Help Pre-K Students Make Smart Decisions: SEL Lesson and Guide

Pre KindergartenLesson: 216

Help Pre-K Students Make Smart Decisions: SEL Lesson and Guide

Decision-making is a crucial skill that everyone needs to learn. From simple choices to life-altering decisions, it is important to analyze situations, weigh options, and predict outcomes to make the right choices. But decision-making is not always easy, especially for pre-kindergartners who are just starting to learn about the world around them. That’s why this lesson for enhancing decision-making skills is so important.

Using an illustrative puppet play, a poster, and a progress chart, this lesson teaches pre-kindergartners what decision-making is, its importance in life, and how positive actions can help them make positive decisions. With this lesson, pre-kindergartners also learn a decision-making strategy that they can use in making their choices.

"For pre-kindergartners, making decisions can look like choosing between playing or studying, sharing their toys or not, and eating their vegetables or demanding something else. Although these may appear like simple tasks, these can greatly affect their future."

Starting with a puppet play featuring Squeak and Mimi, the students are introduced to the positive action of making decisions. Here, Squeak is facing a dilemma—which pair of socks should he wear? It’s a good thing that Mimi is there to teach him how to make decisions using a decision-making strategy, which the students find helpful.

Afterward, a very special friend joins the class. It’s none other than Sadie the Stoplight! Through a poster, Sadie the Stoplight teaches the students that decisions can be positive or negative, depending on their thoughts and choices. To help them keep positive thoughts and make positive choices, Sadie the Stoplight reminds pre-kindergartners of the secret to doing positive actions.

The lesson ends with the students making a promise to think positive thoughts and make positive choices. They agree to always practice the intellectual positive action of making positive decisions. Then, they mark their names on their Positive Behavior Chart.

For pre-kindergartners, making decisions can look like choosing between playing or studying, sharing their toys or not, and eating their vegetables or demanding something else. Although these may appear like simple tasks, these can greatly affect their future. Choosing to play rather than to study can build a negative habit of not taking their academics or work seriously. Not sharing their toys can negatively impact their social skills and relationships with others. Finally, their choice of food can affect their health and strength. This lesson on decision-making is crucial for the students to learn, as it is an essential life skill that is significant for their development, life, and success.

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