SEL Learning Goal 4: Relationship Skills

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Subgoal A

Grade Band: Pre-K to 6

Based on MVSD’s SEL Curriculum Guide

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How to use this module…

Please print out a copy of this module to add to the others you have already done so that you can write on the pages when there is a reflection or activity to do.

Let’s Review the New SEL Definition

CASEL’s (The Collaborative for Social Emotional Learning) New Definition describes SEL as: “Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

“We’ve updated our definition and framework to pay close attention to how SEL affirms the identities, strengths and experiences of all children, including those who have been marginalized in our education systems.”

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CASEL: https://casel.org/what-is-sel/

A Closer Look at Relationship Skills

Relationship Skills Include...

Communication

Social engagement

Relationship building

Teamwork

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SEL Learning Goal 4: Relationship Skills

MVSD Benchmark Skills and Strategies: Pre K -K

Sub-goal 4a: Apply positive verbal and nonverbal communication and social skills to interact with others. Definitions: Communication (strategies in red from MVSD SEL Curriculum)

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Opportunities to Practice Positive Peer Support

Check out the Fun Friends Curriculum for Young Children

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Feelings- talk about your feelings and others’ feelings

Relax- do milkshake breathing; have some quiet time

I can try! (We can all try our best)

Encourage (step plans to happy home)

Nurture (quality time together doing fun activities)

Don’t forget- be brave (practice skills everyday w/ family and friends)

Stay happy

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What is one classroom activity you see students engaged in with regard to fostering positive peer supports? __________________________________

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To read more about this curriculum go here.

Read about opportunities for peer interaction in this article.

After reading, expand the opportunities by brainstorming another idea to add to the ideas in the article that can be implemented to increase social interactions between young children.

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Arrival time: __________________________________________________________________

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Circle/story/morning mtg time: ____________________________________________________

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After completing an activity: _____________________________________________________

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At snack time/lunch time/recess time: ______________________________________________

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Before starting and during Center time: ____________________________________________

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Picking up and getting ready to go home time: ______________________________________

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Other: _____________________________________________________________________

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PBS Kids Classroom Helpers

Play this Classroom Helpers interactive game from PBS Kids that Daniel Tiger narrates.

Share this activity with the littles and let them play it. After, have the students role play Daniel Tiger characters and helping others.

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Source: https://pbskids.org/daniel/games/classroom-helpers/

Children’s Books Adapted for Role Play

These 10 children’s books can be adapted for role playing the characters and how they communicate positively and negatively:

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Stone Soup The Rainbow Fish

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The Giving Tree Where the Wild Things Are

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Tikki Tikki Tembo Caps for Sale A Silly Story of Bondapali

Icky Yucky

Mucky

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Saying What You Mean

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SEL Learning Goal 4: Relationship Skills

MVSD Benchmark Skills and Strategies: Grade 1 & 2

Sub-goal 4a: Apply positive verbal and nonverbal communication and social skills to interact with others. Definitions: Communication (strategies in red from MVSD SEL Curriculum)

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“Please Stop, I Don’t Like That!”

Resource to Purchase or see if your library has it:

Please Stop, I Don’t Like That!” and discuss with students about how they can be assertive and say what they need in a respectful manner.

Sample page

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Link to buy the book: Please Stop, I Don't Like That!: Sandy Ragona, Amy Tranel: 9781598500073: Amazon.com: Books

Hunter’s Best Friend at School

Have the children watch/listen to this video story with students. Have a discussion after:

Who is Hunter’s best friend?

What do they like to do together?

What does mischief mean?

Sometimes our friends may ask us to do things that we know are NOT ok.

Should we follow them?

What does being our “best self” look like and sound like? Group Project: Make a Best Self Collage!

What can we say our friend to help our friend be their “best self” like Hunter did with Stripe?

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Ingredients to Becoming My Best Self Means...

• Giving children a strong foundation and positive role models so that they see, hear, and emulate resilience, patience, and practice working hard; being kind; treating others with respect, acceptance, and human dignity no matter their color, creed, orientation, views, etc.
• Teach and use messages and practices that young children can model after as they hear and see from their caretakers and other adults which shapes them from the time they are infants.
• Teaching children from an early age how to walk in another’s shoes/see their side and see a different perspective is also a key ingredient in building their best selves.
• Teach them and model for them what it means to have grit, to work hard and persevere, to act is a determined way, and how to be resilient when things get tough.
• Role play, model, play games and do projects that focus on empathy and kindness and encourage them to use what they learn to teach others how to be kind and show caring toward others.
• Being honest and trustworthy

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Education.com has My Best Self Resources- create an account for FREE

https://www.education.com/lesson-plan/my-best-self/

Ingredients to Becoming My Best Self Teacher Worksheet

Best Friends for Frances

Watch the video story with the children. After, have a discussion about how we should treat our friends. Talk about how sisters and brothers can also be our best friends.

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Activity: As a group, have the children share some friendship words that they can use to make up a class friendship song!

How Do You Do?

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After the book, do a class activity where all the children go around the room and greet others (from a safe distance) with “How do you do?” (COVID protocols apply)

Complimenting Others - Teaching Young Children How to Give/Receive

Compliments and Use Positive Communication

Points to Address for How to Give and Receive a Compliment:

• Children who hear compliments will eventually begin to say “Thank you”.
• Never force a child to acknowledge a compliment.
• Normal shyness may prevent children from responding positively to compliments. It is okay to say it for them until they are a little older.

Pre-K K: Fun Activity to Do with Young Children- to practice manners: “please/thank you”; giving/receiving compliments, etc. - write scenarios on squares of paper then fold them and put them in a jar. Take turns picking them from the jar and playing them out, alternating being the giver and receiver. The more the merrier if you have more than one child! You will be surprised at the carryover into “real life”.- from How to Give and Receive a Compliment « Teach Kids How

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Compliment Tag: for details on how to play, read here.

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Use a Growth Mindset Feedback with the Youngers

Takeaways from: Growth Mindset in Early Learners:

• Young children tend to go to the Growth Mindset as they are curious about their surroundings and like to explore through the senses.
• They tend to learn through trial and error and modeling.
• Check out details for 5 parenting strategies (that teachers can use as well) to build Growth Mindsets in their children:
• Have daily learning discussions.
• Give feedback on the Process only.
• Explain the brains can grow.
• Encourage risk, failing, and learning from mistakes.
• Encourage and model positive self-talk- this will make a difference in how children communicate.

For more great resources, books, strategies, go to:

SEL Learning Goal 4: Relationship Skills Subgoals A-C Grades Pre K-6 - Google Slides

A Study on Praise and Mindsets

Watch as this Carol Dweck explains how different types of praise can affect mindset and effort.

Trigger Words that Encourage and Discourage a Growth Mindset

Use these trigger words and the “power of words” that promote a growth mindset in children:

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From: Growth Mindset in Early Learners | Nebraska Extension (unl.edu)

SEL Learning Goal 4: Relationship Skills

MVSD Benchmark Skills and Strategies: Grade 3 & 4

Sub-goal 4a: Apply positive verbal and nonverbal communication and social skills to interact with others. Definitions: Communication (strategies in red from MVSD SEL Curriculum)

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The 8 Fundamentals of Communication

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Visual and Communication Games: 39 Communication Games and Activities for Kids, Teens, and Students (positivepsychology.com)

Ineffective & Effective Teamwork and Communication

Students need to know about ineffective ways to communicate their wants and needs so that they can avoid them and instead use effective communication. Let’s watch this group of birds:

In the first part, did the birds work together? How was their communication? What did you notice?

In the section part, how did the crabs communicate with each other and work together?

MVSD Benchmark: I can identify ineffective styles of communication.

Teaching Active Listening in the Classroom

Active listening can be used for:

• gaining self-understanding
• improving relationships
• making people feel understood
• making people feel cared for
• making learning easier

Active Listening involves clarifying the factual and/or emotional content of the message.

Check out this example:

Student: “I don’t like this school as much as my old one.”

Para: “You are unhappy at this school?”

Student: Yeah. I haven’t made any good friends.No one includes me.”

Para: “You feel left out here?”

Student: “Yeah. I wish I knew more people.” source for this slide: Teaching Active Listening in the Classroom (thoughtco.com)

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Steps to Teaching/Modeling Active Listening to Students

Step 1: Look at the person and stop everything you are doing.

Step 2: Listen to the words AND the feeling content of what is being said.

Step 3: Be sincerely interested in what the other person is saying.

Step 4: Restate what the person said. Let’s Watch an example:

Step 5: Ask clarifying questions.

Step 6: Be aware of your own feelings and opinions.

Step 7: If you have to share your views, do it after you have listened.

Activity: Find a partner and practice. For more info on verbal and nonverbal signals when active listening, go here.

MVSD Benchmark: I can use active listening to show focus and understanding.

Active Listening Games for Younger Students

These games can help reinforce and model active listening skills.

Popular Games that Promote Active Listening:

• Red Light/Green Light
• Simon Says
• Musical Chairs
• Popcorn StoryTelling
• What’s My Favorite Movie?

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Giving and Receiving Feedback in Respectful Ways

MVSD Benchmark: With support, I can give and receive feedback in a respectful way.

Watch as students use this strategy of a Peer Review to give each other feedback on a writing assignment.

What do you notice? ____________________________________________________

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How can you teach/support students using this strategy?

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SEL Learning Goal 4: Relationship Skills

MVSD Benchmark Skills and Strategies: Grade 5 & 6

Sub-goal 4a: Apply positive verbal and nonverbal communication and social skills to interact with others. Definitions: Communication (strategies in red from MVSD SEL Curriculum)

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Active Listening: How to Communicate Effectively

MVSD Benchmark Skill: I can use active listening to successfully understand multiple perspectives.

Let’s watch. After the video, jot down what you noticed about active listening. What does it look like./sound like? Do you practice these behaviors when you are listening to someone?

Active Listening looks like/sounds like: ____________________

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How would you rate your own ability to listen actively?

1= I need a lot of work listening actively to others!

3= I hold my own. Here’s how… ___________________________

5= I am very comfortable with my active listening skills: Here’s an example: _________________________________________

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Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW82k7lwI_U

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Draw It Active Listening Activity

Draw It: Class Activity: Try this activity yourself. Have a piece of paper and pencil ready.

Read the info on this slide. Click to next slide and leave it there. Don’t Cheat! On Your Honor! Draw what you heard. Don’t look back to try to remember the directions! After you are finished, look back to see if you drew it based on what you remembered.

• Students have a blank sheet of paper or a white board to draw on.
• Before they pick up their pencil or marker, the teacher gives a set of simple instructions. For example: “Draw a triangle in the top right corner, a circle in the middle of the page, and a square in the bottom left corner.”
• The instruction ‘draw it’ is then given, without repeating the instructions.
• After twenty seconds, students hold up their completed drawings.
• A point can be given for every right answer.
• This can also be done in groups or pairs, and as well as developing listening skills can be used to encourage the giving of clear instructions.

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Draw It Game

This game requires partners.

Materials: pencil, paper, clipboard (ordesk/table), ears!

Directions:

• Have each player partner up with another player.
• Give each person a piece of paper, a writing utensil, and a clipboard.
• Tell the players to sit back-to-back with their partners.
• Explain that one person (the Artist) will draw a picture using only simple shapes and lines. The other player (the Apprentice) cannot look while he is doing it.
• When the Artist is done, he must give the Apprentice verbal directions on how to draw his picture.
• The Artist may not look at the Apprentice’s work while he is drawing.
• When the Apprentice is finished, the two players compare their drawings. They can then switch roles and play again.

Draw It- Try it!

Try It: Get a Piece of Paper. Your paper should be situated vertically on your desk. Follow these directions.

1. Draw a medium-sized circle in the middle of your paper.
2. Draw a medium-sized square below the circle but have the top of it touch the bottom of the circle.
3. Draw a medium-sized heart in the square.
4. Draw two smaller rectangles, one on each side of the square. They should go the wide way not the tall way and they should touch the sides of the square. Also, the top of each rectangle should line up with the top of the square.
5. Draw a medium-sized triangle above the circle. The bottom of the triangle should touch the top of the circle.
6. Draw three small stars anywhere inside the triangle.
7. Draw a small triangle in the center of the medium-sized circle.
8. Draw an arc which curves up below the small triangle.
9. Draw two small circles above the small triangle, one slightly to the right and one slightly to the left.

Done. How did you do? See next slide.

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Resource: The Draw My Picture Game (homeschoolwithlove.com)

Does your picture look like this?

Helping Students Give and Receive Feedback

MVSD Benchmark Skill: I can demonstrate the ability to give and receive feedback in a respectful way.

The link above is a helpful resource for teaching and modeling effective feedback.

The resource shares 3 rules to giving and receiving feedback:

Be specific. Be Helpful. Be kind. Also… You don’t have to take the advice!

Read some practices for helping students learn how to give/receive feedback.

What is one practice you can model/use with the students you work with? ______________________________________

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An Exercise in Clapping...

Read: The Clapping Contest, think about the feedback you give to the students that you teach/support. Which scenario does your feedback ability typically look like/sound like?

My feedback tends to resemble Scenario 1

My feedback tends to resemble Scenario 2

My feedback tends to resemble Scenario 3

What feedback example will give the student the best chance to win the contest and why?

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Activities for Giving and Receiving Compliments

Check out this list of Games and Activities to teach compliment-giving skills to kids- modify as needed depending on age group (COVID Guidelines apply) :

• Compliment Match-up
• Compliment Bean Bag
• Compliment Candy Swap

Compliment Circles- can be adapted to make it age appropriate for grades 5 & 6 (ex: Students make a circle with their desks vs sitting on the floor): read more about them here.

Teaching Compliments to Build Empathy- read about the strategy.

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Compliments- Teaching Students Tips and What Not to Do!

From Social/Emotional Workshop.com:

• Compliments should be true, specific, and positive.
• Try to steer away from compliments about physical appearance.
• Make a list and sort out “ok” compliments vs “not-ok” compliments.
• Brainstorm compliments the students can give.
• Have students practice complimenting a fictional character before giving actual compliments to a peer.
• Have them practice giving and receiving compliments in a partner, role play situation.
• Have a reflection time with students to talk about how compliments can make others feel (It can embarrass a person; it can make them happy, etc).
• Often we will deflect a compliment someone pays us:“Oh it was no big deal.” or we reject a compliment: “If you think my project is good you should look again. It’s terrible.” Teach students how to: “Accept. Don’t deflect or reject.”
• Some people have a hard time accepting a compliment because they don’t believe it about themselves.

Tips on Accepting Compliments continued...

• Students can rewrite/sort responses that need work.
• Use sentence stems until they are more at ease.
• Saying a simple “Thank you.” is a great reply.

Setting a Culture of Compliments:

• Complimittens- a great winter activity- students each get a set of mittens, write a compliment to another student on them and put them up on a bulletin board
• Compliment Web- students sit or stand in a circle, one student starts w/ a ball of string, they choose someone across the circle and give them a compliment- they pass the string to that person holding on to the end of the string; the next student does the same, but this time, holds onto the string while unraveling enough to reach the next student

Responsible Digital Citizenship Curriculum

MVSD Benchmark Skill: I can use technology to communicate responsibly and respectively.

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Common Sense Media offers a FREE K- 12

Read: Digital Citizenship Curriculum

It addresses:

• Top concerns for schools
• Prepares students for 21st century skills
• Supports educators with training and recognition
• Engages the whole community through family outreach

Explore activities from Common Sense to do with students grades K-5 here.

9 Elements of Digital Citizenship

MVSD Benchmark Skill: I can interact on social and digital media responsibly and respectfully, and understand the potential impact on self- reputation and relationships. Teach students these 9 elements of digital citizenship:

1. Digital Access
2. Digital Etiquette
3. Digital Commerce
4. Digital Rights and Responsibilities
5. Digital Literacy
6. Digital Law
7. Digital Communication
8. Digital Health and Wellness
9. Digital Security

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Let’s take a closer look at each area and what that means when teaching students how to be digitally responsible.

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Source for this slide: How to Teach Your Students the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship | Waterford.org

1. Digital Access
1. “Ability to connect with others or access information using technology
2. Teach them how to find safe information on the internet.
3. Helping students who may come from disadvantaged communities use computers and other resources at school to increase digital access.”

Think about the students you work with. Do any of them lack digital access based on their circumstances?

If so, what is one way you can support them to gain digital access?

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Source: How to Teach Your Students the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship | Waterford.org

2. Digital Etiquette

“Treat other internet users

with respect.”

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“Avoid inappropriate behavior.”

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“Understand the consequences of

cyber bullying.”

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3. Digital Commerce

• “Buying and selling electronics in a responsible manner (elementary students do not typically need to learn this element).
• Discussions on this topic with elementary students is important, even though they aren’t the ones buying electronics or items/ products online.
• Talking with students can help them become better consumers or consider future jobs in electronics.”

4. Digital Rights and Responsibilities

• “The privileges that all students have while using the internet
• It involves a student’s duty to make sure these rights stay available for everyone by treating other users fairly and respecting their privacy.”

5. Digital Literacy

Definition: “The ability to learn how to use technology and access information online.”

Examples: “knowing how to use a mouse or how to find answers on a search engine”

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NOT all students have the same technology experience. Teaching internet skills will help all students have the same access.

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6. Digital Law

• “The rules or guidelines set within an organization (school) for using the internet”
• Example: plagiarism- The adult can teach students about plagiarism and why it is not allowed and against the law.

7. Digital Communication

Examples of the ways students are digitally interacting with others:

text, email, social media, online games

• Teach students how to interact, talk, search safely and appropriately while online.

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8. Digital Health and Wellness

• Teach students how to protect their emotional health, psychological health, and physical health when they are using a computer and/or online.

This could include: appropriate posture when sitting in a chair in front of a computer, avoiding too much screen time, take frequent screen breaks; alternate between sitting and standing in front of the computer; being careful with how they post opinions or responses to others’ posts as what they say might be hurtful or taken the wrong way when others read it

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9. Digital Security

• Teach students how to stay safe online.
• “Teach students how to avoid computer viruses, scams, hackers, catfishing, and/or strangers online.”
• Use internet safety lessons, modeling and role play scenarios, etc. to teach about internet safety, what to do if they encounter bullying or online strangers.

Now that you’ve reviewed these 9 elements, pick one element (choose an area your student may need to learn more about). Browse the internet to find an activity related to the element you chose or think of 1 activity that you can do with the with the student to increase their digital literacy. A planning chart can be found on the next slide.

Digital Literacy Activity Teacher Planning Sheet

For Teaching Ideas… go Here.

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Digital Literacy Awareness INFO Project Student Worksheet

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Reflection

Please take a moment to reflect on something you learned in this module about Relationship Skills using this starter:

“I used to think… _____________________________________________________

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But now I know… _____________________________________________________

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Other comments/insights: _____________________________________________

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