Social-emotional learning (SEL) includes skills such as paying attention, setting goals, collaboration, and planning for the future. They are skills students need to develop into the person they want to be. There is an emphasis on character skills as well, including values such as honesty, integrity and perseverance. Kids need to be able to think critically, consider others, and problem solve. Brilliant! How does a workbook help? This series includes a thoughtful daily exercise. There is a pattern to them: day 1 is self-awareness, day 2 is self-management, day 3 is social awareness, day 4 is relationship skills, and day 5 is responsible decision making. Each week has a theme which is repeated throughout the book: self, friends, family, school, neighborhood, and community. Parent/teacher ideas in the front of the book include feeling check-ins. All that to say, the daily page is likely to lead to a conversation. This is an opportunity for a parent to instill their own family values. Some days may only take a few minutes, while others may lead to a long discussion. In the 1st grade book, I noticed a lot about feelings and self-regulation. Each book has perforated pages and is reproducible for a single classroom/household. SEL helps the student put words to what is happening in their own minds and the world around them. This is a secular, user-friendly series. ~Sara
