Hey Reader!

When big emotions take over your classroom—meltdowns, refusals, or power struggles—it’s easy to feel like you’re just trying to survive. But these moments are actually powerful opportunities to shape the very architecture of a child’s brain.

Today, we’re sharing a quick, practical guide to using a whole-brain approach in your classroom—helping children integrate their right-brain emotions with their left-brain logic so they can return to calm.

WHY IT MATTERS

Young children—especially three and under—are right-brain dominant, meaning they experience the world mostly through emotion, sensation, and non-verbal cues. When they’re upset, they can’t access logic or reasoning yet. They need connection first, instruction second. So, when there is a meltdown, a moment of upset, or a tantrum, here are two strategies to try:

1. CONNECT & REDIRECT

This is one of the most effective tools you can use every day.

Step 1: Connect (Right Brain to Right Brain)

Before you give directions or teach a lesson, pause and meet the child emotionally.

• Validation: “You’re really upset because you didn’t get a turn. That makes sense.”
• Empathy: Calm voice, soft face, slow body movements.
• Non-verbal connection: Sit beside them, offer a gentle touch (if appropriate).

Remember: Validate to deflate. Once a child feels understood, the intensity of the emotion begins to subside.

Step 2: Redirect (Engage the Left Brain)

Once the child is calmer, offer structure and solutions.

• Simple problem-solving: “Let’s figure out a plan together.”
• Logical next steps: “Blocks will be here tomorrow. How about you choose them first when you come in?”
• Repair and responsibility: Help them make amends or try again.

Avoid distraction (“Who wants a snack?”), which stops the behavior but doesn’t build skills.

2. NAME IT TO TAME IT

Help children understand and organize their big feelings by putting words to them.

• Invite the story: “Tell me what happened.”
• Label the feeling: “It sounds like you felt scared when the tower fell.”
• Make meaning: “Your body felt tight, and that was your brain saying you needed help.”

This helps the left brain organize what the right brain is feeling—reducing overwhelm and building emotional vocabulary. You’re bringing logic and reasoning (left-brain) around the emotion (right-brain) and creating an integrated neural pathway!

As Christian educators, we’re not just managing behavior—we’re discipling hearts. When we connect before we correct, we help children grow the neural pathways they need for emotional health, problem-solving, and self-control. These day-to-day moments of connection are kingdom work, shaping the hearts and minds of the children God has entrusted to us.

If you’d like to dig a little deeper into The Whole-Brain Child, you can order the book on Amazon HERE or you can check out one of our on-demand courses that is based on content from the book HERE.

Cheering you on this week!

-Your ECCN team

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