At Hokowhitu, supporting children to understand and manage their emotions is an important part of everyday learning.
Recently, our teachers took part in a professional development programme called ENGAGE.
This has deepened our understanding of how children grow across three key areas of cognitive (thinking), behavioural (doing), and emotional (feeling) learning.
What we love most about ENGAGE is how it brings learning to life through play. We’re also working together as a teaching team to use consistent language across the centre. This helps children build focus, block out distractions, and feel confident in what’s expected of them.
We have been using phrases such as “hā ki roto, hā ki waho” breathe in, breathe out which we often paired with “smell the flower, blow the bubble.” These simple, calming cues help children pause, reset, and begin to manage big emotions in a safe and supportive way.
Much of the learning happens through fun, engaging games like Cup of Memory, dancing with scarves, Jack in the Box, the parachute or board games. While these may look like simple play, they are carefully chosen to build important skills like concentration, self-control, and emotional awareness.
Through these everyday moments, we are supporting children to develop the lifelong skill of self-regulation, helping them to feel confident, capable, and ready to learn.