2nd Grade
2nd graders have learned about empathy.
They can look for clues for how another person might be feeling by focusing their attention on facial expressions, body language, and the situation.
They know that sometimes different people will have different feelings about the same thing and this leads to people having different preferences.
They can show their empathy in caring ways. They are starting to predict how their behaviors might make another person feel.
They know that practice helps build their confidence.
2nd graders have learned about emotion regulation.
When they have strong feelings it's hard to think clearly.
They can use physical clues in their body to identify their feelings.
Thinking about their feelings helps the thinking part of their brain get back in control.
The calm down steps can help them manage strong emotions by putting their hands on their belly, telling themselves to stop and naming their feeling. Then they can completely calm down by taking belly breaths, counting, or using positive self-talk.
Negative self-talk makes feelings even stronger. Positive self-talk can help calm them down.
Second graders are learning specific skills to help them stay safe from dangerous or abusive situations:
How to use the Ways to Stay Safe to recognize when something is unsafe, refuse to participate, and report to an adult.
How to always ask a parent or the person in charge first before going somewhere, doing something, or accepting something from someone.
How to recognize safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches. And how to use the The Touching Rule: A person should never touch my private body parts except to keep me healthy.
