Think Before You Act
Impulse Control
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Social and emotional learning (SEL) requires students to develop critical skills that will help them thrive in any environment and build healthy relationships. With a focus on the SEL concept of self-management, this book introduces students to impulse control and self-regulation, two skills that align with the CASEL critical competencies. Told through an age-appropriate lens of support and encouragement, this guide helps students understand impulse control and why it is an important skill. It also provides various strategies they can use to practice impulse control in real-life situations. Students are encouraged to think first on their way to building advanced social and emotional skills.
In Charge and Unstoppable
Developing Organizational Skills
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Kids today have a lot to juggle; there's school, homework, chores, friends, family, sports practices, hobbies, and so many other activities. It can be a lot to keep track of. In age-appropriate terms, this book illustrates the value of organizational skills for young readers and offers ideas to help them develop these important skills. Practical tips will aid students as they find new ways to sort their priorities, avoid pitfalls such as procrastination, and focus on their tasks and goals.
Know Who You Are
Accurate Self-Perception
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Establishing accurate self-perception can help children, teachers, and parents identify not only areas of excellence but also areas in need of more attention. This book guides young readers in establishing healthy self-perception by identifying strengths and areas for improvement. Through a series of real-life examples, such as keeping a journal, seeking and accepting feedback, and exercising critical thinking regarding beliefs and values, readers are given the tools they need to learn about themselves in constructive and positive ways.
Speaking With Purpose: Communication
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
As the number of ways people share information grows and adapts, knowing how to communicate effectively becomes more important. With this useful book, young readers will learn more about the different ways people communicate and how to get their thoughts and feelings across in a productive and skillful fashion. Important concepts such as the role of listening, key differences in written and spoken communication, and the importance of nonverbal cues will help students gain a better understanding of these valuable ideas in an age-appropriate way.
Understanding Points of View: Perspective-Taking
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
It's impossible to know exactly what other people are thinking, but if a person has perspective, it can be much easier to have an idea of those thoughts. This volume introduces students to the idea of perspective-taking or seeing things from another person's point of view. Students will learn that perspective taking can help them build better relationships with friends and family. They will be better able to resolve conflicts if they're thinking about the other person's thoughts and feelings. They'll develop more empathy for people who have different experiences. This book shows students that through perspective taking, they'll begin to better understand and accept people who are different from themselves.
Believing in Yourself
Achieving Confidence
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Confidence is the key to success. Studies show that children who trust their own abilities and judgment are more capable of dealing with problems effectively, building healthy relationships, and thriving in school. In this helpful and informative text, readers will learn what confidence means, how to foster it, and strategies to implement it in day-to-day circumstances. Integrating relatable, real-life examples with key curricular concepts, this book gives readers the practical tools they need to achieve self-confidence.
Keeping Calm and Focused
Stress Management
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
The pressures of school, social life, extracurricular activities, and even family can be overwhelming to children. Your readers will learn to identify the signs and symptoms of stress, uncover its causes, and come up with creative ways to reduce it and handle it effectively. From relaxation exercises and meditation to daily positive affirmations, readers will learn powerful tools for cultivating calmness in real-life ways. This must-read text is designed to impart lasting lessons about coping with stress in a healthy way.
The Ties That Bind Us Together: Relationship Building
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
From the time we're born, we have relationships with others. We often trust the person or people who care for us because they make us feel good and safe. Readers will learn that trust and openness can help them establish emotional connections with people for the rest of their lives. They'll learn that developing give-and-take relationships will build better friendships. They'll be able to better relate to others, which will make others want to build relationships with them. Through concrete examples and self-analysis, students will discover how to positively connect with others, which will help them discover more about themselves.
A Can-Do Attitude
Understanding Self-Efficacy
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Self-efficacy, or believing in oneself, is an important tool to help young people achieve their goals. Readers will learn about how they can use confidence, a can-do attitude, motivation, and their experiences to increase their chances of success in real-life scenarios. This book highlights important skills for social and emotional learning (SEL), such as recognizing strengths and fostering self-confidence, that are outlined in the CASEL core competencies program. This guidebook gives readers the tools and strategies they need to practice self-efficacy in their everyday lives.
The Right Thing to Do
Ethical Responsibility
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
One of the most exciting parts of growing up is taking on new responsibilities, but responsibility can be confusing, overwhelming, and even a bit scary. Navigating ethical responsibility can be especially challenging for young people because of the complicated nature of moral decision making. This guidebook demystifies ethical responsibility, helping readers recognize, interpret, and act on moral principles. Through realistic examples, readers will learn how to make sense of ethical dilemmas and develop solutions even when situations are complex. By learning how to be ethically responsible, readers will develop a greater sense of well-being, both for themselves and for others.
Talents and Abilities
Recognizing Strengths
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Everyone on the planet is unique. The visible parts of a person, such as eye color, hair style, and fingerprints can make them unique. However, things that aren't visible, such as individual strengths and talents also make people special. Through this book, readers will learn how to understand and appreciate their special talents, as well as those of their peers. By learning to harness their strengths, students have the opportunity to gain a richer understanding of themselves and the world they share with others.
Hard Work and Determination
Developing Self-Discipline
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Self-discipline is the key to achievement. Whether you're learning an instrument, training as an athlete, advancing academically, or pursuing a healthy lifestyle, self-discipline is essential. This book introduces young readers to self-discipline as a way of cultivating wellness and success at any age. Primary sources highlight athletes and artists who have harnessed their motivation and excelled through self-discipline. Engaging photographs and text present readers with effective tools for building and exercising self-discipline in daily life in order to reach their goals.
Thoughts and Feelings
Identifying Emotions
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
In the English language alone, there are over 550 words for describing the emotions we feel. Emotions are multilayered, variable, and sometimes overwhelming. Identification is a crucial step in understanding and responding to emotions in a healthy way. Young readers learn about the big and little emotions that color their relationships and experiences. Investigations of common emotions equip readers with strategies for identifying and dealing with their feelings. Primary sources highlight innovative directions in the study of emotional intelligence, while simple explanations help children cultivate self-awareness in their own lives.
Different but Equal
Appreciating Diversity
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
We live in a diverse world, full of people who look different from each other, believe in different things, and have different customs and abilities. This book dives into the important social and emotional learning skill of appreciating diversity, which is a part of the larger core concept of social awareness. Readers will learn how to recognize, accept, and celebrate the differences between themselves and others. Vivid full-color photographs, engaging text, and relatable situations will allow readers to connect deeply with the subject. Readers will learn how to apply this appreciation for diversity to everyday life and become engaged, accepting citizens of the world.
Acting with Awareness: Respect for Others
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
"Think before you act" is common and useful advice that we don't always follow. In order to learn more about other people, we need to be sure we don't jump to conclusions before they've had their chance to finish speaking. Readers will learn that respect for others goes beyond face-to-face situations. People need to have respect for others even if they're not around. Respect for others falls under the broader social and emotional learning category of social awareness. Respectful people can think about situations from other people's perspectives and empathize with them. Give your readers empowering and friendly instruction on becoming a respectful person with an awareness for others.
Care and Compassion
Empathy for Others
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Empathy is the ability to perceive and imagine the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of others. It is a powerful social tool that helps us connect with others and act with compassion and morality. This book guides readers through strategies for identifying and understanding the emotions of others. Ways of expressing empathy are explored through real-life examples and primary sources. Descriptions of familiar situations encourage readers to seize everyday opportunities for practicing empathy and developing their own social awareness.
Connecting With Others: Social Engagement
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Being an active participant in a community is a vital aspect of social and emotional learning. It allows people to feel that they can be a driving force for social change in their communities while also allowing them to meet people from different backgrounds. Children can engage in their communities in a variety of ways, including volunteering their time to help a cause and participating in marches or protests. Participating in their community also gives them a chance to practice other social and emotional learning skills, such as effective communication and the importance of building strong relationships. This interactive eBook includes quizzes, video, profiles of key figures and organizations, and actor-narrated audio which imparts the motivation that young learners need to engage and build social connections.
You Can Fix It: Solving Problems
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Some problems seem too hard to fix. What can you do? Introduce your readers to problem solving, an important skill in school and in life. Readers will learn how to identify a problem, look at it closely, and find the best solution. Problem solving is an integral social and emotional learning skill, and it is a larger part of the core concept of responsible decision-making. This book pairs vivid color photographs with engaging text to help readers fully grasp the topic and learn how to use this tool in familiar situations in the real world.
Overcoming Obstacles: Identifying Problems
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
As children grow up, they learn to exercise greater independence in decision making and problem solving. The first step in either process is identification. Being able to name and understand a problem can illuminate possible solutions and set the problem-solving process in motion. This book provides tips and simple steps that readers can take to identify problems and overcome obstacles. Real-world examples, colorful photographs, and clear descriptions will inspire and empower young readers to become active problem solvers.
Making Good Choices: Evaluating Consequences
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Every day, young people make large and small decisions that affect them and the people around them. Evaluating consequences is a critical step in good decision making at any age. Readers will explore strategies for identifying and weighing their options before making a decision. They will be encouraged to look ahead, imagine the consequences of different actions, take the perspective of others, and make the best choice. Familiar scenarios and full-color photographs help readers connect the ideas in the text to their own lives.
Acknowledging Your Thoughts and Feelings
Reflecting
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
The Greek philosopher Socrates famously declared, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Reflection is a vital element of an examined life. Even for students, reflecting on situations and their own thoughts and feelings can lead to meaningful connections, greater self-awareness, and stronger decision-making skills. Readers will find a guide to healthy reflection. Primary sources provide powerful examples of reflection in action. Photographs and descriptions of familiar situations remind students that they can reflect on their own thoughts and feelings every day.
An Inner Drive
Self-Motivation
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Self-motivation is an essential skill young people need to tackle tasks big and small and succeed at school and in life. Introduce your students to the social and emotional learning (SEL) core competency of self-management, which relates to the ability to set and work toward goals. Readers will learn how to set goals, work through setbacks, and harness their inner drive. Strategies for everyday use are paired with relatable scenarios to give students the tools they need to get motivated and succeed at any task.
Considering Every Side: Analyzing Situations
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Sometimes making the right decision is terribly difficult. This guidebook teaches readers how to consider different sides of a situation before making a decision. Readers will gain a deep understanding of the social and emotional learning skill of analyzing situations, which plays a key part in the core concept of responsible decision making. This book combines colorful photographs with accessible text to help readers discover useful tools for a variety of familiar situations. Readers gain a greater understanding of how to look at situations with a fresh perspective and how to solve the problems that arise in everyday life.
Collaborating With Others: Teamwork
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
Collaborating with others is a key skill for success in school and in life. Readers will learn all about teamwork, an important social and emotional learning skill that can be used in daily life. Teamwork is a vital component of developing relationship skills, and it includes the ability to communicate clearly, cooperate, and listen to others. Readers will enjoy eye-catching photographs and relatable text as they discover the tools they need to succeed as a member of a team. Familiar situations provided in the narrative ensure that readers not only learn about the concept of teamwork, but also understand how to apply it in everyday life.
Planning for Success
Goal Setting
Part of the Spotlight On Social and Emotional Learning series
We all have dreams we'd like to achieve. Some people might want to run a mile, while others might want to climb a mountain. What needs to happen to turn a dream into reality? This book takes readers through the process of setting goals effectively. Each step in the process is explained through examples, full-color photographs, and the stories of people who have successfully achieved the goals they've set. Readers will understand how to set specific targets, create steps, and track their progress along the way.