Dear First Grade Families,
We want your child to be as successful as possible at school. Success in school is not just about reading and math. It is also about knowing how to learn and how to get along with others. We will be using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom to teach these critical skills.
The Second Step program teaches skills in the following four areas:
1. Skills for Learning: Students gain skills to help themselves learn, including how
to focus their attention, listen carefully, use self-talk to stay on task, and be
assertive when asking for help with schoolwork.
2. Empathy: Students learn to identify and understand their own and others’
feelings. Students also learn how to take another’s perspective and how to
show compassion.
3. Emotion Management: Students learn specific skills for calming down when
experiencing strong feelings, such as anxiety or anger.
4. Problem Solving: Students learn a process for solving problems with others in a
positive way.
Your child will be learning a lot this year—and he or she will need your help! Throughout the year, your child will be bringing home Home Links that go with several of the Second Step lessons. Home Links are simple, fun activities for you and your child to complete together. They are a great way for you to understand what your child is learning and for your child to show you what he or she knows.
P.S. Make sure to join www.secondstep.org with the activation key SSP1 FAMI LY71 to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.