Every Child is Special – Social and Emotional Learning – Unit 2
Let’s Start Strong
Foundation – Year 6
Social and Emotional Learning focuses on developing essential social and emotional skills for healthy interactions and personal growth. Students learn to recognise, express and manage their emotions while practicing calming techniques and self-awareness.
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Starter Lessons
Year Overview
Foundation Year
Unit Overview
In this unit, students will broaden their emotional vocabulary and enhance their ability to understand and manage their emotions.
They will learn new breathing techniques, explore strategies for respecting personal boundaries, and discover how positive memories can help regulate feelings.
Through role-play and interactive activities, students will strengthen their skills in building positive connections and developing respectful and cooperative relationships.
Student Activities
Emotional Regulation Activities
- Calm breathing
- Gentle movement
- Wall pushes
- Happy memory
Student Activities
- Feeling on Faces
- Wall Pushes to Calm Down
- Setting Personal Boundaries
- Taking Turns
- Handling Big Feelings
- Remember a Happy Place
- Kindly Saying Yes and No
- Show Your Listening
Features
- Animations
- Charades
- Posters
- Small Group Activities
- Interactive Digital Games
Lessons and Resources
Lessons
- 9 Week Unit
- Lessons are 20 minutes and delivered once a week for eight weeks.
- Week 1 -Teacher Observation – Completed by teachers
- Week 9 -Personal Reflection – Completed by students
- Optional Summative Assessment – The assessment will cover HPE content (weeks 1–8)
Resources
- Lessons x8
- Instructional Teaching Guide
- Student Workbook
- Unit Overview
- Assessments/Progression Indicators
- Poster
- Feeling Flash Cards
- Professional Learning Modules
Year 1 – Year 2
Unit Overview
In this unit, students will strengthen their emotional awareness and learn strategies to manage their feelings across different situations.
Through calming exercises, mindful movement, and positive self-talk, they will develop essential techniques for self-regulation.
Students will explore the values of belonging, respect, and empathy within group settings, while practising key social skills such as turn-taking, listening, and supportive communication.
This unit focuses on building emotional regulation, empathy, and social skills, laying the foundation for positive interactions and the development of healthy relationships.
Student Activities
Emotional Regulation Activities
- Belly Breathing
- Gentle Movement (Butterfly Hugs and Tall Trees in the Breeze)
Student Activities
- Who Am I?
- Calm and Collected
- Feelings in Play
- I Belong
- My Place
- Breathe, Imagine, Relax
- My Space, Your Space
- Working Together
Features
- Animated flipbook
- Animated calm breathing guide
- Audio and video clips
- Animations
- Interactive Digital Games
Lessons and Resources
Lessons
- 9 Week Unit
- Lessons are 20 minutes and delivered once a week for eight weeks.
- Week 1 -Teacher Observation – Completed by teachers
- Week 9 -Personal Reflection – Completed by students
- Optional Summative Assessment – The assessment will cover HPE content (weeks 1–8)
Resources
- Lessons x8
- Instructional Teaching Guide
- Student Workbook
- Unit Overview
- Assessments/Progression Indicators
- Poster
- Feeling Flash Cards
- Professional Learning Modules
Year 3 – Year 4
Unit Overview
In Unit 2, students will focus on cultivating essential personal and social skills that help create a strong and supportive classroom community.
They will enhance their self-awareness by identifying their unique strengths and setting meaningful personal growth goals.
Through practising emotional regulation strategies, students will learn how to stay calm and resilient in challenging situations.
Social awareness will also be developed as they explore diverse perspectives and practise empathy.
Student Activities
Emotional Regulation Activities
- Guided Meditation
- Breathing Exercises
- Roleplay Activity
Student Activities
- What Makes Me Special?
- Mantra Meditation
- Showing Empathy
- Active Listening
- My Strengths Shield
- Handling Setbacks & Challenges
- Empathy Roleplay
- Problem-solving in Teams
Features
- Animations
- Guided Meditation
- Roleplay Cards
- Problem-Solving Cards
Lessons and Resources
Lessons
- 9 Week Unit
- Lessons are 20 minutes and delivered once a week for eight weeks.
- Week 1 – Teacher Observation – Completed by teachers
- Week 9 – Personal Reflection – Completed by students
- Optional Summative Assessment – The assessment will cover HPE content (weeks 1–8)
Resources
- Lessons x8
- Instructional Teaching Guide
- Student Workbook
- Unit Overview
- Assessments/Progression Indicators
- Posters
- Professional Learning Modules
Year 5 – Year 6
Unit Overview
In Unit 2, students will further develop their social and emotional skills by deepening their understanding of emotions and enhancing their ability to connect with others.
They will explore the link between emotions, physical sensations and thoughts, and practise techniques to stay calm and focused in challenging situations.
This unit emphasises recognising and respecting others’ needs, feelings, and backgrounds while fostering kindness, empathy, and understanding.
Students will also learn strategies to differentiate between safe and unsafe feelings, create mental ‘safe spaces,’ and navigate changes in relationships.
Through role-play, interactive exercises, and discussions, they will strengthen their self-awareness, emotional regulation, social awareness, and social skills to build positive and respectful relationships both online and offline.
Student Activities
Emotional Regulation Activities
- Deep breathing
- Gentle movement
- Wall pushes
- Happy memory
Student Activities
- Matching Body Signals to Feelings
- Wall Pushes
- Showing Appreciation for Diversity
- Empathy Map
- Safe and Not-So-Safe Feelings
- Creating My Happy Place
- Keeping Safe Online and Offline
- Strategies to Cope with Changes in Friendships
Features
- Animations
- Charades Activity
- Small Group Activities
Lessons and Resources
Lessons
- 9 Week Unit
- Lessons are 20 minutes and delivered once a week for eight weeks.
- Week 1 – Teacher Observation – Completed by teachers
- Week 9 – Personal Reflection – Completed by students
- Optional Summative Assessment – The assessment will cover HPE content (weeks 1–8)
Resources
- Lessons x8
- Instructional Teaching Guide
- Student Workbook
- Unit Overview
- Assessments/Progression Indicators
- Poster
- Feeling Flash Cards
- Professional Learning Modules