Everyday Speech materials are designed to support learners from preschool through high school and beyond. Learners benefit from engaging video modeling, interactive activities, printable materials, and games – all crafted with age appropriate language to maximize understanding. We recommend that learners have a foundational understanding of language to engage fully and benefit from our social skills curriculum.
To support students’ comprehension, there are several suggested ways to scaffold and modify the materials. Pre-teaching, previewing lessons, rewatching video content, and utilizing our visual and written supports enhance accessibility for learners with diverse needs.
Our Intervention Materials for Tiers 2 and 3 are categorized into three age groups: Pre-K & K, Elementary, and Middle & High School. This classification is based on the complexity of the skills covered, the age of the actors, and the vocabulary used. Scenes are crafted to be relatable to the intended age group, ensuring that students can connect with the actors and scenarios depicted. Many students find it beneficial to see peers of similar age modeling the skills, enhancing the learning experience.
Our Whole-Class Lessons (Tier 1) feature five unique units for each grade level, from Pre-K through 12th grade, organized by CASEL competency. This structure allows for developmentally appropriate content that supports students at every stage of their educational journey.
How do you define the level of a learner?
We suggest trying out different levels of materials to find lessons that are the best match. Ideally, these lessons will challenge your learner and help them grow but are not too difficult. When determining why a material is labeled as Emergent, Intermediate, or Advanced, it’s helpful to know that we considered these key criteria: complexity, cognitive demand, emotional depth, and skill application. Use these levels to help match resources to students’ current abilities, ensuring a tailored and effective learning experience.
Emergent: This may be a good place to start if your learner is below the age of 7, has limited cognitive abilities, or is brand new to a skill (i.e. it’s the first time they’ve started to work on it).
- Complexity: Activities are simple, often involving basic recognition or understanding of concepts. Instructions are clear and require minimal prior knowledge.
- Cognitive Demand: Low. Tasks involve identification or basic manipulation, with little to no abstract thinking.
- Emotional Depth: Focuses on basic emotions or simple emotional awareness. Does not require deep reflection or complex emotional regulation.
- Skill Application: Primarily involves initial exposure or practice in a highly structured environment with immediate, concrete outcomes.
Intermediate: This level of material may be best for your learner if they are within the ages of 7-13, are able to perform a skill with some help but not on their own, or have been working on a skill for some time and are ready for the next level of difficulty.
- Complexity: Activities involve a moderate level of complexity, with some degree of abstraction. They might require understanding multiple steps or perspectives.
- Cognitive Demand: Moderate. Tasks may involve some level of problem-solving, perspective-taking, or making connections between different ideas.
- Emotional Depth: Introduces more complex emotions and builds off of more basic, initial skills. Asks participants to reflect on their own and others' emotions.
- Skill Application: Encourages application of skills in slightly varied contexts, with some room for independent thought or interpretation.
Advanced: This level would be best for learners older than 13, are ready to be challenged by a skill, and can perform the skill with a small amount of help, or on their own in some settings but not in all. For example, an individual may understand when adults use sarcasm but have trouble understanding when peers are sarcastic.
- Complexity: Activities are more complex and may involve multiple interconnected concepts. Instructions could be more open-ended, and there may be various acceptable outcomes.
- Cognitive Demand: Moderate to High. Tasks involve critical thinking, deep reflection, synthesis of ideas, and problem-solving in less structured contexts.
- Emotional Depth: Engages with complex emotions and advanced emotional regulation strategies. Requires students to apply understanding in nuanced or challenging situations.
- Skill Application: Tasks often involve applying skills independently in varied and potentially unpredictable contexts, requiring adaptability and critical judgment.