TOOLKIT

SHANKER SELF-REG TOOLS - the Early Years

Turn chaos into clarity. See behaviour differently. Respond with confidence.
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Snapshot
• Format: Digital toolkit • Downloadable • Use at your own pace
• Length: 91 pages of early-years tools, stories, checklists, guides, and reflection supports
• Designed for: ECEs, early learning teams, childcare providers, early intervention staff, and anyone working with children birth–8
• Access: One digital copy with permission to download and print one personal copy
• Group licensing: Available at info@self-reg.ca
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Why This Toolkit

Early childhood educators understand something many people don’t:

Behaviour in the early years is fast, raw, and profoundly relational.

A shift in tone can calm a storm.
 A mistimed transition can spark chaos.
 A child’s meltdown can light up our own nervous system.
 And underneath it all, stress — theirs and ours — is always shaping what we see.

ECEs keep telling us:

“I get Self-Reg. I believe in it. I just need tools that fit early childhood.”

Tools that honour:
  • the power of the Interbrain,
  • the reality of co-regulation,
  • the sensory richness of early learning environments,
  • the uniqueness of temperament, attachment, and personality,
  • and the emotional intensity of toddlers and preschoolers.

That’s exactly why this toolkit exists.

It doesn’t replace the science or courses.
 It brings that science to life in the real moments that fill your day — drop-off, big feelings, peer conflict, toileting, snack time, transitions, parallel play, group time, outdoor bursts, and everything in between.

Inside You’ll Find

A practical, early-years–specific collection of tools, guides, stories, and examples, including:
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  • A powerful early childhood story about connection, humility, and limbic resonance — written to ground the toolkit in the lived heart of ECE.
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  • Tools for reframing “That Kid” by looking at stressors across the 5 Domains from a young child’s point of view.
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  • Stress-to-behaviour reframing lists (e.g., “clingy” → seeking connection; “always sick” → stress showing up in the body).
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  • Early childhood Interbrain tools that help you understand and strengthen the “wireless connection” between educator and child.
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  • Cueing S.A.F.E.T.Y. guides that support smoother co-regulation in the heat of the moment.
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  • Transition tools that reduce tears, resistance, and overwhelm during the hardest parts of the day.
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  • Stress-recognition guides written specifically for early learning
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  • Self-awareness and reflection tools for ECEs — because our energy and tension matter just as much as theirs.
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  • Temperament, attachment, and personality reframing tools that honour individual differences rather than labelling children.
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  • Triune Brain (Self-Reg lens) tools that make brain science accessible without oversimplifying.
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  • Red Brain / Blue Brain balance supports to help identify and respond to dysregulation states.
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  • Play-based insights into what we can learn from children’s play around the world.
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  • 50 Ways to Take a Break — simple, sensory, realistic strategies for young children and ECEs.
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  • Early Learning Environment Checklists for sensory, social, emotional, and physical safety.
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  • Dos and Don’ts for early learning environments that reduce hidden stressors.
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  • 5-Practice Self-Reg Portraits — individual and group versions, with early-years examples.
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  • WINDOWs Model tools (W, I, N, D, O, W) that help educators look deeper at patterns, narratives, and development.
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  • Child development reflection tools (What? So What? Now What?).
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  • Stressors Through a Child’s Eyes — written specifically for young learners.
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  • North Stars & Values tools to anchor your pedagogy and practice.
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  • Self-Reg Rubrics and Check-In pages to support reflective teams.
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  • Conversation starters to bridge Self-Reg and child-led learning.
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  • Thayer Matrix examples adapted for early childhood roles and settings.
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  • Haven “5 Look Fors” to help create safer, more connected room environments.
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Every page reflects the real work of ECEs — the emotional labour, the attunement, the physical demands, the relational power, and the profound impact of early learning environments.

You’ll Walk Away With

  • A new way of seeing children’s behaviour — softer, clearer, more compassionate
  • Tools that help you shift from reacting to responding
  • Strategies for smoother transitions and calmer group moments
  • A deeper understanding of temperament, attachment, and personality
  • Ways to reduce stressors (yours and theirs) before behaviour escalates
  • Supports for co-regulation, attunement, and cueing safety
  • Reflection tools that protect your energy, clarity, and well-being
  • A more confident, intuitive feel for how the 5 Steps of Self-Reg live in early learning
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This toolkit won’t stop children from having big feelings.
 But it will give you the tools to navigate those moments with clarity, compassion, and connection.

Who This Toolkit Is For

This toolkit is designed for anyone supporting children in the early years, including:
   Early childhood educators (ECEs/RECEs)
   Childcare providers and early learning teams
   Home visitors, family support workers, and early intervention staff
   Resource consultants, coaches, and program leads
   ECE students, practicum learners, and new graduates
   Parents and caregivers of young children
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If your work involves tiny humans, co-regulation, play, early learning environments, or navigating big feelings — this toolkit was created for you.