Lesson Plans
Adapted from FTF Behavioral Consulting
Lesson Plans have been created for presenting each of the Preschool Life Skills. These lessons are intended to supplement your comprehensive classroom curriculum. Take a look at the Instructions for Implementing PLS as you prepare to get started.
1. Responding to Name.pdfEach lesson looks similar to this sample. It outlines the goal of the skill, the instructions to give when teaching the skill, and specific feedback for a correct, incorrect, or no response. It also tells you how to mark the data sheet with either an “I” for independent or “P” for prompt based on the student’s response.
Be sure to provide many opportunities for the children to practice. Use the Teaching Opportunities for Each Lesson to guide you.
All lesson plans are available for download through the PLS Lessons folder.
1. Responding to Name.pdfResponding to Name
2. Following One-Step Instructions.pdfFollowing One-Step Instructions
3. Following Multi-Step Instructions.pdfFollowing Multi-Step Instructions
4. Requesting Help.pdfRequesting Help
5. Requesting Adult Attention.pdfRequesting Adult Attention
6. Requesting "Excuse me may I __" to Adult.pdfRequesting "Excuse Me, May I ___" To Adult
7. Requesting "Excuse me may I __" to Peer.pdfRequesting "Excuse Me, May I ___" To Peer
8. Waiting for an Adult.pdfWaiting for An Adult
9. Waiting for Another Peer.pdfWaiting for a Peer
10. Saying "Thank You".pdfSaying "Thank You"
11. Greeting a Peer.pdfGreeting a Peer
12. Sharing.pdfSharing
13. Recognizing Someone is Hurt:Upset.pdfRecognizing Someone is Hurt or Upset
PLS Lesson blank.docxBlank Lesson Plan
Laminate these cards and attach them to a binder ring for quick and easy use throughout the day.
Teaching Opportunities for Each Lesson
Adapted from FTF Behavioral Consulting.
Use this document to brainstorm different situations to practice each of the 13 Preschool Life Skills with children. There are example opportunities listed for each of the skills. It is recommended that you provide around 10 practice opportunities per day during the first few days of teaching each skill.
Practice Scenario:
Let's teach a group of preschoolers how to respond when their name is called.
Use the "Responding to Name" PLS Lesson Plan for guidance.
Introduce the skill to all the children during circle time.
"We are going to play a fun game! Here are the rules, when I call your name, stop what you are doing, look at me, and say 'Yes'."
Model it.
"Watch us try it!" Give the other adult a toy to interact with before calling their name. "[Ms./Mr. X]!" Deliver feedback after the other adult responds. "Great job listening and looking [Ms./Mr. X]! You can keep playing with your toy now." Address the class again, "Did you see how [Ms./Mr. X] looked at me and said 'yes' when I called their name? Let's see if you can do it!"
Give out toys for the children to play with while remaining in the circle time area.
Call each child's name, one at a time, with about 10 seconds in between each trial.
For example, I call "Jerry" and he looks at me and says "yes." I respond with the feedback "Great job listening and looking, Jerry!"
Next, I call "Shayla" and she looks in my direction but does not say "yes." I respond with the feedback "when I call your name, look at me and say 'yes.' Lets try again!" I wait a few seconds and then repeat "Shayla." This time, she looks at me and says "yes." I respond with the feedback "Great job listening and looking, Shayla!"
Next, I call "Emma" and she does not look at me or respond with "yes." I then get her attention by saying her name while tapping her shoulder to make sure she knows I'm talking to her. I give the feedback "when I call your name, look at me and say 'yes.' Lets try again!" I wait a few seconds and then repeat "Emma." Emma still does not look at me or say yes. I remind her "when I call your name, look at me and say 'yes'. Let's try again later." I don't require Emma to respond in this initial trial, but I remember to practice the skill of responding to her name several more times throughout the day.
Wrap-up the skill.
"Thank you for playing this game with me! We might play this game again at different times today, so be ready to look at me and say 'yes' if you hear me call your name!"
Dismiss the children to the next activity.
Provide plenty of opportunities to practice this new skill throughout the day and continue to provide feedback after each trial.
Do a "Booster Teaching."
After teaching all 13 Preschool Life Skills, return to the ones that children often under-performed. Reteach them like you did the very first time and provide more intentional opportunities for practicing those skills. This is called "booster teaching."
Bonus: Take data
Check out the Data Collection page for data sheets, information on how to collect data on the PLS, and an example of what data collection looks like in practice.
Consideration: If a student is not able to verbally respond with "yes," you may use alternative forms of communication such as a thumbs up, picture card, button, or iPad.