Note to the trainer: Discuss how moving beyond general words such as “angry” or “sad” by developing an “emotional vocabulary” can be a key to resolving a child’s difficulty. Use a case example to show how a rich emotional vocabulary among participants can help children resolve cognitive confusion more quickly.
Method: Questions and answers and interactive discussion.
Materials: Whiteboard.
1. The importance of labelling: The trainer introduces the RULER stage of “Labelling” using the following statements:
“When we find a precise and clear name for an emotion, the brain automatically begins to move from emotional mode towards problem-solving mode. There is a major difference between a child merely saying ‘I am angry’ and saying ‘I feel excluded/frustrated right now’. Therefore, the richer our vocabulary related to emotions, the more easily we can name the emotion we are experiencing.”
2. Vocabulary enrichment exercise: Write “ANGRY” and “BAD” in capital letters on the board.
Ask participants to generate more specific intermediate words that children could use instead (for example, jealous, disappointed, offended or treated unfairly).