The KidConnect Classroom App was designed to help students develop emotional regulation and improve behavior. It provides students with effective strategies to identify, understand, and manage their emotions so they are ready to learn to the best of their ability. The app is built based on Cognitive Behavioral Theory and teaches students to pair their behavior with their emotions. It works in-the-moment to directly address behavioral incidents and help kids build new social-emotional skills and strategies. Importantly, a student can work on the KidConnect Classroom App in a self-directed fashion without being removed from the classroom, and also without disrupting peers. When a behavior incident occurs, the teacher will have the individual student work through the exercise quietly on the iPad while instruction continues for the other students. It is non-verbal, so the student does not have to be embarrassed by discussing the incident with peers.
Formats:
KidConnect Classroom App is available for the iPad. The KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum can be purchased through Amazon.
Website: https://www.teachemotionalregulation.com/kidconnect
What does KidConnect help with?
KidConnect provides the resources that help teach students to identify, understand, and manage their emotions and behaviors. Using KidConnect, students gain emotional understanding, self-management, and strategies to make good decisions in school, at home, and in life.
Age Range:
KidConnect is primarily used in K-6 classrooms and special education programs, though it has also been used in middle and high schools.
Purpose:
We know that emotions drive behavior and until students learn to identify, understand, and manage their emotions, they won’t be truly ready to learn. In the KidConnect approach, students are given the keys to drive their own behavior, leading to a deeper understanding of emotions and lasting improvements to emotional regulation. Educator- and expert-created resources include an iPad app for individual in-the-moment intervention, classroom curriculum to teach emotional regulation skills to all students, and additional teacher resources and communication tools that get you started and keep you going. It is effective as a supplemental SEL instruction and intervention program in general classrooms, or for students with special needs.
Subject:
KidConnect is a comprehensive SEL delivery system that features both KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum for proactive SEL instruction and KidConnect Classroom App, an in-the-moment intervention solution, that equips all students with the skills necessary for successful emotional regulation.
Time needed:
The KidConnect Classroom App works in-the-moment to directly address behavioral incidents and help kids build new social-emotional skills and strategies. Importantly, the student can work on the app without being removed from the classroom, and without disrupting peers.
The KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum adds the element of regular SEL instruction for the entire class. The curriculum divides the process of healthy emotional regulation into four navigable units that include 26 interactive lessons that teach the skills needed to learn emotional regulation.
Pricing model:
The KidConnect Classroom App is available for purchase through the Apple App Store. Pricing starts at $99 per year, per iPad, with a 50% discount when your school or district purchases 20 or more licenses.
The KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum is available for individual purchase through Amazon, at a price of $199 per teacher. This includes 4 units to teach emotional regulation, 26 interactive lessons, and guiding questions to develop an Emotional Journal.
The Connections Model also offers the KidConnect Pilot program, which provides access to both the Classroom App and Ready2Learn Curriculum for 10 teachers. Contact the team for more information.
The KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum is available for individual purchase through Amazon:
Included services:
The KidConnect Classroom App is a service in of itself! The app is self-directed for students to use after a behavior incident so they can identify the behavior in the moment, along with the emotions that caused it.
Each of the four units in the KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum is comprised of a variety of interactive, easy-to-use lesson plans and activities that provide the scope and sequence of emotional regulation to showcase the fluid relationship between each unit. To help facilitate this learning process, the curriculum also includes instructions and guiding questions for students to create an Emotional Journal, where they can begin to record connections between their daily schedule and activities, along with the associated emotions and behaviors that occurred.
Teachers can gain additional support for both the app and curriculum using the KidConnect Clubhouse, where The Connections Model team provides practical ideas, classroom exercises, and "How-to-Guides" to support successful use of KidConnect to teach emotional regulation.
What makes KidConnect unique?
The first of its kind and unlike anything else available, KidConnect provides students with effective strategies to identify, understand, and manage their emotions so they are ready to learn to the best of their ability. The specific focus on supporting emotional regulation to help students improve their behavior differentiates KidConnect from broader, less specifically-focused SEL programs. The combination of the Ready2Learn Curriculum and Classroom App creates a comprehensive SEL delivery system that features both proactive instruction and in-the-moment intervention.
Characteristics:
The KidConnect App, which is available for the iPad, is a versatile, responsive solution that gives teachers the ability to intervene with individual students in the moment of a behavioral incident caused by emotional dysregulation. Using the app, the student (independently or with assistance) works through a series of screens to identify the emotion that caused the behavior, understand it better, and adopt positive strategies to get back on track and ready to learn.
The Ready2Learn Curriculum adds the element of regular SEL instruction for the entire class, with an emphasis on emotional skill-building to improve each student’s ability to manage emotions and behaviors. This skill set will lay the foundation for students to achieve both self-awareness and social awareness, build healthy relationships, and make good decisions. The curriculum divides the process of healthy emotional regulation into four navigable units that include: building an emotional vocabulary, making connections between emotions and behaviors, learning strategies to manage emotions, and practicing a variety of mindfulness techniques. To help facilitate this learning process, the curriculum also includes instructions and guiding questions for students to create an Emotional Journal, where they can begin to record connections between their daily schedule and activities, along with the associated emotions and behaviors that occurred.
Learn more about the user interface by watching this 90-second demo video: https://youtu.be/g5XYXDd70-0
Here’s what users are saying:
“The KidConnect Classroom app has made a huge difference in the lives of my students and my classroom. Working with kids who have emotional and behavioral issues can be challenging. As a teacher, I needed to find something to help them that could be easy, quick and effective but would actually help them. KidConnect is student-driven and kids can use it on their own to understand their emotions and what leads to their behaviors. Using the App they learn other ways to manage their emotions and their behavior changes! The app enabled me to support the students that as a teacher I was unable to really help without a major time commitment or support from other teachers. I was amazed at how fast students learn new skills and have a noticeable and positive change in their behavior. I don’t believe this change would have occurred without KidConnect.”
- Caroline, MA, originally shared via eSchool News
“A really new and innovative way to support kids. We love it!”
- Taylor, MS
“We tried it with one student and then wanted it for everyone in the classroom.”
- Bethany, IL
