Social Emotional Learning at B.F. Day Elementary

Second Step Curriculum
2024-25 School Year

Second Step Elementary is a research-based social-emotional learning (SEL) program designed to improve students’ social-emotional skills, including growth mindset, goal setting, emotion management, kindness and empathy, and problem-solving.

Research shows that benefits include: Academic success, school connectedness and a safe and respectful school climate.

• Unit 1: Growth Mindset & Goal-Setting
• Unit 2: Emotional Management
• Unit 3: Empathy & Kindness
• Unit 4: Problem-Solving

Kindergarten-Grade 5: 1 lesson per week, 5 lessons per unit, total 20 lessons per grade.

Zones of Regulation

Zones of Regulation is a framework designed to help students build metacognitive skills including emotional awareness, recognition of body signals, and identifying and utilizing tools for regulation.

Students learn how to identify their emotions and create ‘toolboxes’ for each zone that they can access in class and at home.

How Can I Support The Zones of Regulation?

• Identify your own feelings using Zones language in front of your child (e.g. “I’m frustrated, I am in the yellow zone”)
• Provide positive reinforcement when your child is in the Green Zone and if they make efforts to stay in the Green Zone. (e.g. “I can see you are working really hard to stay in the Green Zone by…” )
• Talk about what tool you will use to be in the appropriate Zone (e.g. “I’m going to go for a walk, I need to get to the green zone”)
• Label what zones your child is in throughout the day (e.g. “You look sleepy, are you in the blue zone?”)
• Teach your child which Zones tools they can use (e.g. “It’s time for bed, let’s read a book together in the rocking chair to get to the blue zone.”)
• Post and reference the Zones visuals and tools in your home (Zone check in stations and toolboxes for the family!)

How’s My Engine Running?