Second Step in the Early Childhood Classroom Presented by Alecia - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Second Step in the Early Childhood Classroom

Presented by Alecia Probst (Blended Early Childhood Teacher) & Maggie Michels (Social Worker)

Social-Emotional Learning in Preschool

• Preschool is all about learning how to be a

part of a school community - how to learn and how to be a good friend.

○ We work directly with students to be able to attend to lessons, engage with peers, and work through social conflicts.

• SEL is already embedded into our daily routines and

activities in preschool!

• Second Step offers us lessons with the opportunity to

directly teach some of the skills that we are working on

• daily. It helps all students in different ways!

SEL in the classroom environment

What did we already have?

• Calming/Quiet spaces
• Feelings charts
• Embedded support through teachers and instructional

assistants

○

Instruction and modeling in play skills, managing social problems and managing emotions through the school day

Second Step

From the website: “The Second Step program… teaches critical skills—such as managing emotions and behavior, getting along with peers, and solving problems peacefully—that can help students in school, the workplace, and throughout their lives.” The “youngest learners benefit more from preschool and [are] better prepared for kindergarten with self-regulation and executive-function skills that help them pay attention, remember directions, and control their behavior.”

Scope & Sequence

Unit 1 - Skills for Learning

Listening, Focusing attention, Using self-talk, Being assertive, Following directions

Unit 2 - Empathy

Identifying one’s own and others’ feelings, Taking others’ perspectives, Showing care and concern for others

Unit 3 - Emotion Management

Understanding strong feelings, Identifying one’s own strong feelings, Calming down strong feelings

Scope & Sequence (cont’d)

Unit 4 - Friendship Skills and Problem Solving

Making and Keeping friends, Calming Down and Using Problems-Solving Steps

Unit 5 - Transitioning to Kindergarten

Reviewing program skills and concepts, Thinking about how program skills will help in Kindergarten

What does a lesson look like?

Part 1: Puppets Part 2: Story & Discussion Parts 3 & 4: Skill Practice

Building a Vocabulary & Skill Set

Lessons build on one another:

• Before the next lesson begins, it provides a quick review
• f the previous week’s lesson. The focus is on the skill

and the vocabulary.

• Lessons from Skills for Learning are brought back during

Emotional Regulation lessons, among others (reminders for whole body listening as the lesson begins, etc.)

Extending the Lessons

Small Groups

Skill Practice

• Led by teachers, IAs,

support staff (i.e. Social Worker)

• Use games/materials,

some provided by Second Step

• Help to reinforce

vocabulary & skills taught in lessons

Story Time

• Book list provided by

Second Step (2-3 titles per lesson)

• Titles provided are

children’s picture books whose stories relate to the lesson of the week

“In the Moment”

• Part of what we always do

in preschool is “in the moment” learning!

• As we help students with

play skills, managing social problems, and emotional regulation, we are going back to the vocabulary & skills from the Second Step lessons we have worked on.

How Second Step has Enriched our Classrooms

• Common language throughout the program
• Additional calming strategies
• Common visuals for classroom & calming corner reference
• Direct instruction provided to all children rather than

as needed

• Classroom extras: Parent notes, extension activities,

teacher dashboard, extra resources, and mores!