Our Curriculum › Social Skills › Grades K–3
Social Skills K-3
A parent-friendly social and emotional course meant to be used across kindergarten through 3rd grade, at the pace that suits the child. It covers naming feelings, calming down, empathy, kind words, friendship, teamwork and good choices, taught with short stories and practice.
180 lessons
One a day for a school year
7 units
Each opens to its lessons
5 calm-down tools
Breathing, counting, squeezing and more
Standards
CASEL social-emotional learning competencies
What's taught, unit by unit
Naming feelings & calm-down toolsDays 1–30
Happy, sad, mad, scared, proud, silly, calm and surprised; where feelings show up in the body; that all feelings are okay. Five calm-down tools: deep breaths, counting, squeeze and release, taking a break and asking a grown-up.
- 1 · Welcome to Feelings
- 2 · Happy and Excited
- 3 · Sad and Disappointed
- 4 · Mad and Frustrated
- 5 · Scared and Worried
- 6 · Calm-Down Tool: Deep Breaths
- 7 · Proud
- 8 · Silly
- 9 · Calm
- 10 · Surprised
- 11 · Where Feelings Live in Your Body
- 12 · Grown-Ups Have Feelings Too
- 13 · Calm-Down Tool: Counting to 5 or 10
- 14 · It's Okay to Feel, It's What You Do That Matters
- 16 · More About Happy and Excited
- 17 · More About Sad and Disappointed
- 18 · More About Mad and Frustrated
- 19 · More About Scared and Worried
- 20 · Calm-Down Tool: Squeeze and Release
- 21 · Proud of Trying
- 22 · Silly Body, Calm Body
- 23 · Good Surprises and Yucky Surprises
- 24 · Your Face Tells a Story
- 25 · Calm-Down Tool: Taking a Break
- 26 · Calm-Down Tool: Asking a Grown-Up for Help
- 27 · Big Feelings Get Smaller
- 28 · So Many Feelings
- 29 · Build Your Calm-Down Toolbox
- 30 · Feelings Detective Graduation
Plus 1 review day, not listed.
Staying calm, routines & goalsDays 31–60
Calming down when plans change, a game goes badly, they have to wait or make a mistake. Morning and bedtime routines, inside voices, patience, setting an I-will-try goal and celebrating small wins. The last five days are review.
- 31 · Using Your Calm-Down Trick When Plans Change
- 32 · Taking a Breath Break When You Are Frustrated
- 33 · What to Do When You Do Not Get Your Way
- 34 · Calming Down When a Game Does Not Go Your Way
- 35 · Using Your Words Instead of a Big Reaction
- 36 · Finding a Calm Spot When You Need One
- 37 · Calming Down After a Mistake
- 38 · Practicing Calm When Your Space Gets Bumped
- 39 · Staying Calm When You Have to Wait
- 41 · Why Mornings Feel Better With a Routine
- 42 · Building Your Own Morning Routine Chart
- 43 · Why Bedtime Routines Help You Sleep
- 44 · What Happens When a Routine Gets Mixed Up
- 45 · Using an Inside Voice
- 46 · Waiting Your Turn Without Wiggling Out
- 47 · Stop and Think Before You Act
- 48 · Patience When Something Is Hard
- 49 · Practicing Patience While You Wait
- 51 · What Is a Goal?
- 52 · Making an I Will Try To Goal
- 53 · Sticking With Something Even When It Is a Little Hard
- 54 · Celebrating Small Wins
- 55 · Trying Again After a Setback
- 58 · Putting It Together: Feelings and Strategies
- 59 · My Self-Management Superpowers
- 60 · Finishing Strong: A Self-Management Celebration
Plus 4 review days, not listed.
Reading others, empathy & fairnessDays 61–90
Reading feelings from faces and bodies, understanding that people feel differently about the same thing, empathy, comforting and including others, fairness, sharing and gratitude. The last six days are review.
- 61 · Feelings Show on Faces
- 62 · Eyebrows and Eyes Give Clues
- 63 · A Smile, a Frown, and Everything Between
- 64 · Slumped Shoulders, Quiet Voice
- 65 · Bouncy and Bright: Excited Bodies
- 66 · Putting the Clues Together
- 67 · Same Thing, Different Feelings
- 68 · Your Sister Isn't Scared of the Dark
- 69 · Different Favorites, Different Feelings
- 70 · Scary for You, Not Scary for Them
- 71 · How Does the New Kid Feel?
- 72 · Everyone Sees It Their Own Way
- 73 · What Is Empathy?
- 74 · Noticing When Someone Needs Help
- 75 · Comforting a Sad Friend
- 76 · Small Acts of Kindness
- 77 · Including Someone Who's Left Out
- 78 · When to Tell a Grown-Up
- 79 · What Does Fair Mean?
- 80 · Taking Turns Is Fair
- 81 · Why Sharing Feels Hard Sometimes
- 82 · Sharing Even When It's Hard
- 83 · Noticing the Good Things
- 84 · Thanking the People Who Help Us
- 90 · Caring About Others: Putting It All Together
Plus 5 review days, not listed.
Words, turns, listening & apologiesDays 91–120
Using words instead of hands, saying stop, asking for a turn, taking turns in games and talking, being a good listener, and giving and accepting real apologies. Ends with four review and check-in days.
- 91 · Use Your Words When You're Upset
- 92 · Say Stop and Mean It
- 93 · Ask For a Turn Instead of Grabbing
- 94 · Finding the Right Words When You're Upset
- 95 · Using a Calm Voice
- 96 · When Words Aren't Enough — Tell a Grown-Up
- 97 · Practice: Words Instead of Hands
- 98 · Taking Turns in Games
- 99 · Waiting Your Turn Without Grabbing
- 100 · Taking Turns Talking
- 101 · Sharing the Attention
- 102 · What to Do While You Wait
- 103 · Taking Turns at Home
- 104 · Practice: Taking Turns Everywhere
- 105 · Looking at the Person Who Is Talking
- 106 · Keeping Your Body Still and Listening
- 107 · Waiting Your Turn to Talk
- 108 · Showing You're Listening
- 109 · Listening Even When It's Hard to Focus
- 110 · Practice: Be a Super Listener
- 111 · What Is a Real Apology?
- 112 · Saying Sorry and Meaning It
- 113 · Making Things Right
- 114 · Sorry Plus an Action
- 115 · Accepting Someone Else's Apology
- 116 · Practice: Sorry and Making It Right
- 119 · Put It All Together — A Kind Day
- 120 · Relationship Skills Check-In
Plus 2 review days, not listed.
Friends, fair play & teamworkDays 121–150
Meeting new kids, asking to play, finding things in common, including someone left out and being a reliable friend. Game rules, winning and losing well, teamwork jobs, and disagreeing kindly. Last seven days review.
- 121 · Saying Hello to Someone New
- 122 · Asking Someone to Play
- 123 · Finding Something in Common
- 124 · Joining a Game Already Started
- 125 · What Makes a Good Friend
- 126 · Including Someone Who Feels Left Out
- 127 · Being a Friend Others Can Count On
- 128 · Cheering for a Friend's Good News
- 129 · Being There for a Friend Having a Hard Day
- 130 · Friend Skills Check-In
- 131 · Why Games Have Rules
- 132 · Playing Fair, Not Cheating
- 133 · Being a Good Winner
- 134 · Being a Good Loser
- 135 · Fair Turns in Games
- 136 · When a Game Feels Unfair
- 137 · What Is Teamwork?
- 138 · Everyone Has a Job on the Team
- 139 · Building Something Together
- 140 · Cheering On Your Team
- 141 · When Teammates See It Differently
- 142 · Being a Helper in a Group
- 143 · Teamwork Check-In
- 144 · A Day at Recess: Putting It All Together
- 149 · My Friendship Toolbox
- 150 · Celebrating Your Relationship Skills
Plus 4 review days, not listed.
Making good choicesDays 151–170
Stop and think, telling the truth, following rules when no one is watching, asking whether a choice is kind and safe, owning mistakes and making them right, keeping promises, and asking a grown-up for help.
- 151 · Big and Small Choices
- 152 · Stop and Think
- 153 · Sharing Is a Choice
- 154 · Telling the Truth Even When It's Hard
- 155 · Rules When No One's Watching
- 156 · Good Choices, Good Feelings
- 157 · When a Choice Doesn't Go So Well
- 158 · Think Before You Act
- 159 · Making It Right
- 160 · Is This Choice Kind?
- 161 · Is This Choice Safe?
- 162 · Being Honest About Mistakes
- 163 · Choosing to Follow Directions
- 164 · Waiting Your Turn
- 165 · Choosing Kind Words
- 166 · When Two Choices Are Both Okay
- 167 · Choosing to Help
- 168 · Keeping a Promise
- 169 · Asking a Grown-Up for Help
- 170 · You Get to Choose Again
Year in review & celebrationDays 171–180
Looking back at feelings, calm-down tools, noticing others, friendship and choices. Three Feel-Think-Choose stories, then naming the five toolkits they now have, and a celebration. No new skills.
- 171 · My Feelings This Year
- 172 · My Calm-Down Tools
- 173 · Noticing Others' Feelings
- 174 · Being a Good Friend
- 175 · Making Good Choices
- 176 · Feel, Think, Choose: A Day at the Park
- 177 · Feel, Think, Choose: A Mix-Up at School
- 178 · Feel, Think, Choose: Sharing with a Friend
- 179 · Your Social Skills Toolkit
- 180 · Celebrating a Year of Growing
By the end of the year, your child can
- Name their own feelings and say how they feel in their body
- Use a calm-down tool such as deep breaths or counting when a feeling gets big
- Notice how someone else feels and respond kindly
- Use words instead of hands, take turns, and listen to a friend
- Give a real apology and help make things right
- Stop and think before making a choice and tell the truth about a mistake