Second Step for PreK, LowK & kinder

Since the beginning of the school year, students in PreK, LowK, and kindergarten have been working with each of us on a fun and informative program designed to teach important social skills. Second Step, created by a global nonprofit charged with promoting children’s social and academic success, is a developmentally appropriate curriculum that teaches core-emotional skills such as empathy, emotional management, and problem solving skills.

Each weekly lesson includes a fully scripted plan that provides many examples that apply to the children’s daily lives; often these examples include a photograph or other visual on which the lesson centers. The lessons also provide a great tool for students in these grades to learn about the learner profile traits, especially since students at this level do not attend the school wide assemblies.

Of course, another major benefit of the program is the opportunity for each of us to get to know the students better, to start conversations with them, and to build relationships that will later be beneficial when we interact with them for other reasons. Parents can reinforce what students are learning during these sessions by asking them about the Second Step lessons and pictures. Your child’s teacher can let you know when we meet for Second Step.

For more information about Second Step or other programs at the school, be sure to follow Ron on twitter (@tisronyoung).

Ron Young, Principal K-2nd, RonY@intlschool.org, 503-851-4954, and
Maria Abad, Head of Early Childhood, MariaA@intlschool.org, 503-226-2496 x109