Activities for Building Character and Social-Emotional Learning PreK–K, Book and CD

Description

In Activities for Building Character and Social-Emotional Learning, hundreds of user-friendly lesson plans help teachers build attitudes of respect and caring, reduce problem behaviors, empower students to solve problems, and educate the whole child socially, emotionally, and academically. The lessons’ literature-based connections allow teachers to “build in” rather than “add on” social-emotional learning (SEL) as part of the daily curriculum. The four teacher resources in the Safe & Caring Schools® series can also be implemented as a schoolwide preK–8 program. Each resource guide offers: Monthly themes focused on emotions, empathy, relationships, conflict resolution, bullying prevention, problem solving, decision making, teamwork, and self-esteem Easy-to-implement lesson formats for all activities: Read, Discuss, Do, Relate Literature-based lessons with curriculum integrations for using the lessons as part of language arts, social studies, science, math, art, and music Built-in assessments Reproducible activity handouts in the book and on CD-ROM Grade-grouped materials (PreK–K, Grades 1–2, Grades 3–5, Grades 6–8) include helpful tips for organizing a schoolwide program Available staff training, contact help4kids@freespirit.com Use the PreK–K Guide to teach young children positive life skills through daily practice. The activities teach the whole child by allowing them to be curious, active, imaginative, and part of the learning process. This guide helps teachers work within a framework toward specific goals, but also encourages them to be creative in helping children express themselves. Themes developed during the year: Learning about me and my safe and caring school Discovering my feelings and the feelings of others Caring people Respect for myself and others Bullying Cooperation Getting along with others Making good choices My talents and the things I can do Field-tested in classrooms across the United States, the Safe & Caring Schools system when fully implemented has resulted in improved school climate, greater parent engagement, increased academic achievement, and reduction in discipline referrals. The teacher resources support the standards from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) for the infusion of social and emotional learning into the classroom. Those key competencies are: Awareness of Self and Others, Positive Attitudes and Values, Responsible Decision Making, and Social Interaction Skills. In addition, the material correlates with standards for social studies, language arts, health, and other areas of the curriculum. The Activities for Building Character and Social-Emotional Learning teacher resources are essential tools for all preK–8 teachers. “It is not only our jobs as counselors, teachers, and administrators to help foster social skills, it is absolutely the number one priority we need to be looking at right now. And Safe & Caring Schools helps us do that. It makes our job that much easier.”—School Counselor