Adapting Social Emotional Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports for Kindergarten Classrooms

Abstract

This conceptual article describes key considerations for elementary school personnel to ensure social emotional multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) are adapted for kindergarten classrooms. Kindergarten represents a unique developmental period of early childhood when 5 to 6-year-old children transition into formal schooling and experience a learning environment that places greater emphasis on children’s independence, adherence to routines, and academic goals. This increase in demands may place stress on children’s social emotional competencies. School personnel may find existing practices associated with their elementary schools’ social emotional MTSS have not been adapted to meet the developmental needs of kindergarteners; this article describes ways to adapt existing universal, targeted, and intensive social emotional supports for kindergarten. Key considerations for administrative personnel are presented.