What is social emotional learning in the early grades?

It is the work of helping young students notice their feelings, calm down when upset, get along with classmates, and make kind choices. In kindergarten through second grade, this looks less like talking about feelings and more like practicing them during real moments at school and home.

How can a parent help with feelings at home?

Name feelings out loud as they happen. Try saying, "You look frustrated that the tower fell." Five minutes of naming feelings during a normal day teaches more than a long talk. Students this age learn the words by hearing adults use them.

What should this look like by the end of second grade?

Students should name common feelings, take a breath or ask for help instead of melting down, take turns and share, and notice when a classmate is upset. They will not be perfect at any of this. The goal is that they try most of the time.

How should a teacher sequence this across the year?

Start with naming feelings and classroom routines in the fall. Move into calming strategies and listening skills by winter. Spend spring on friendship, conflict, and group work. Revisit each skill all year, because students forget under stress and need the same lesson again in March.

What if a child has big meltdowns at home?

Meltdowns are normal at this age. Stay calm, keep words short, and wait until the storm passes before talking. Once everyone is calm, name what happened and practice a different choice for next time. Lectures during the meltdown do not stick.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Impulse control, taking turns, and handling disappointment. Most students can name feelings by November but still grab a toy or shout out an answer in May. Build short practice moments into transitions and recess returns rather than saving it for a separate lesson block.

How can a parent help a shy or anxious child?

Practice small social moments before they happen, like ordering at a counter or saying hello to a neighbor. Give a simple sentence to use. Praise the try, not the outcome. Confidence at this age grows from many small wins, not from being pushed into big ones.

How does a teacher know a student is ready for the next grade?

Look for a student who can follow a two-step direction, ask for help when stuck, recover from a small setback within a few minutes, and play or work with most classmates. Academic readiness matters, but these habits are what carry students through harder grades.

What does a student learn in ?

These are the years students learn to name what they feel and start handling it on their own. Students practice calming down when they are upset, taking turns, and noticing when a classmate needs help. They begin to see that their choices affect other people. By spring, students can name a feeling like angry or worried, use a simple strategy to settle down, and work out a small disagreement with a friend.

Naming feelings
Calming down
Kindness
Taking turns
Making friends
Good choices

Source: Illinois Illinois Learning Standards

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Naming feelings and getting to know me
Students start the year learning the words for how they feel and noticing what they are good at. They practice saying when they are happy, sad, frustrated, or proud.
2
Calming down and staying on task
Students learn small ways to settle themselves when feelings get big, like slow breathing or counting. They also practice waiting their turn and finishing what they start.
3
Seeing things from another kid's side
Students notice that other people feel things too, and that classmates at home and at school may live in different ways. They learn who to go to for help when something is hard.
4
Getting along with classmates
Students work on being a good friend and partner. They practice using kind words, sharing, taking turns, and working out small arguments without an adult stepping in every time.
5
Making good choices on my own
By the end of the year, students think before they act. They consider what might happen next, whether a choice is kind, and how it affects the people around them.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 2.

Social Emotional Learning

The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts

IL-SEL.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to name their feelings, notice what they're good at, and see how their emotions affect what they do. This builds the self-knowledge kids use to make better choices in school and at home.
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts

IL-SEL.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice noticing big feelings and slowing down before acting. They also learn simple ways to stay organized and work toward a goal, even when something feels hard or frustrating.
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…

IL-SEL.3.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice seeing a situation from someone else's point of view and noticing how that person might feel. They also learn to spot the people and places they can turn to for help, at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…

IL-SEL.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice getting along with others by listening, sharing, and asking for help when something feels hard. This covers how to work with classmates, solve disagreements, and build friendships with people who are different from them.
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…

IL-SEL.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice stopping to think before they act, weighing what might happen and how it might affect others. The goal is making choices that are fair and kind, even when the situation is tricky.

Standard	Definition	Code
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students learn to name their feelings, notice what they're good at, and see how their emotions affect what they do. This builds the self-knowledge kids use to make better choices in school and at home.	IL-SEL.1.k-2
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students practice noticing big feelings and slowing down before acting. They also learn simple ways to stay organized and work toward a goal, even when something feels hard or frustrating.	IL-SEL.2.k-2
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others… Grades K-2	Students practice seeing a situation from someone else's point of view and noticing how that person might feel. They also learn to spot the people and places they can turn to for help, at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.	IL-SEL.3.k-2
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… Grades K-2	Students practice getting along with others by listening, sharing, and asking for help when something feels hard. This covers how to work with classmates, solve disagreements, and build friendships with people who are different from them.	IL-SEL.4.k-2
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… Grades K-2	Students practice stopping to think before they act, weighing what might happen and how it might affect others. The goal is making choices that are fair and kind, even when the situation is tricky.	IL-SEL.5.k-2

Social Emotional Learning

The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts

IL-SEL.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to name their feelings, notice what they're good at, and see how their emotions affect what they do. This builds the self-knowledge kids use to make better choices in school and at home.
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts

IL-SEL.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice noticing big feelings and slowing down before acting. They also learn simple ways to stay organized and work toward a goal, even when something feels hard or frustrating.
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…

IL-SEL.3.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice seeing a situation from someone else's point of view and noticing how that person might feel. They also learn to spot the people and places they can turn to for help, at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…

IL-SEL.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice getting along with others by listening, sharing, and asking for help when something feels hard. This covers how to work with classmates, solve disagreements, and build friendships with people who are different from them.
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…

IL-SEL.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice stopping to think before they act, weighing what might happen and how it might affect others. The goal is making choices that are fair and kind, even when the situation is tricky.

Standard	Definition	Code
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students learn to name their feelings, notice what they're good at, and see how their emotions affect what they do. This builds the self-knowledge kids use to make better choices in school and at home.	IL-SEL.1.k-2
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students practice noticing big feelings and slowing down before acting. They also learn simple ways to stay organized and work toward a goal, even when something feels hard or frustrating.	IL-SEL.2.k-2
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others… Grades K-2	Students practice seeing a situation from someone else's point of view and noticing how that person might feel. They also learn to spot the people and places they can turn to for help, at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.	IL-SEL.3.k-2
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… Grades K-2	Students practice getting along with others by listening, sharing, and asking for help when something feels hard. This covers how to work with classmates, solve disagreements, and build friendships with people who are different from them.	IL-SEL.4.k-2
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… Grades K-2	Students practice stopping to think before they act, weighing what might happen and how it might affect others. The goal is making choices that are fair and kind, even when the situation is tricky.	IL-SEL.5.k-2

Common Questions

What is social emotional learning in the early grades?
It is the work of helping young students notice their feelings, calm down when upset, get along with classmates, and make kind choices. In kindergarten through second grade, this looks less like talking about feelings and more like practicing them during real moments at school and home.
How can a parent help with feelings at home?
Name feelings out loud as they happen. Try saying, "You look frustrated that the tower fell." Five minutes of naming feelings during a normal day teaches more than a long talk. Students this age learn the words by hearing adults use them.
What should this look like by the end of second grade?
Students should name common feelings, take a breath or ask for help instead of melting down, take turns and share, and notice when a classmate is upset. They will not be perfect at any of this. The goal is that they try most of the time.
How should a teacher sequence this across the year?
Start with naming feelings and classroom routines in the fall. Move into calming strategies and listening skills by winter. Spend spring on friendship, conflict, and group work. Revisit each skill all year, because students forget under stress and need the same lesson again in March.
What if a child has big meltdowns at home?
Meltdowns are normal at this age. Stay calm, keep words short, and wait until the storm passes before talking. Once everyone is calm, name what happened and practice a different choice for next time. Lectures during the meltdown do not stick.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Impulse control, taking turns, and handling disappointment. Most students can name feelings by November but still grab a toy or shout out an answer in May. Build short practice moments into transitions and recess returns rather than saving it for a separate lesson block.
How can a parent help a shy or anxious child?
Practice small social moments before they happen, like ordering at a counter or saying hello to a neighbor. Give a simple sentence to use. Praise the try, not the outcome. Confidence at this age grows from many small wins, not from being pushed into big ones.
How does a teacher know a student is ready for the next grade?
Look for a student who can follow a two-step direction, ask for help when stuck, recover from a small setback within a few minutes, and play or work with most classmates. Academic readiness matters, but these habits are what carry students through harder grades.