Kindergarten
Classroom Guidance Lessons
Second Step
Unit 1: Skills for Learning
Builds foundational skills necessary for school success. Students learn to listen effectively and focus their attention.
Unit 2: Empathy
Students learn about empathy and compassion. Students learn how to identify and understand their own and others' feelings, take others' perspectives and show compassion for others.
Unit 3: Emotion Management
Students learn to understand and recognize their own and others' strong feelings. Students learn and practice techniques for calming down strong feelings.
Unit 4: Problem Solving
Students learn to solve problems in safe and respectful ways. Students develop skills for making and keeping friends.
Unit 5: Child Protection
Students learn to recognize, refuse & report unsafe situations and touches and sexually abusive touch. Students learn important rules about general safety & touching safety that will help keep them safe from dangerous or abusive situations. Students also learn how to report any unsafe or abusive situations to a caring adult.
For more information about Units 1-4, please visit: http://www.secondstep.org/Kindergarten/Families/Second-Step-Kit.
For more information about Unit 5, please visit: http://www.secondstep.org/Kindergarten/Families/Child-Protection-Unit.
Scope & Sequence
Unit 1: Skills for Learning
Lesson 1: Listening to Learn
Lesson 2: Focusing Attention
Lesson 3: Following Directions
Unit 2: Empathy
Lesson 6: Feelings (happy, sad)
Lesson 7: More Feelings (interested, afraid/scared)
Lesson 8: Identifying Anger
Lesson 10: Accidents
Lesson 11: Caring and Helping
Unit 3: Emotion Management
Lesson 12: We Feel Feelings in our Bodies (worried)
Lesson 13: Managing Frustration
Lesson 14: Calming Down Strong Feelings
Lesson 16: Managing Anger
Unit 4: Problem Solving
Lesson 19: Solving Problems
Lesson 20: Inviting Others to Play
Lesson 21: Fair Ways to Play (sharing, trading, taking turns)
Unit 5: Child Protection
Lesson 1: Ways to Stay Safe
Lesson 2: The Always Ask First Rule
Lesson 3: Safe and Unsafe Touches
Lesson 4: The Touching Rule
Lesson 5: Practicing Staying Safe
Lesson 6: Reviewing Safety Rules
Learning Targets
Unit 1: Skills for Learning
Lesson 1: I can demonstrate how to listen to a speaker.
Lesson 2: I can demonstrate how to focus my attention on a speaker.
Lesson 3: I can demonstrate how to follow directions.
Unit 2: Empathy
Lesson 6: I can demonstrate a happy and sad face/body.
Lesson 7: I can demonstrate a surprised and afraid face/body.
Lesson 8: I can describe how my body feels when I am angry.
Lesson 10: I can describe the difference between accident and on purpose.
Lesson 11: I can demonstrate one way to help a classmate.
Unit 3: Emotion Management
Lesson 12: I can describe how my body feels when I am worried.
Lesson 13: I can demonstrate a frustrated face/body.
Lesson 14: I can demonstrate one way to calm my body down when I am feeling angry.
Lesson 16: I can demonstrate how to work out a problem when I am feeling angry.
Unit 4: Problem Solving
Lesson 19: I can use words to describe a problem.
Lesson 20: I can explain why it is important to invite others to play.
Lesson 21: I can describe three fair ways to play.
Unit 5: Child Protection
Lesson 1: I can recognize safe and unsafe situations.
Lesson 2: I can demonstrate the Always Ask First Rule.
Lesson 3: I can identify safe and unsafe touches.
Lesson 4: I can identify The Touching Rule.
Lesson 5: I can identify the Never Keep Secrets Rule.
Lesson 6: I can identify and apply the Safety Rules to various situations.
Additional Resources
6 Ways to Raise Your Child's Self-Esteem
Bucket Fillers 101: Expressing kindness, appreciation and love on a daily basis.
Can Emotional Intelligence be Taught?
Give Your Children the Values They Deserve (article)
Guiding Children to Solve Their Own Problems (article)
Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen
Helping Your Kindergartner Make Friends
How to Help When Your Kid's Not Playing Well With Others
How to Talk to Your Kindergartner
Kindergarten Emotional Development
Parent Toolkit: Kindergarten Growth Chart (Spanish version)
Self-Concept Builders and Stealers (article)
The Seven Ingredients of Resilience (article)
We Do Listen Foundation: Enabling Children to Feel Good About Themselves