What does social emotional learning look like at this age?

Students learn to name what they are feeling, calm themselves down when upset, and notice how their actions affect others. They also practice working in groups, solving small disagreements, and making choices they feel good about later.

How can I help my child handle big feelings at home?

When students get upset, name the feeling out loud and give them a quiet moment before talking it through. Simple habits like deep breaths, a short walk, or counting to ten teach them that strong feelings pass and can be managed.

What can I do if my child struggles to make or keep friends?

Practice short conversations at home, like how to join a game or how to apologize after a small mistake. Talking through real moments from the school day helps students see other points of view and try new words next time.

How should I sequence social emotional skills across the year?

Start with self-awareness and naming emotions in the first weeks, then move into self-management routines like calming strategies and goal setting. Save group skills, conflict resolution, and decision making for later in the year, once students trust the room.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Impulse control and conflict resolution take the longest. Most students can name a feeling by midyear, but pausing before reacting and repairing a disagreement with a peer often needs steady practice through spring.

How do I help my child set and stick to a goal?

Pick one small goal together, like reading for ten minutes after dinner or packing the backpack each night. Check in at the end of the week and talk about what worked, what got in the way, and what to try next.

How can I tell if students are ready for middle school socially?

By the end of the year, students should be able to name their feelings, calm down without an adult, and work through a small disagreement with a peer. They should also ask for help when they need it and think about how a choice affects others before acting.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the stretch when students move from naming feelings to managing them on their own. Students learn to notice what sets off a strong emotion, try a calming strategy, and keep working toward a goal even when something gets in the way. They also start to see a situation from a classmate's point of view, especially when the other person grew up differently. By spring, students can talk through a disagreement with a friend and pick a next step that works for both of them.

Managing emotions
Empathy
Friendships
Conflict resolution
Goal setting
Responsible choices

Source: Maine Maine Learning Results

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Knowing yourself
Students learn to name what they feel and notice what they are good at. They start to see how a mood or a worry can change the way they act at school or at home.
2
Handling big feelings
Students practice calming down when frustrated, waiting their turn, and keeping their materials in order. They set small goals and track what helps them stick with hard work.
3
Seeing other points of view
Students learn to picture how a classmate or family member might feel in the same moment. They notice that people from different homes and backgrounds can see the same event in different ways.
4
Getting along with others
Students work on speaking up clearly, listening, and sharing the load in group projects. They practice working through a disagreement without shutting down or shutting someone out.
5
Making good choices
Students think before they act by weighing what could happen next for themselves and the people around them. They learn to pause, consider options, and pick the choice that holds up later.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 5.

Social Emotional Learning

The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts

ME-SEL.1.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students learn to notice their own feelings and thoughts, understand how those feelings shape what they do, and recognize what they are good at and where they need to grow.
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts

ME-SEL.2.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students practice pausing before reacting, handling frustration without losing focus, and keeping track of their own responsibilities. These habits help them work through hard moments and follow through on goals they set for themselves.
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…

ME-SEL.3.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students practice seeing a situation from someone else's point of view, including people whose lives look different from their own. They also learn to spot the adults and resources around them at school, at home, and in their community who can help.
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…

ME-SEL.4.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students practice getting along with different kinds of people by listening well, working as a team, and sorting out disagreements. They also learn when to ask for help and when to offer it.
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…

ME-SEL.5.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students practice weighing their options before acting: what might go wrong, who could be affected, and whether a choice is fair to themselves and others.

Standard	Definition	Code
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts Grades 3-5	Students learn to notice their own feelings and thoughts, understand how those feelings shape what they do, and recognize what they are good at and where they need to grow.	ME-SEL.1.3-5
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts Grades 3-5	Students practice pausing before reacting, handling frustration without losing focus, and keeping track of their own responsibilities. These habits help them work through hard moments and follow through on goals they set for themselves.	ME-SEL.2.3-5
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others… Grades 3-5	Students practice seeing a situation from someone else's point of view, including people whose lives look different from their own. They also learn to spot the adults and resources around them at school, at home, and in their community who can help.	ME-SEL.3.3-5
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… Grades 3-5	Students practice getting along with different kinds of people by listening well, working as a team, and sorting out disagreements. They also learn when to ask for help and when to offer it.	ME-SEL.4.3-5
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… Grades 3-5	Students practice weighing their options before acting: what might go wrong, who could be affected, and whether a choice is fair to themselves and others.	ME-SEL.5.3-5

Social Emotional Learning

The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts

ME-SEL.1.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students learn to notice their own feelings and thoughts, understand how those feelings shape what they do, and recognize what they are good at and where they need to grow.
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts

ME-SEL.2.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students practice pausing before reacting, handling frustration without losing focus, and keeping track of their own responsibilities. These habits help them work through hard moments and follow through on goals they set for themselves.
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…

ME-SEL.3.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students practice seeing a situation from someone else's point of view, including people whose lives look different from their own. They also learn to spot the adults and resources around them at school, at home, and in their community who can help.
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…

ME-SEL.4.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students practice getting along with different kinds of people by listening well, working as a team, and sorting out disagreements. They also learn when to ask for help and when to offer it.
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…

ME-SEL.5.3-5

Grades 3-5

Students practice weighing their options before acting: what might go wrong, who could be affected, and whether a choice is fair to themselves and others.

Standard	Definition	Code
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts Grades 3-5	Students learn to notice their own feelings and thoughts, understand how those feelings shape what they do, and recognize what they are good at and where they need to grow.	ME-SEL.1.3-5
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts Grades 3-5	Students practice pausing before reacting, handling frustration without losing focus, and keeping track of their own responsibilities. These habits help them work through hard moments and follow through on goals they set for themselves.	ME-SEL.2.3-5
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others… Grades 3-5	Students practice seeing a situation from someone else's point of view, including people whose lives look different from their own. They also learn to spot the adults and resources around them at school, at home, and in their community who can help.	ME-SEL.3.3-5
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… Grades 3-5	Students practice getting along with different kinds of people by listening well, working as a team, and sorting out disagreements. They also learn when to ask for help and when to offer it.	ME-SEL.4.3-5
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… Grades 3-5	Students practice weighing their options before acting: what might go wrong, who could be affected, and whether a choice is fair to themselves and others.	ME-SEL.5.3-5

Common Questions

What does social emotional learning look like at this age?
Students learn to name what they are feeling, calm themselves down when upset, and notice how their actions affect others. They also practice working in groups, solving small disagreements, and making choices they feel good about later.
How can I help my child handle big feelings at home?
When students get upset, name the feeling out loud and give them a quiet moment before talking it through. Simple habits like deep breaths, a short walk, or counting to ten teach them that strong feelings pass and can be managed.
What can I do if my child struggles to make or keep friends?
Practice short conversations at home, like how to join a game or how to apologize after a small mistake. Talking through real moments from the school day helps students see other points of view and try new words next time.
How should I sequence social emotional skills across the year?
Start with self-awareness and naming emotions in the first weeks, then move into self-management routines like calming strategies and goal setting. Save group skills, conflict resolution, and decision making for later in the year, once students trust the room.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Impulse control and conflict resolution take the longest. Most students can name a feeling by midyear, but pausing before reacting and repairing a disagreement with a peer often needs steady practice through spring.
How do I help my child set and stick to a goal?
Pick one small goal together, like reading for ten minutes after dinner or packing the backpack each night. Check in at the end of the week and talk about what worked, what got in the way, and what to try next.
How can I tell if students are ready for middle school socially?
By the end of the year, students should be able to name their feelings, calm down without an adult, and work through a small disagreement with a peer. They should also ask for help when they need it and think about how a choice affects others before acting.