3 Series that Support Self-Regulation with Music

December 15, 2016

Isn’t it funny how most of us can manage our emotions just fine when things are going smoothly, but as soon as life gets a little bumpy, we all tend to struggle a bit (okay, some of us more than others)? We’ve all been there when everything goes from calm to chaos. Maybe you got stuck in traffic on your way to a critical meeting. Or you experienced a setback at work. Or your kids are bouncing off the walls, dinner is burning on the stove, and the phone is ringing.

It’s those moments when we experience negative feelings—stress, anger, fear, sadness—that we most need to put self-regulation into action. Simply put, self-regulation is the ability to control our actions and emotions. Kids can have an even tougher time with self-regulation than adults do, as their brain development is in its infancy.

Dr. Dan Siegel, author of The Whole Brain Child, is one of the leading sources on how we can work with children to better support their path to self-regulation. But at Cantata Learning, we’re especially excited about the studies that suggest how active participation in musical activities improves self-regulation.

As we head toward winter break, utilize your Cantata Learning stories and songs during regular story times, transition times, or play times to help kids develop their emotional intelligence in a fun, engaging way. Here are three series we think will wonderfully enhance these learning opportunities:

1. Help students learn to identify their emotions with the Me, My Friends, My Community set. Download the songs and our lesson plan with extension activities for free.

2. With titles like Where Is Thumbkin?, Head and Shoulders, and Happy and You Know It, the Sing-along Songs set provides endless opportunities for finger plays and hand motion games.

3. And finally, the School Time Songs set offer a fun, musical reminder of the social skills that help us succeed at school—a great bridge from the concept of self-regulation.