Safe & Caring Schools Grades 1-2

Book Description

Book with CD-ROM

The Safe & Caring Schools^® teacher activity guides 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.

Safe & Caring Schools helps you provide social and emotional learning (SEL) in classrooms to improve student dynamics, school climate, and academic achievement. A 2007 research report, “The Effects of Social and Emotional Learning on the Behavior and Academic Performance of School Children,” shows that students who were exposed to SEL were better behaved, had less anxiety, and had more positive attitudes than those who were not part of SEL. In addition, even though incorporating SEL activities required time in the school day, it did not negatively affect students’ academic performance; in fact, their scores on standardized tests increased 11 percentile points.

Safe & Caring Schools offers:

• Easy-to-use lesson plans with more than 100 activities per teacher guide
• Nine flexible themes to use monthly or as individual, stand-alone lessons throughout the year
• Character-based teaching and learning on such topics as integrity, respect, responsibility, honesty, persistence, accountability, bullying prevention, and anger and conflict management
• Classroom-tested reproducible activity sheets for positive reinforcement, available in teacher guides and on included CD-ROMs
• Literature-based activities that pair suggested books with every lesson to integrate learning across the curriculum
• Helpful tips for organizing a schoolwide program
• Group-graded materials (PreK–K, Grades 1–2, Grades 3–5, Grades 6–8) and large, bold posters that reinforce key concepts of the program

One of the key components of the Grades 1–2 materials is teaching kids to get along. Teachers are encouraged to use classroom meetings (circle time) throughout the day to deal with misunderstandings, bullying, inappropriate language, and social conflicts that arise inside and outside the classroom. By doing so, a forum is created where students can share their feelings, as well as review, process, and discuss ways to positively resolve conflicts. The more than 100 lesson plans and activities give multiple opportunities to capitalize on the teachable moments. Key concepts explored in the program:

• Me and my safe and caring school—how to be an Ambassador of Peace
• Discovering our feelings—learning how to Stop, Think, Choose
• My support system—caring for others and being a friend
• Respect yourself and others—using good manners or bad manners
• Caring about one another—helping to prevent bullying
• Cooperation—how to team up for success
• Getting along with others—using conflict resolution skills
• The power to choose—growing responsibility
• Follow your dreams—using my gifts and talents

“In a safe and caring school we reach out to our children emotionally so they feel they are in a safe, caring, nurturing environment where they’re able to learn. They are encouraged to tell you their problems, so we can get past that hurdle and continue in the academic process.”—Elementary teacher
 

Part of the Safe & Caring Schools Series - Item 3403