Every Child is Special – Social and Emotional Learning
Unit 1 – 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.
Free Starter Lessons
Year Overview
Foundation Year
Unit Overview
In this unit, students will focus on building essential social and emotional skills to support healthy interactions and personal growth.
They will learn to recognise, express and regulate their emotions while developing key practices such as calming techniques, self-awareness, and emotional regulation.
The unit emphasises respectful communication, self-understanding and exploring their connections to others and the world.
Each lesson is designed to provide foundational skills in emotional literacy, social awareness, and relationship-building, creating a supportive environment for young learners to thrive.
Student Activities
Emotional Regulation Activities
- Calm breathing
- Gentle movement
Student Activities
- Feeling Faces
- Not Calm Mind and Calm Mind
- Different Situations Feel Different
- ‘I feel’ Statements
- Identity Map
- Not Calm Body and Calm Body
- Pieces of Me Puzzle
- Greeting Cards
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 learn to recognise and name their feelings, calm themselves, and communicate respectfully.
Through engaging activities, they will explore how emotions change in different situations, make thoughtful choices when big feelings arise, and learn when to seek help.
This unit helps students build emotional awareness, develop communication skills, and foster empathy for others.
Student Activities
Emotional Regulation Activities
- Belly Breathing
- Gentle Movement (Butterfly Hugs and Tall Trees in the Breeze)
Student Activities
- Feelings in Your Body
- Calm Down Plan
- Feeling Face Matchup
- Body Language
- Your Feeling Sparks
- Calm Down Plan
- Your Sensations
- Your Trusted Helpers
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 this unit, students will explore how emotions shape thoughts, actions, and relationships.
They will develop self-regulation skills, including mindfulness and coping strategies, and learn to recognise emotions in others through cues like tone and body language.
Lessons focus on kindness, empathy, and strong friendships, helping students build positive relationships and emotional awareness.
Student Activities
Emotional Regulation Activities
- Guided Meditation
- Breathing Exercises
- Reflective Journaling
Student Activities
- Recognising Feelings and Moods
- Friendship Exercises
- Acts of Kindness
- Practicing Empathy
Features
- Music
- Animations
- Guided Meditation
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 5 – Year 6
Unit Overview
In this unit, students will develop essential social and emotional skills that foster their personal growth and relationships with others.
They will learn to recognise, express, and manage a wide range of emotions while practising calming techniques such as deep breathing and gentle movement.
Students will explore the different roles within relationships, understand what triggers their emotions, and discover how their actions impact others.
This unit emphasises respectful communication, conflict resolution, and fostering a sense of connection and belonging.
By developing self-awareness, emotional regulation, social awareness, and social skills, students will gain the tools needed to build positive relationships and navigate the world around them.
Student Activities
Emotional Regulation Activities
- Deep Breathing – Triangle Breathing technique
- Gentle Movements to Reduce Stress
- Backward Counting
- Visualisation
- Positive Self-Talk
Student Activities
- Using ‘I Feel’ Sentences
- Communities I Belong To
- CARE to Solve Conflicts
- Gaining Control of Triggers
- Showing Respect
- Important Connections
- Ways to Connect
Features
- Animations
- Flipbook
- Scenarios
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