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
Part 1: Puppets What does a lesson look like? 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 ● of 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
Led by teachers, IAs, ● support staff (i.e. Social Worker) Use games/materials, ● Small Groups some provided by Second Step Help to reinforce ● Skill Practice vocabulary & skills taught in lessons
Book list provided by ● Second Step (2-3 titles per lesson) Story Time Titles provided are ● children’s picture books whose stories relate to the lesson of the week
Part of what we always do ● in preschool is “in the moment” learning! “In the Moment” 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!
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