Activities for Building Character and Social Emotional (Grades 1-2)

Build attitudes of respect and caring, reduce problem behaviors, empower students to solve problems, and educate the whole child with the flexible, user-friendly activity guides in the Safe & Caring Schools series. The lessons’ literature-based connections allow teachers to “build in” rather than “add on” social-emotional learning (SEL) throughout the day. Field-tested in classrooms across the United States, these activities when fully implemented have resulted in improved school climate, greater parent engagement, increased academic achievement, and reduction in discipline referrals.

Each book offers:

• 100+ easy-to-implement year-round activities that integrate into the daily curriculum in all subject areas
• Monthly themes focused on empathy, bullying prevention, teamwork, decision-making, and more
• Concise lesson formats (Read, Discuss, Do, Relate)
• Discussion and writing prompts
• Built-in assessment

One of the key components of the Grades 1–2 materials is teaching kids to get along. Teachers are encouraged to use classroom meetings (circle time) throughout the day to deal with misunderstandings, bullying, inappropriate language, and social conflicts that arise inside and outside the classroom. By doing so, a forum is created where students can share their feelings, as well as review, process, and discuss ways to positively resolve conflicts.