missouri comprehensive school" as a result of our decline in MAP scoring. I am a firm believer in the learning potential of all students regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or other label, which is why I choose to teach and direct my students toward their highest potential for success every day! We, unfortunately, have a high level of traumatized students. I would feel confident in saying that a third of our students have an abnormally high ACE score. Many of our students have an incarcerated parent(s) and/or family members, have experienced some form of abuse/neglect/domestic violence, are very transient, as well as food insufficient. Having connected students means a higher potential for overall success and achievement, despite the risk factors they are facing daily. Through Baby Doll Circle Time I hope to combat the circumstances and provide students with positive coaching, attunement, and nurturing social play experiences that last a lifetime.
