But she didn't need to. The children had recently sharpened up theirsocial and emotional skills as part of a government programme. Thisincluded help on problem-solving from two toddler-sized puppets.
"One chap piped up, well let's see how Wally and Molly would solve thisso the teacher was able to step back and the children sorted it outthemselves," says Stuart Goodall, acting head of access and inclusion atCumbria County Council's children's services.
Goodall is unsurprised that education secretary Alan Johnson has hintedthat the Government intends to build on the Social and Emotional Aspectsof Learning (Seal) programme (Children Now, 26 July-1 August). "I don'tthink we teach children the sorts of words to describe how they'refeeling," says Goodall. "So a child might think that they're angry butin fact they might be upset, frustrated or anxious. It helps childrendevelop a vocabulary of feelings and at the same time develop their owntechniques for dealing with them."
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