Life Lesson Library

Where Stories Come to Life

Life Lesson Library is an exclusive social-emotional development curriculum available only at The Goddard School. Using great children’s literature and the characters within the stories, Life Lesson Library teaches children important skills that will help them get along with others and become good humans along the way.

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 families with the Let’s Have More Fun portion of Life Lesson Library, which offers practical guidance on how to effectively extend your child’s learning at home based on the skills they’re practicing at school. By engaging with the books, activities and targeted skills your child is learning, you will build deeper bonds and have even more meaningful family time as part of your regular routine.

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

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

Responsible Decision Making is the understanding of how the decisions you make have an impact on yourself and others. These skills include healthy and safe practices, ensuring the well-being of others and yourself, 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/