Words Matter: Enhancing Children’s Communication Skills Through Social-Emotional Learning with Katie Plunkett

On today's episode, host Dr. Carla Marie Manley, a clinical psychologist and author from Sonoma County, California, talks to Katie Plunkett, a fourth-grade classroom teacher and entrepreneur. This episode provides valuable information to help families improve their communication and emotional well-being.

 

Episode Highlights

• 01:19: Dr. Carla Marie Manley asks Katie Plunkett to share more about herself and what makes her unique. Katie explains that she is a full-time fourth-grade classroom teacher and expresses her love for teaching.
• 02:06: Katie explains that she benefited from many self-help resources designed for adults but couldn't find similar content suitable for kids.
• 02:25: Katie highlights the scarcity of mental health professionals in schools and the privilege of having access to them.
• 03:04: Katie defined social-emotional learning as explicitly teaching social skills to children in the classroom and providing them with the language to express their emotions. This helps them engage in conversations about their feelings, work through their emotions, and understand that what they're experiencing is normal.
• 04:53: Social-emotional learning involves helping children understand and manage their evolving emotions and social interactions as they grow and develop their identities.
• 06:22: Dr. Carla and Katie demonstrated how social-emotional learning can be implemented through interactive and engaging activities that help children develop problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
• 07:15: Katie shares examples that illustrate how simple activities can foster emotional awareness and communication skills in children, helping them navigate their emotions and social interactions effectively.
• 08:17: Dr. Carla highlights the challenges some parents may face when trying to engage their children in social-emotional learning activities at home.
• 09:20: The discussion highlights the effectiveness of using picture books as a tool for initiating conversations about emotions and social interactions with children.
• 09:27: In this segment of the podcast, Dr. Carla emphasized the accessibility of using picture books to teach social-emotional learning concepts to children of various ages, from young children to teenagers.
• 11:50: Dr. Carla and Katie highlight the importance of emotional awareness and the role it plays in effective communication. It sets the stage for discussing practical tips to enhance children's communication skills.
• 12:40: Katie highlights the significance of setting a positive example and actively engaging in meaningful conversations with children to foster their communication skills.
• 13:08: Dr. Carla and Katie discuss effective communication with children, particularly the importance of asking open-ended questions to encourage meaningful conversation.
• 16:03: Katie shares her perspective on children's mental health, considering the challenges and negativity often associated with it.
• 20:04: Dr. Carla emphasized the long-term payoffs, including improved communication and social-emotional development.

 

3 Key Points

1. Dr. Carla and Katie emphasize the importance of using effective questioning techniques to encourage children to share their thoughts and experiences more openly, ultimately fostering better communication between parents and children.
2. Dr. Carla and Katie talk about the importance of limiting screen time for children and the benefits of doing so.
3. Katie talks about her upcoming book, scheduled to be released late next summer or early fall, which will focus on effective communication with children and integrating social-emotional skills into conversations.

Tweetable Quotes

• “Children learn not only from the information they're presented but also from the behavior and actions of adults.” - Katie Plunkett
• “In today's busy world, families may not have the time to delve into extensive reading or research. Therefore, they aim to provide quick and actionable solutions that can be easily implemented by parents and caregivers.” - Katie Plunkett
• “Open-ended questions are key to getting more meaningful responses from children.” - Katie Plunkett

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families Be Happy Podcast Apple
• thecalmclassroom.org
• Podcast Editing