Weekly Lessons 

Perseverance

Kindergartners are learning to replace negative self-talk (e.g., "I can't do this") with positive, growth-mindset self-talk (e.g., "This is hard, but I can try" or "I can't do it YET"). Through simple, memorable phrases, students build resilience to keep going when tasks feel frustrating or difficult.

Why It's Important:

Positive self-talk builds a growth mindset, helping children tackle challenges with confidence, view mistakes as learning opportunities, and build resilience.

What to Do at Home:

• Praise Effort: Celebrate hard work and practice rather than just getting the right answer.

• Use "Yet": Remind them, "You can't do it yet, but practice builds your brain!"

• Normalize Mistakes: Share your own daily mistakes and what you learned from them.

• Model Self-Talk: Speak your positive thoughts out loud when facing a challenge so they can hear how to handle frustration.

Self-Regulation: Feelings

First graders practice identifying comfortable and uncomfortable emotions while noticing body clues that show if they are regulated or dysregulated.

Why It's Important: Connecting feelings to physical clues builds self-awareness, laying the foundation for self-regulation and managing big emotions.

Ways to Support at Home:

• Notice Body Clues: Ask where they feel emotions in their body (e.g., tight tummy or fast heart).

• Normalize Feelings: Reassure them that all feelings—comfortable or uncomfortable—are okay.

• Practice Resets: Model simple tools like deep belly breaths or quiet breaks to return to calm.

• Label Emotions: Name feelings together in everyday moments and storybooks.

Flipping the Lid

Second graders are learning how three key parts of their brain work together to manage emotions and behaviors:

• Amygdala (The Guard Dog): Reacts quickly to fear and stress, sounding the alarm when we feel overwhelmed.

• Hippocampus (The Memory Bank): Stores memories and helps us remember what to do when we feel big feelings.

• Prefrontal Cortex (The Wise Leader): Helps us make smart choices, problem-solve, and calm down.

Why It's Important:

Understanding how the brain reacts to stress helps kids realize that feeling overwhelmed is a natural physical response, giving them the power and confidence to use calming strategies to regain control.

Positive Self-Talk

Fourth graders are exploring the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions. They are learning to recognize negative self-talk (e.g., "I'm bad at math" or "I can't do this") and reframe those thoughts into constructive, positive self-talk (e.g., "This is tough, but I can use a new strategy").

Why It's Important:  How children talk to themselves directly influences their confidence, emotional regulation, and willingness to tackle difficult tasks. Learning to shift negative self-talk builds self-awareness, personal responsibility, and emotional independence.

Ways to Support at Home:

• Catch and Reframe: When you hear your child express negative self-talk, prompt them: "How can we reframe that thought into something more helpful?"

• Connect Thoughts to Actions: Help them notice how negative thoughts make them feel like quitting, while encouraging thoughts spark effort and focus.

• Model Internal Monologues: Talk out loud when you face frustration so they can hear how adults reframe negative thoughts in real-time.

• Focus on Growth & Strategy: Encourage problem-solving when they feel stuck by asking, "What is another way you could try approaching this?"

Goals

Fifth graders practice setting personal targets, breaking them into manageable steps, and building perseverance to reach them.

Why It's Important: Setting goals builds self-confidence, motivation, and task management skills. As students prepare for middle school, tracking their own growth fosters independence and resilience when facing challenges.

Ways to Support at Home:

• Set Simple Goals: Help your child create clear targets, like reading daily or organizing their backpack.

• Praise Effort: Celebrate hard work and persistence rather than just the final result.

• Track Progress: Use a visual chart or journal to celebrate small wins along the way.

• Learn from Setbacks: View mistakes as opportunities to adjust and keep trying.