It may sound simple, but Iovino says, it's a strategy known as "cognitive restructuring, which is teaching someone how to recognize an emotion, name that emotion, and then be able to work to shift thoughts – to feel something different." What works, Iovino says, is something called cognitive behavioral therapy, which involves all sorts of practical skill-building, including learning to change negative thinking patterns, better understand others' motivations and face fears that may fuel unhealthy avoidance behaviors.įor example, in one video, called "Push The Clouds," children are encouraged to visualize their sad, heavy feelings as dark storm clouds and to imagine pushing those clouds away. "It's taking what we know works," says Emily Iovino, a trained school psychologist who is part of the FYBS team. Each video is built around a simple strategy to help kids recognize and manage their feelings – or to help friends who are struggling. The five-minute video Denoya's students watch is part of a series produced through a new pilot program called Feel Your Best Self, or FYBS. There's science behind teaching kids to 'Push The Clouds' of heavy feelings The kids can barely contain their excitement. Conaty for NPR Natchaug Elementary first graders Dayshaneliz and Anaelise play with their handmade puppets. The good news is kids can be incredibly resilient, especially when they've got help – like the kind Denoya's first-graders are about to get from a research-backed group of puppeteers. And, in schools across the country last year, that kind of stress followed kids back to class and has led to all kinds of disruptive behaviors. Most at Natchaug come from working-class families and qualify for free or reduced-price meals. One child offers "angry." Another: "sad, because someone took something away from you."įor many children, it was the pandemic that took something away. That's right, Denoya responds, to help with "heavy" feelings. One little girl raises her hand: "Belly-breathing." "Do you remember last week, we worked with our puppets and we learned a new strategy?" Her first-graders sit criss-cross applesauce on the reading rug. Teacher Leticia Denoya stands at the front of her classroom, at Natchaug Elementary in Windham, Conn.
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