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Life Lesson Library

Where Stories Come to Life

Life Lesson Library, an exclusive social-emotional development program, teaches children important skills that will help them get along with others and become good humans along the way.

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  • A logo of The Goddard School's Life Lesson Library with a colorful book that has a heart in the center.

    Life Lesson Library is unlike any other social-emotional development curriculum because it uses storytelling and Goddard’s F.L.EX.® framework (Fun Learning Experience) to help children build a strong social-emotional foundation. Through great books and playful learning activities, children are provided with natural and authentic ways to learn and develop five core skills[1]:

    • Relationship Skills • Responsible Decision Making
    • Self-Awareness • Self-Management • Social Awareness

    Teachers then bring stories to life by applying the skills children are learning to real-life scenarios that unfold in the classroom. This practice strengthens relationships among the children and allows them a chance to engage with natural consequences. And the learning won’t stop at school! Families will receive engaging at-home activities to do based on what the children are practicing in their classrooms. 

Life Lesson Library Books

There are 60 books currently in the Life Lesson Library curriculum: 30 for infants/toddlers and 30 for preschool/pre-K, which span across the five social-emotional skills.

Sample Book List – Self-Awareness

  • I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont and illustrated by David Catrow
  • Red, a Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall
  • The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
  • Lots of Feelings by Shelley Rotner
  • The Monster Who Lost His Mean by Tiffany Strelitz Haber and illustrated by Kirstie Edmunds
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Strengthening the Home-School Connection

Teachers will provide resources that will help you extend your child’s learning at home. By engaging with what your child is learning, you will build deeper, more meaningful bonds.

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Relationship Skills

Relationship Skills are essential to getting along with others. They include collaboration, communication, listening, dealing with conflict, seeking and giving, all of which support building healthy interpersonal relationships. 

Responsible Decision Making

Understanding how the decisions you make have an impact on yourself and others. These skills include developing personal ethics and understanding social norms.

Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness involves building a sense of self by recognizing your own emotions, your strengths and limitations and the consequences of your actions, which supports the development of confidence and personal well-being.

Self-Management

Self-Management is about the self-regulation of your emotions and actions. It includes the ability to adapt in different circumstances, managing stress and motivation, as well as planning and organizational skills.

Social Awareness

Social Awareness is about recognizing the people around you and in the world at large. These skills include building empathy, caring and social behaviors and appreciating diversity and inclusion. 

1. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). What Is the CASEL Framework? https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/

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