Behavior

Use these engaging downloadable activities to reinforce the lessons that Marcos learns in the storybook, Marcos, Did You Hear Me? The activities are designed to help young people in grades K-6 learn to actively listen to others. The five activities...

When children learn or try something new, they can easily get discouraged when things don't go as planned. They don't yet understand that mistakes and failure are parts of learning. Author and educator Bryan Smith has developed four excellent activities...

Flexible thinking allows people to think about things in new ways or to incorporate new information into a specific plan or idea. Flexible thinkers are often able to come up with more than one solution to a problem or challenge. The ability to think...

Self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior and to keep one's cool in the face of disappointment. These four activities developed by author Bryan Smith can help children with self-control. The lessons are designed to...

From standing up to a bully to speaking up when you're struggling in school to sharing concerns with a partner when you're an adult to advocating for what you need or want in a job, self-advocacy has many benefits. But it takes practice! Award-winning...

Too much stress STINKS! Students in grades K through 6 will identify the negative side effects of experiencing too much stress and develop healthy strategies for dealing with stressful situations. Reinforce the lesson from the storybook, Stress...

Initiative is the ability to start an activity, plan, or task. Learning how to take initiative and get things done is an important executive function skill for children. Author and educator Bryan Smith has developed five activities to accompany the...

Impulse control is an executive functioning skill that allows you think before you act and to prioritize long-term success over short-term gains. When you have good self-control, you are able to resist doing things that may be harmful to yourself or to...

Problem solving involves many other executive functioning behaviors, including reasoning, attention, planning, initiation, working memory, and self-monitoring. Teach your students problem solving skills with these activities that accompany the...

Sometimes making a choice is easy. Other times, it is quite hard. This is especially true when every option is less than ideal or simply stinks. Even when children think there are no good choices, they skill have to make a decision. Award-winning author...

The more people focus on the positive things happening in their lives, the more zest they will have. All students should be encouraged to find ways to look at their world through a positive lens. In this activity from ZEST: Live It! Activity Guide,...

Students will practice gathering information and persevering on the task of writing a survival guide. This activity will allow students to understand that many famous people displayed grit when they continued to try very hard even after experiencing...

By identifying areas within the school that they could improve, students will gain the knowledge of the steps needed to stay on task and work effectively as a group. Place students in groups and ask them to search for the top "100 Best Of..." This...

There are several items that exist today because they were discovered by mistake or by accident. As a class or in small groups, think of several ways of how an item that was invented by mistake has proven to be beneficial in our daily lives. This...

The purpose of this activity is for students to recognize and identify how to alter one's environment to improve a situation.  Students will review qualities that some people have that make it easier for them to overcome obstacles or challenges, and...

Students will practice self-correcting their behavior and take responsibility for their actions with this activity allowing the class to explore the idea that effort, not blaming others, will improve their future. To start off the activity, students will...