I’ll be honest: I am not a huge fan of packaged social emotional learning and social skills curriculums. I generally feel that students respond best to more authentic and individualized programming. I like having the ability to tailor resources to what students need in any given moment in time, and to include their interests. This year, I was given access to the Social Explorers/We Thinkers curriculum from Social Thinking. I generally really love Social Thinking, but was a little hesitant. My opinions are generally pretty strong when it comes to SEL/social skills curriculums! I have heard so many good reviews that I had to dive in and at least give it a try. Good thing! We Thinkers/Social Explorers has maybe made me change my tune!
What’s the Social Explorers Curriculum?
This is a pre-made curriculum for young learners. The focus is on social skills and social emotional learning. It comes with a very comprehensive teacher guide as well as a set of picture books. There is a CD that accompanies the curriculum with great music, but it is sold separately. This curriculum was created by Michelle Garcia-Winner who is the creator of Social Thinking. You might be familiar with Superflex or Zones of Regulation, which are also made by Social Thinking. Michelle Garcia-Winner is a Speech Language Pathologistt! Language is super important to her and embedded fully and thoughtfully in all of her materials. Social Explorers was designed with young learners in mind (think preschool through 3rd grade at the oldest). It teaches social thinking (which Garcia-Winner refers to as “You+Me=Us”), flexibility, compromise, following a group plan, etc. through books and activities.
The picture books
Each picture book targets a specific concept. It gives examples and non-examples of the target behavior in very concrete ways. The curriculum guide (teacher guide) gives tons of examples and opportunities for extending learning as you go through each book. When I teach it, I like to do a half of a book in each lesson. The books are awesome, but they are a bit long if you’re working with really young students. The reason why the curriculum is called Social Explorers is because in each book, the same characters visit places like outer space, the zoo, and the ocean floor. These fun settings definitely get students excited and more immediately engaged in the book concept.
What makes it great?
So I personally love the Social Explorers curriculum because it’s super thorough. Truth be told, that’s generally why I don’t like curriculums! Ha! I definitely don’t do every activity when I am working through the curriculum book. I like to use other real life and photo examples when I can. It does help me that it’s ALL laid out, and the SLP-focused language within the curriculum gives fantastic ways to carry over strategies across the day. I also love that the teachers guide includes a note to send home to the students grown ups. This is so helpful for home carryover! My most used example would be “the group plan”. There is a dedicated picture book within the Social Explorers book set that’s focused to the group plan. Before starting activities, I like using language like, “The group plan is ______.” When a child is not following the group plan, it allows for helpful carry over. We can use reminding language for them to self check if they’re following the group plan or the “me plan”.
I also love using hand motions. I make them up myself, but I have found that making learning like this more active and hands on can help it stick in the brains of our youngest learners.
Extension activities
There are SO many extension activities and letters you can send home to caregivers with students. Also- there’s a Grammy Award Winning (…seriously!) CD that is available separately! It is completely aligned with the curriculum and has catchy beats and really cute and helpful lyrics. I would tread lightly here. Some students will definitely feel like they’re listening to baby nursery rhymes and that may hinder some essential buy-in. I have also found YouTube videos that include the Social Explorers songs. This can be a great connection, too! If you are noticing students struggling with one concept, this can be a great touch point (just throwing on the video). With the right delivery I do think the music can be a fun addition. This can help easily bring in the lessons again to reinforce during a different part of the day.
Don’t forget…
After awhile you will hopefully see the fruits of your labor! Using the vocabulary from Social Explorers is working. A dream come true! Don’t forget to clue in the other teachers your students see! Connecting with the PE teacher, art teacher, music teacher, speech language pathologist, special educators (and everyone else your students may encounter across a given day) is HUGE! Our students can struggle when they are expected to show appropriate behaviors in alternate settings. Having streamlined language can be incredibly helpful. Hosting a lunch & learn to give your colleagues a quick run down of the language and a cheat sheet of what to say can go a very long way in supporting kids and keeping the team cohesive.
Social Thinking alternatives to Social Explorers
Social Explorers was really designed for our youngest students in mind. If you teach older students, don’t worry – they have thought of literally everything. We know it’s possible that you still need to tackle these skills and related skills with older students. I like using Superflex with students in 3-6 grade. Superflex targets the same skills as Social Explorers, but also focuses on other important social skills like being overly competitive, personal space, and grumpy moods.
I also love using a variety of books that target social skills to keep the messages alive across the day and the school year. My favorite authors for really specific social emotional learning and social skills books are Julia Cook, Trudy Ludwig, and Bryan Smith.
Have you tried these lessons before?
