Are your materials appropriate for certain age groups in Everyday Speech?
Everyday Speech materials are designed to be appropriate for learners from preschool through high school and beyond. We recommend that learners have a foundational understanding of language to engage with fully and benefit from our social skills and social-emotional curriculum. Our videos, interactive activities, and printable materials feature dialogue and language that help students maximize the benefits of our platform.
To support students' comprehension, there are several suggested ways to scaffold and modify the materials. We recommend pre-teaching or previewing the material before introducing lessons, watching video lessons more than once, and utilizing visual and written supports.
How are the materials organized by age group?
Our Social Communication curriculum categorizes materials 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.
Additionally, our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum features five unique units for each grade level, from Pre-K through 12th grade, aligning with CASEL competencies. 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 child and help them grow but are not too difficult.
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).
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.
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.
Is Everyday Speech right for my students?
We believe that all students can benefit from Everyday Speech's social skills and social-emotional curriculum. Our materials are grounded in video modeling, an evidence-based strategy that emphasizes visual learning, making it accessible and engaging for a wide range of learners. Our videos and printable activities use language and dialogue to help students navigate social situations effectively. While a foundational understanding of language can enhance the learning experience, we've seen educators successfully use our materials with a diverse range of students, making thoughtful modifications and scaffolding as needed.
Our curriculum can support students at every level of skillsets, from emerging to intermediate/advanced. The key is to find the right entry point for each learner, whether they are developing foundational skills or refining more advanced competencies. Our materials are flexible and can be adapted to fit the unique needs of your students, ensuring that everyone can participate and benefit.
We recognize the diverse nature of student groups and understand that not every piece of content will apply to everyone. That's why we offer an extensive library of materials tailored to different age groups, from Pre-K through High School. Educators are fantastic at making modifications and scaffolding lessons to meet the unique needs of their students, and our resources are designed to support these efforts. Everyday Speech is committed to providing inclusive and supportive resources that help all learners build essential social skills in a way that is engaging, meaningful, and affirming of neurodiversity.