VEYLDF Alignment
Item uses these practice principles: Reflective practice, Partnerships with families, High expectations for every child, Integrated teaching and learning approaches.
Item responds to these sub-outcomes: Children become strong in their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Description
The Kimochis® aims to give children the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to recognise and manage their emotions, demonstrate care and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations constructively.
The Kimochis® consists of three components:
The Kimochis® characters: teach children how we are like each other, different to each other, and provides them with opportunities to practice tools that help to identify how to play and work with others, and with those who we find challenging to be around.
Feelings pillow: help to expand children’s daily operational vocabulary and understanding of a range of positive and negative feelings, and practise using tools to make these feelings bigger and smaller.
The Kimochis® Keys to Communication: help children explicitly practice good communication to facilitate conversations about big feelings.
The program includes a one-day professional development workshop in relation to the Kimochis® tools, keys to communication, common language, and evidence base, to enable educators to facilitate explicit and incidental social and emotional learning opportunities with children. Educators are encouraged to look for ways to include families in daily conversations about the tools and children’s feelings, as well as to look for ways to provide opportunities for whole families to explore and experience Kimochis®.
Additional implementation support can be provided to sites who have previously accessed the Kimochis® program. Support includes additional coaching, debrief, demonstrations, and follow up PD workshops, to support educators delivering sessions with feedback provided.
Training for The Kimochis® can be offered in-person or online.
Detailed Costs
Full-day open workshop: $260 per participant (including GST)
Full-day onsite workshop: $1650 - $2650 (including GST), depending on size of group, plus reimbursement of travel costs for presenter/facilitator (flights excluding activities of daily living, accommodation, car hire)
Additional implementation support: $1650 - $2650 (including GST), depending on size of group, plus reimbursement of travel costs for presenter/facilitator (flights excluding activities of daily living, accommodation, car hire). An hourly rate of $330 per hour (incl. GST) is also available.
Kimochis® Early Childhood Tool Kit: $950 (including GST).
Please note, the Kimochis® Early Childhood Tool Kit cannot be purchased as a standalone resource through SRF, and must be in purchased as an addition to the professional development workshops offered by this provider.
Implementation Considerations
Target population: Educators of children up to six years of age.
Program/practice descriptions and details: The provider offers the Kimochis Early Childhood Tool Kit which includes the five core characters, a mixed bag of feelings, and an early childhood curriculum.
Program adaptability: training workshops are delivered in person in Melbourne at least once per term during the year and can be arranged in key regional areas. Online workshops are also available.
Staffing: services should consider the cost of backfill in determining the cost of accessing this training.
Factors to consider: educators should consider having Kimochis® tools available for use immediately after the workshop. The provider recommends using one Kimochis® Early Childhood Tool Kit per room per site and attending follow-up workshops when necessary.
Supervision/Coaching: ongoing coaching and advice are provided via email, phone and zoom where possible to all participants or sites who have attended the initial workshop. Follow-up workshops are available to meet individual needs.
Australian experience: The provider works with kindergartens and schools across Australia, including Victoria.
Tools and systems: educators will need access to internet connection for the online components (e.g., online workshop, ongoing coaching and advice).
Priority Area
Wellbeing (social and emotional)
Strength of Evidence
Level 4 - Emerging research evidence