The Calming Kit
Support self-awareness, self-regulation, and social emotional development as a critical foundation for success in school and in life, while creating a more harmonious classroom environment.
As the prevalence of childhood anxiety and other trauma-related behavioral issues have risen throughout the years, The Discovery Source founder Dave Scahill became increasingly concerned about the impact of unaddressed mental health issues in early childhood on future college, career, and life readiness success. Knowing that early childhood is the best time to create a foundation for positive mental health habits, Dave sought to seek a solution to better teach children about their feelings and emotions, and how to manage them in a positive way. In partnership with the Santa Clara County CA Office of Education, The Calming Kit was born!
The concept behind The Calming Kit is simple – young children experience big emotions, but lack the vocabulary and self-regulation skills to manage their emotions effectively. Often, as a result, they act out. These “outbursts” can be disruptive to the classroom environment – eroding teacher effectiveness, learner preparedness, and the classroom community as a whole. Similarly, young learners – especially those in vulnerable populations – need social emotional support the most, but can be the hardest to reach. Children that experience ongoing stress and anxiety become challenged to build relationships, interact positively with peers, and be open to learning and curiosity.
Available in English and Spanish, The Calming Kit is a highly-effective tool – while remaining simple and straightforward to implement in a classroom or home setting – designed to support teachers and families as they help children learn essential strategies to identify, understand, and regulate their emotions. Through these strategies, children are able to better understand their complex feelings, ask for help, and learn to manage feelings on their own. The result is less anxious, happier children that are better prepared to engage, interact, and develop a lifelong love for learning.
The Calming Kit
The Family Calming Kit
Why the Calming Kit?
Available in English and Spanish
to support developmentally appropriate social emotional learning for each and every child.
Effective, long-lasting self-regulation strategies
support success in school and in life.
A calmer classroom
and a strengthened classroom community.
Straightforward and intuitive
for ease of implementation
Extends social emotional competence into the home easily
for online learning environments.
Learn how The Calming Kit helped transform classroom interactions and environments.
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Great product! It came to me at a time that I was searching for something exciting to add to a ‘trauma’ training for teachers. It’s nice to add to ‘the behavioral toolbox’ with such wonderful materials that will be useful in the classroom.
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The Calming Kit has been extremely effective in our preschool classrooms. The children are learning to manage their behaviors and use the tools taught from the Calming Kit.
—Training & Curriculum Specialist (Navy Child & Youth Program)
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The children are really responding to the strategies and the tools provided. They have learned how to use these strategies and are doing them on their own when upset. The lesson guide is excellent for guiding teachers and easy to implement in the classroom.
What kind of organizations can benefit from The Calming Kit?
School Districts
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Santa Clara County Office of Education
New York City Schools
Military Programs
Navy Region Southwest-
Child & Youth Programs
Naval Base Guam
Non-profits and Community Organizations
First 5 Santa Clara
Early Learning Coalition of Polk County
The Childrens Trust & The Childrens Forum
Head Start and Early Head Start Programs
Pacific Clinics Head Start
Preschool Services Head Start
Parent/Child Incorporated of San Antonio
Families
Healthier Kids Foundation
San Diego Stare University & The Price Foundation
Impacts and Outcomes
All types of early childhood programs across the country have successfully implemented The Calming Kit with noticeable, measureable results. The Calming Kit has been proven to reduce conflicts in the classroom – especially during frequent and challenging transition times – decreasing instances of teacher interventions and office referrals.
Educators report spending less time pivoting and correcting, and more time individualizing instruction and building relationships with the children in their care. Parents and families report a more natural, seamless way to teach social emotional skills and manage emotions in the home. Children using The Calming Kit are more prepared to learn and reach their full potential each day.
Through The Calming Kit, The Discovery Source supports each and every child’s social emotional development as a foundation for future success.
Learning about feelings and emotions, and how to identify and manage them, is a critical component of social emotional development that begins early and continues on throughout a child’s academic career and later, their adult life. When children learn to understand and self-regulate their emotions positively, they lower feelings of stress and anxiety, feel more safe and supported, engage more productively with peers and friends, and are ultimately better prepared to learn. Learn more about The Discovery Source and The Calming Kit by clicking below.