For many children, childhood is not a carefree time full of laughter, play, and love. It can often be a time of trauma, abuse, and maltreatment. These traumatic events can lead to depression, defiance, hyperactivity, anxiety, and a host of other symptoms that can make learning and development difficult, if not impossible.
While trained therapists and social workers are essential in supporting children affected by trauma, it isn’t their responsibility alone. In fact, it’s the ongoing, daily interactions with loving, emotionally responsive, and caring adults that play a key role in their healing.
As an early childhood educator, you're often the first person to see children outside the home. According to Barbara Sorrels, Ed.D., author of Reaching and Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma, you play a crucial role in recognizing signs of trauma and responding appropriately.
But understanding your role is just the first step. Trauma-informed teaching equips you to respond in ways that foster trust, security, and a sense of belonging.
Continue reading to learn more about trauma-informed teaching. You’ll also discover eight products and resources that will empower you to lead your classroom with empathy, compassion, and consistency, ensuring every child feels safe, supported, and prepared to learn.
The numbers reveal a stark reality. About 26% of children in the U.S. experience trauma before age 4, according to a study published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress. Unfortunately, this means many children in your classroom have likely faced neglect, abuse, or other forms of maltreatment. According to Dr. Sorrels, trauma can hinder a child's capacity to deal with stress and recover. Or, in other words, it can disrupt their ability to self-regulate. These children often have intense emotional reactions, difficulty focusing, and trouble following directions.
That's why trauma-informed teaching matters. It creates an environment where children feel safe enough to calm down, focus, and learn. This teaching style emphasizes collaboration, choice, and empowerment while honoring each child’s unique experiences and identity.
This approach doesn't just hone in on children's trauma or challenges. It focuses on children's strengths, resilience, and protective factors—including caring relationships, cultural connections, personal interests, and natural abilities. Educators recognize that challenging behaviors often stem from unmet needs rather than defiance, and they respond with patience, consistency, and support.
When done well, trauma-informed teaching transforms the classroom into a space where healing can happen alongside learning.
Need help identifying and intervening in cases of neglect? Check out The Neglected Child: How to Recognize, Respond, and Prevent for expert tips on spotting warning signs, stepping in safely, and taking effective action.
Building a trauma-informed classroom begins with selecting tools and materials that help children feel safe, supported, and prepared to learn. The following products can help create that kind of environment for children affected by trauma.
According to Dr. Sorrels, "a healing environment is a play-based environment." Trauma-informed teaching begins with a curriculum that centers on rich, open-ended, child-initiated play.
Play therapy has long been recognized as a tool to help children heal. According to Reaching and Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma, authentic play can help children:
For example, when children build with blocks, they practice planning and problem-solving. They also experience the satisfaction of bringing order to chaos. During dramatic play in the housekeeping center, children can work through difficult emotions by caring for baby dolls or taking charge of family scenarios.
A play-based curriculum provides a framework for rich, meaningful play experiences that support both learning and healing.
Check out the Connect4Learning Pre-K Curriculum®, an interdisciplinary, research-based program that promotes learning through play. In a full-day Connect4Learning classroom, at least 50% of the daily schedule is spent on learning center time and free play, which foster high-order thinking, problem-solving skills, and cooperation.
Children affected by trauma often struggle with self-regulation. According to Dr. Sorrels, it's as if they're trying to drive a car with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. The gas pedal is always pressed to the floor, and they struggle to recover from stress and return to calm before the next challenge arises.
Sensory tools and toys offer children healthy ways to manage their big feelings and enter a state of calm. These tools engage the senses in ways that can help children self-regulate and return to a state where learning is possible.
Examples of helpful sensory tools include:
Place these tools at children's desks to enhance focus during learning activities, or in quiet corners for self-regulation. You can also place them in movement areas to help children release excess energy in a healthy way.
Children affected by trauma need consistent exposure to activities that modify their reactions to stress. In her book, Helping Them Heal: How Teachers Can Support Young Children Who Experience Stress and Trauma, author Karen L. Peterson, PhD, suggests that when children practice calming their bodies and minds, they’re better equipped to handle big, overwhelming moments. These calming skills also make it easier for them to notice what’s happening around them and respond to sensory and social cues in positive ways.
Yoga and mindfulness are excellent tools for helping children strengthen these skills. Through gentle movement and breathing techniques, they can calm their bodies, focus their minds, and feel grounded during stressful moments.
Start with a few essential resources and materials to bring yoga and mindfulness to your classroom:
The Bari Koral Yoga, Music, and Movement Set, developed by children’s music artist and yoga expert Bari Koral, features engaging activities, songs, and movements to teach yoga and mindfulness to preschoolers and young children.
Your dramatic play center gives children affected by trauma a safe space to work through difficult experiences and practice new ways of responding to challenges. As Dr. Sorrels states in her book, it serves as a therapeutic setting to help them safely process the anxiety, fear, and sadness they may carry due to a traumatic experience.
When setting up your dramatic play center, observe children and listen to their conversations to understand what is on their minds. Use these insights to inform the themes and items for the center. Some examples include:
During dramatic play, look out for themes that may signal trauma, like a child speaking harshly to a doll, reenacting aggression with peers, or role-playing distressing scenarios. This is an excellent opportunity for children to explore and process their feelings about a challenging experience.
Manipulatives are hands-on tools that build motor skills, problem-solving skills, spatial skills, and early math skills. Think blocks, counting bears, or stacking rings. Beyond learning, these tools help children affected by trauma relax, self-regulate, and gain confidence as they master tasks at their own pace.
Two types of manipulatives serve different needs:
Open manipulatives, such as LEGO® sets and magnetic tiles, can be arranged and rearranged in endless creative ways. They give children affected by trauma a sense of control. Children are empowered to bring order to chaos—even from something as simple as a scattered pile of Lego bricks.
Closed manipulatives, like puzzles and nesting cups, have a clear start and finish. Children usually prefer these tools because they provide a sense of accomplishment with minimal effort.
Manipulatives help children affected by trauma explore safely, practice problem-solving, and build confidence in a low-stakes environment. The repetitive, focused nature of working with manipulatives can also be calming and help children regulate their emotions.
Art provides a powerful outlet for children who may not have the words to express their experiences or emotions. For children affected by trauma, art supplies offer a safe way to communicate what might be too difficult to say out loud.
Children from challenging backgrounds often need opportunities to regain their voice, and art can provide this outlet. Through drawing, painting, sculpting, and creating, children can:
Consider providing open-ended art activities rather than craft projects with set outcomes. Creating space for spontaneous expression can spark creativity and deeper self-discovery. For children who are less comfortable with open-ended creation, you can offer prompts that encourage self-expression:
Keep in mind that art may also evoke difficult emotions or depict past trauma or maltreatment. In a family portrait, for example, a child may draw their parent or grandparent with an angry face. Art can help you pinpoint children experiencing trauma and spark discussions about their feelings, experiences, and safe ways to cope.
7. Books on developing resilience
Stories are powerful tools for helping children see characters that face similar fears and challenges, inspiring courage, hope, and new ways of thinking and behaving. According to Dr. Sorrels, reading stories gives children space to process and make sense of their lives in small, manageable pieces.
When choosing books for the classroom, include a wide selection on specific topics, such as:
Two excellent examples of books that can help children see and process their own experiences include:
Mean Soup, which shows that bad days can happen to anyone, and there are safe, constructive ways to deal with not-so-good feelings. The story validates children's difficult emotions while modeling healthy coping strategies.
Owl Babies, a story written to help children see that others struggle with separation from people they love. This story can be especially comforting for children who experience frequent separations or live in unstable situations.
Explore Kaplan's collection of tools for developing resilience to find books that address the specific needs of children in your classroom.
Children affected by trauma need environments that feel safe, predictable, and nurturing—things that may be disrupted at home. Creating a home-like classroom atmosphere can positively impact their behavior, focus, self-regulation, and ability to learn.
When children feel unsafe, their brains focus on survival rather than learning. A cozy, inviting environment signals safety and allows children to relax enough to engage in learning activities. This type of environment can help children:
Consider adding furniture that creates home-like spaces in your classroom, such as:
You can also use these furniture pieces to create a “calming corner” that provides a retreat for all children, including those affected by trauma. Stock it with soft furnishings and soothing materials, like stress balls, coloring books, and plush animals. Encourage children to use this space when they feel overwhelmed, sad, or anxious, helping them learn to manage emotions even in chaotic moments.
Creating a trauma-informed classroom isn't about having perfect materials or following a specific curriculum. It's about understanding that some children require extra support to feel safe enough to learn. From a play-based curriculum to cozy furniture, the right products can help foster an environment that balances learning with emotional safety and support.
Every child deserves a classroom that feels safe, supportive, and healing. By pairing trauma-informed teaching with thoughtfully selected items, you're creating a better learning experience for children affected by trauma. You're also playing a pivotal role in shaping their future, giving them the tools and support to process experiences, practice self-regulation, and develop critical skills for school and life.
To ensure you’re giving every child the support, encouragement, and care they need, browse our social-emotional mini catalog!