What is social emotional learning in the early grades?

It is the work of helping young students name what they feel, calm down when they are upset, get along with classmates, and make kind choices. At this age, most of it happens in real moments: lining up, sharing crayons, losing a game, missing a parent.

How can I help my child name their feelings at home?

When something happens, give the feeling a word out loud. Try saying things like, you look frustrated that the tower fell, or you seem proud of that drawing. Over time students start using those words themselves instead of melting down or shutting down.

What should I do when my child has a big meltdown?

Stay calm and wait it out before talking. Once the storm passes, walk through what happened and what could help next time, like taking deep breaths, asking for a hug, or stepping away for a minute. The goal is a small plan, not a lecture.

How do I work social emotional learning into a packed school day?

Most of it lives inside routines that already exist: morning meeting, transitions, recess problems, read-alouds. Pick two or three feeling words a week and use them in real moments. Direct lessons matter less than steady, consistent language across the day.

What does mastery look like by the end of second grade?

Students can name common feelings in themselves and others, use a calming strategy with a reminder, take turns and share, and ask an adult for help when something is wrong. They will not be consistent. They should be recognisable.

How do I help students who struggle with impulse control?

Make the expectation visible and small. Pair a clear signal with a short routine, like stop, breathe, choose, and practice it when students are calm so it is available when they are not. Catch and name the moments they use it.

How can I help my child get along with siblings or classmates?

Coach the words instead of solving the fight. Suggest lines like, can I have a turn when you are done, or I do not like that, please stop. Practising the words on a calm afternoon makes them easier to reach for in a real argument.

How do I teach perspective-taking to such young students?

Use stories and real classroom moments. Pause during a read-aloud and ask how a character might feel and why, then connect it to something that happened at recess. Repeated practice with concrete examples does more than any single lesson on empathy.

What does a student learn in ?

These are the years students start putting words to feelings instead of just acting them out. Students learn to name what they feel, take a breath when upset, and notice when a classmate needs help. They practice sharing, taking turns, and asking a grown-up when something goes wrong. By spring, students can say how they feel, calm down after a small upset, and work through a disagreement with a friend.

Naming feelings
Calming down
Kindness
Friendship skills
Asking for help
Making good choices

Source: Maryland Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards

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
Naming feelings and getting to know me
Students learn words for how they feel inside, like happy, frustrated, or nervous. They start to notice what they are good at and what feels hard, and to talk about themselves with confidence.
2
Calming down and staying on task
Students practice what to do when big feelings show up, like taking slow breaths or asking for a break. They work on waiting their turn, finishing what they start, and keeping their things in order.
3
Seeing things from someone else's side
Students learn that other kids and adults may feel or think differently than they do. They notice when a classmate needs help and learn who to go to at school, at home, and around their neighborhood.
4
Friendships and working things out
Students practice listening, sharing, and taking turns with classmates who are not always like them. They learn how to ask for help, how to say sorry, and what to do when two friends want different things.
5
Making good choices
Students stop and think before they act, especially when they are upset or tempted to do something unkind. They learn to ask what might happen next and to pick choices that are fair to themselves and others.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.

Social Emotional Learning

The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts

MD-SEL.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to notice their own feelings and thoughts, understand why they act the way they do, and recognize what they are good at and where they need to grow.
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts

MD-SEL.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice noticing big feelings and deciding how to respond. That includes calming down when upset, thinking before acting, and keeping track of their own tasks and responsibilities.
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…

MD-SEL.3.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice seeing situations from someone else's point of view and noticing how that person might feel. They also learn who they can turn to for help at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…

MD-SEL.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice getting along with others by listening, taking turns, solving disagreements, and asking for help when they need it.
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…

MD-SEL.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice stopping to think before acting. They weigh how a choice might help or hurt themselves and the people around them, then pick the option that is fair and kind.

Standard	Definition	Code
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students learn to notice their own feelings and thoughts, understand why they act the way they do, and recognize what they are good at and where they need to grow.	MD-SEL.1.k-2
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students practice noticing big feelings and deciding how to respond. That includes calming down when upset, thinking before acting, and keeping track of their own tasks and responsibilities.	MD-SEL.2.k-2
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others… Grades K-2	Students practice seeing situations from someone else's point of view and noticing how that person might feel. They also learn who they can turn to for help at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.	MD-SEL.3.k-2
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… Grades K-2	Students practice getting along with others by listening, taking turns, solving disagreements, and asking for help when they need it.	MD-SEL.4.k-2
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… Grades K-2	Students practice stopping to think before acting. They weigh how a choice might help or hurt themselves and the people around them, then pick the option that is fair and kind.	MD-SEL.5.k-2

Social Emotional Learning

The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts

MD-SEL.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to notice their own feelings and thoughts, understand why they act the way they do, and recognize what they are good at and where they need to grow.
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts

MD-SEL.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice noticing big feelings and deciding how to respond. That includes calming down when upset, thinking before acting, and keeping track of their own tasks and responsibilities.
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…

MD-SEL.3.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice seeing situations from someone else's point of view and noticing how that person might feel. They also learn who they can turn to for help at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…

MD-SEL.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice getting along with others by listening, taking turns, solving disagreements, and asking for help when they need it.
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…

MD-SEL.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice stopping to think before acting. They weigh how a choice might help or hurt themselves and the people around them, then pick the option that is fair and kind.

Standard	Definition	Code
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students learn to notice their own feelings and thoughts, understand why they act the way they do, and recognize what they are good at and where they need to grow.	MD-SEL.1.k-2
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts Grades K-2	Students practice noticing big feelings and deciding how to respond. That includes calming down when upset, thinking before acting, and keeping track of their own tasks and responsibilities.	MD-SEL.2.k-2
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others… Grades K-2	Students practice seeing situations from someone else's point of view and noticing how that person might feel. They also learn who they can turn to for help at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.	MD-SEL.3.k-2
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… Grades K-2	Students practice getting along with others by listening, taking turns, solving disagreements, and asking for help when they need it.	MD-SEL.4.k-2
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… Grades K-2	Students practice stopping to think before acting. They weigh how a choice might help or hurt themselves and the people around them, then pick the option that is fair and kind.	MD-SEL.5.k-2

Common Questions

What is social emotional learning in the early grades?
It is the work of helping young students name what they feel, calm down when they are upset, get along with classmates, and make kind choices. At this age, most of it happens in real moments: lining up, sharing crayons, losing a game, missing a parent.
How can I help my child name their feelings at home?
When something happens, give the feeling a word out loud. Try saying things like, you look frustrated that the tower fell, or you seem proud of that drawing. Over time students start using those words themselves instead of melting down or shutting down.
What should I do when my child has a big meltdown?
Stay calm and wait it out before talking. Once the storm passes, walk through what happened and what could help next time, like taking deep breaths, asking for a hug, or stepping away for a minute. The goal is a small plan, not a lecture.
How do I work social emotional learning into a packed school day?
Most of it lives inside routines that already exist: morning meeting, transitions, recess problems, read-alouds. Pick two or three feeling words a week and use them in real moments. Direct lessons matter less than steady, consistent language across the day.
What does mastery look like by the end of second grade?
Students can name common feelings in themselves and others, use a calming strategy with a reminder, take turns and share, and ask an adult for help when something is wrong. They will not be consistent. They should be recognisable.
How do I help students who struggle with impulse control?
Make the expectation visible and small. Pair a clear signal with a short routine, like stop, breathe, choose, and practice it when students are calm so it is available when they are not. Catch and name the moments they use it.
How can I help my child get along with siblings or classmates?
Coach the words instead of solving the fight. Suggest lines like, can I have a turn when you are done, or I do not like that, please stop. Practising the words on a calm afternoon makes them easier to reach for in a real argument.
How do I teach perspective-taking to such young students?
Use stories and real classroom moments. Pause during a read-aloud and ask how a character might feel and why, then connect it to something that happened at recess. Repeated practice with concrete examples does more than any single lesson on empathy.