What does social emotional learning cover in the early grades?

Young students work on naming their feelings, calming down when upset, getting along with classmates, and making kind choices. They also start noticing how other people feel and how their own actions affect the people around them.

How can I help my child handle big feelings at home?

When a meltdown is starting, name the feeling out loud and stay calm. Try slow breathing together or a short break in a quiet spot. After things settle, talk about what happened and what could help next time.

What should my child be able to do by the end of second grade?

By the end of second grade, most students can name common feelings, wait their turn, follow classroom routines, and ask an adult for help. They can usually work with a partner, share materials, and use words instead of hands when upset.

How should I sequence social emotional skills across the year?

Start with feeling words and classroom routines in the first weeks. Move into calming strategies and friendship skills mid-year. Save conflict resolution and decision-making for later, once students have the vocabulary and trust to practice them.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Impulse control and conflict resolution take the longest to stick. Expect to revisit calming strategies, taking turns, and asking for help all year. Short daily practice works better than long one-off lessons.

What can I do in 10 minutes a day to support these skills?

Read a picture book and ask how a character is feeling and why. At dinner, share one good thing and one hard thing from the day. Small habits like these build the same skills students practice at school.

How do I know students are ready for the next grade?

Look for students who can name what they feel, use a calming strategy without a full prompt, and solve a small disagreement with words. They should also be able to follow multi-step routines and ask for help when stuck.

How is this different from just teaching good behavior?

Good behavior is about following rules. Social emotional learning is about the skills underneath the behavior, like noticing feelings, calming down, and thinking about others. Students who build those skills tend to make better choices on their own.

What does a student learn in ?

These early years are when students learn to name what they feel and start handling it on their own. Students put words to big feelings like frustration or worry instead of melting down, and they practice small ways to calm back down. They also learn to notice when a classmate is upset and offer help. By spring, students can take turns, work out a small disagreement with a friend, and ask a trusted adult for help when they need it.

Naming feelings
Calming down
Kindness and empathy
Taking turns
Solving conflicts
Asking for help

Source: Vermont Common Core State 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 by putting words to feelings like happy, sad, mad, and worried. They notice what they are good at and what feels hard, and share a little about themselves.
2
Calming down and staying on track
Students learn small tricks for when big feelings show up, like deep breaths or counting. They practice waiting their turn, finishing a task, and keeping their spot tidy.
3
Seeing things from another view
Students think about how a classmate might feel in the same moment. They learn that families and home lives can look different, and notice the grown-ups at school who can help.
4
Friendships and working together
Students practice kind words, sharing, and listening when someone else is talking. They work in pairs and small groups, ask for help when stuck, and try simple ways to patch up a disagreement.
5
Making good choices
Students think before they act and consider what might happen next. They weigh what is fair for themselves and the people around them, in the classroom, on the playground, and at home.

Mastery Learning Standards

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

Social Emotional Learning

The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts

VT-SEL.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to notice their own feelings and figure out why they act the way they do. They also start to see what they're good at and where they need more practice.
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts

VT-SEL.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice pausing before reacting, handling frustration without acting out, and staying organized enough to finish what they started.
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…

VT-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 who to turn to for help at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…

VT-SEL.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice getting along with others: taking turns in conversation, working through disagreements, and asking for help when they need it. These skills help students build friendships and work well with people who are different from them.
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…

VT-SEL.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students think through a choice before making it, asking whether it's fair and whether it might help or hurt someone else. This skill covers everyday decisions, from how to act on the playground to how to treat a classmate who seems different.

Standard	Definition	Code
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students learn to notice their own feelings and figure out why they act the way they do. They also start to see what they're good at and where they need more practice.	VT-SEL.1.k-2
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students practice pausing before reacting, handling frustration without acting out, and staying organized enough to finish what they started.	VT-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 who to turn to for help at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.	VT-SEL.3.k-2
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… Grades K-2	Students practice getting along with others: taking turns in conversation, working through disagreements, and asking for help when they need it. These skills help students build friendships and work well with people who are different from them.	VT-SEL.4.k-2
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… Grades K-2	Students think through a choice before making it, asking whether it's fair and whether it might help or hurt someone else. This skill covers everyday decisions, from how to act on the playground to how to treat a classmate who seems different.	VT-SEL.5.k-2

Social Emotional Learning

The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts

VT-SEL.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to notice their own feelings and figure out why they act the way they do. They also start to see what they're good at and where they need more practice.
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts

VT-SEL.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice pausing before reacting, handling frustration without acting out, and staying organized enough to finish what they started.
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…

VT-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 who to turn to for help at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…

VT-SEL.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice getting along with others: taking turns in conversation, working through disagreements, and asking for help when they need it. These skills help students build friendships and work well with people who are different from them.
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…

VT-SEL.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students think through a choice before making it, asking whether it's fair and whether it might help or hurt someone else. This skill covers everyday decisions, from how to act on the playground to how to treat a classmate who seems different.

Standard	Definition	Code
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students learn to notice their own feelings and figure out why they act the way they do. They also start to see what they're good at and where they need more practice.	VT-SEL.1.k-2
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students practice pausing before reacting, handling frustration without acting out, and staying organized enough to finish what they started.	VT-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 who to turn to for help at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.	VT-SEL.3.k-2
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… Grades K-2	Students practice getting along with others: taking turns in conversation, working through disagreements, and asking for help when they need it. These skills help students build friendships and work well with people who are different from them.	VT-SEL.4.k-2
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… Grades K-2	Students think through a choice before making it, asking whether it's fair and whether it might help or hurt someone else. This skill covers everyday decisions, from how to act on the playground to how to treat a classmate who seems different.	VT-SEL.5.k-2

Common Questions

What does social emotional learning cover in the early grades?
Young students work on naming their feelings, calming down when upset, getting along with classmates, and making kind choices. They also start noticing how other people feel and how their own actions affect the people around them.
How can I help my child handle big feelings at home?
When a meltdown is starting, name the feeling out loud and stay calm. Try slow breathing together or a short break in a quiet spot. After things settle, talk about what happened and what could help next time.
What should my child be able to do by the end of second grade?
By the end of second grade, most students can name common feelings, wait their turn, follow classroom routines, and ask an adult for help. They can usually work with a partner, share materials, and use words instead of hands when upset.
How should I sequence social emotional skills across the year?
Start with feeling words and classroom routines in the first weeks. Move into calming strategies and friendship skills mid-year. Save conflict resolution and decision-making for later, once students have the vocabulary and trust to practice them.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Impulse control and conflict resolution take the longest to stick. Expect to revisit calming strategies, taking turns, and asking for help all year. Short daily practice works better than long one-off lessons.
What can I do in 10 minutes a day to support these skills?
Read a picture book and ask how a character is feeling and why. At dinner, share one good thing and one hard thing from the day. Small habits like these build the same skills students practice at school.
How do I know students are ready for the next grade?
Look for students who can name what they feel, use a calming strategy without a full prompt, and solve a small disagreement with words. They should also be able to follow multi-step routines and ask for help when stuck.
How is this different from just teaching good behavior?
Good behavior is about following rules. Social emotional learning is about the skills underneath the behavior, like noticing feelings, calming down, and thinking about others. Students who build those skills tend to make better choices on their own.