Submission Type: Research-Based
Final Rating: Well-Supported by Research
Date Submitted: Fall 2022
Focus Area: Healthy Environments and Relationships
Focus Population: Children
Contact Information:
Sherri Widen
Research Scientist and Manager
(857) 234-1721
Committee for Children
2815 2nd Ave, Suite 400, Seatle, Washington 98121
Goals and Outcomes:
The goal of this program is to help children in preschool develop the social and emotional skills that support positive social interactions and academic success. Second Step® Early Learning is a universal social-emotional learning program designed for use in preschool programs. Social-emotional skills support children’s positive relationships with adults and peers, executive function skills, early academic skills, and kindergarten readiness. They also reduce problem behaviors and behavioral referrals.
Brief Summary:
Second Step® Early Learning is designed specifically for multiple-age early learning environments with a focus on supporting children from low-income families. It is a SAFE program: the lessons are Sequenced, learning is Active, Focused on developing children’s social-emotional skills, and provides Explicit instruction in social-emotional skills. The program is taught through five units (listed and described below) across 28 Weekly Themes that include five- to seven-minute activities to be taught throughout the week. Activities, Brain Builder games, and small-group work keep children engaged and help them practice their skills. The Boy and Girl hand puppets encourage participation. The easy-to-use online teaching resources include instructions for teaching and reinforcing the Weekly Theme activities and provide video examples from real classrooms (https://www.secondstep.org/purchase/product/second-step-early learningclassroom-kit/)
Unit 1: Skills for Learning (6 weeks). Learn skills that support academic learning (listening, focusing attention, self-talk)
Unit 2: Empathy (6 weeks). Learn to identify emotions in others, identifying accidents, being kind and helpful
Unit 3: Emotion Management (5 weeks). Identifying own and others' emotions, sharing emotions with a grown-up, managing frustration, calming down
Unit 4: Friendship Skills and Problem Solving. Learn ways to ask to play, invite others to play, identifying a problem, solutioning
Unit 5: Transitioning to Kindergarten (3 weeks). Plan to use skills learned in Second Step Early Learning when they are in kindergarten
Second Step® K-12 Programs Strengthen Human Skills | Second Step®