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Second Step

Positive Pieces Education

Second Step is a social emotional learning (SEL) program designed to increase student school success and decrease challenging behaviours by promoting social-emotional competence and self-regulation.

  • Online

Pricing: Paid

Origin: Developed elsewhere but applicable for Australian schools

Affiliations: Approved elsewhere: AIFS, Be You

Product type: Program; Posters; Online resources (e.g. videos, games, tools, readings); Activity sheets; Student activities; Learning modules; Class lesson plans

Contact details

Positive Pieces Education
ABN: 62 617 428 225

https://www.positivepieces.org/second-step

info@positivepieces.org

Focus areas

  • Positive relationships

  • Belonging and inclusion

  • Mental health literacy and life skills

  • Self-regulation and engagement

  • Resilience and optimism

  • Self-esteem and body image

  • Respectful relationships and consent education

Curriculum alignment

  • Health and PE

Prospective users

Audience: Whole school universal (Tier 1), Whole class universal (Tier 1)

Context: School or centre-based, E-schools

Main beneficiaries: Early learning, Foundation/Prep, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6

Delivery style: Classroom teacher is trained

Aims & approach

Second Step SEL targets key risk and protective factors linked to a range of challenging behaviours. Equipping students in Early Learning to Year 8 with Second Step skills helps a school create a safer, more respectful learning environment that promotes school success for all.

Through explicit instruction, the Second Step program teaches students the skills they need to be successful in school. With each unit, students build self-regulation and social-emotional skills that support their academic achievement and prevent them from engaging in harmful behaviours. Students improve their ability to learn, have empathy, manage emotions, and solve problems.

There are three programs: Early Learning (Ages 3-5), Primary School (Foundation-Year 6), and Middle School (Year 7-8). Everything required to teach a program year over year, is included in the initial, one-off purchase:

  • scripted lessons (and all lesson materials including planning notes, posters and handouts)
  • online streaming lesson media
  • online training for all staff
  • home links and family resources
  • implementation support resources
  • teaching strategies

Implementation support

  • Implementation training webinars or modules
  • Ongoing helpdesk, email or phone support

Evidence

Based on CASEL Theoretical Framework of Social and Emotional Learning.

Low et al.(2015). Promoting social–emotional competence: An evaluation of the elementary version of Second Step. Journal of School Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2015.09.002

Cook et al. (2018). Evaluation of Second Step on early elementary students’ academic outcomes: A randomized controlled trial. School Psychology Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000233

Low et al.(2019). Two-year impact of a universal social-emotional learning curriculum: Group differences from developmentally sensitive trends over time. Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000621