Ages 6-7 · Book 1, Accountability · 4,299 places
First Grade SEL
Six-year-olds can name a feeling and still go straight to the behaviour. The gap between the two is the year's work.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Red Block — “Big feelings. Small choices. Real accountability.” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Open with the story, not the lesson — the lesson lands after
- Session 2
Small groups: where does this show up in our room, specifically
- Session 3
The adult goes first, with a real example that cost them something
- Session 4
Each child writes the one step they take before next week
- Session 5
Follow up by name the following week and ask what happened
Questions leaders ask
Is first grade sel in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is accountability — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 6-7. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
How long does a session take in a your area classroom?
Twenty to thirty minutes, structured as read-aloud, small group, and one step each child names out loud before they leave the room.
Does this need a specialist to deliver?
No. It is written for the classroom teacher, the counselor, or whoever has the room that period. The leader script carries the questions and the follow-ups.
The rules that make it work
This is a character story, not a behaviour plan
Ellis Abel is a core-values series. No child is assessed, scored, diagnosed or labelled anywhere in it. It gives a room shared language, and it stops there.
Big feelings are not misbehaviour
A four-year-old at full volume is not defying anyone. Treating the feeling as an offence teaches a child to hide it, which is the opposite of the skill.
Name first, always
Every attempt to fix a feeling before naming it fails, and it fails loudly. The order in the book is the order in the room.
Ownership is small and specific
"Be responsible" means nothing at four. One job, done alone, every day, means everything, and it generalises on its own.
Adults go first
The adult naming their own feeling out loud in front of the child does more work than any session. Children copy what they see under pressure.
Routines beat reminders
A routine a child can recite is theirs. A reminder an adult repeats is the adult's, and it has to be repeated forever.
First Grade SEL by metro area
Northeast
- First Grade SEL — New York, NY
- First Grade SEL — Philadelphia, PA
- First Grade SEL — Boston, MA
- First Grade SEL — Pittsburgh, PA
- First Grade SEL — Providence, RI
- First Grade SEL — Hartford, CT
- First Grade SEL — Buffalo, NY
- First Grade SEL — Rochester, NY
- First Grade SEL — Bridgeport, CT
- First Grade SEL — Albany, NY
- First Grade SEL — Worcester, MA
- First Grade SEL — Allentown, PA
- First Grade SEL — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- First Grade SEL — Syracuse, NY
- First Grade SEL — Harrisburg, PA
- First Grade SEL — New Haven, CT
- First Grade SEL — Portland, ME
- First Grade SEL — Scranton, PA
- First Grade SEL — Lancaster, PA
- First Grade SEL — York, PA
- First Grade SEL — Springfield, MA
- First Grade SEL — Waterbury, CT
- First Grade SEL — Reading, PA
- First Grade SEL — Manchester, NH
- First Grade SEL — Trenton, NJ
- First Grade SEL — Atlantic City, NJ
- First Grade SEL — Utica, NY
- First Grade SEL — Norwich, CT
- First Grade SEL — Erie, PA
- First Grade SEL — Binghamton, NY
- First Grade SEL — Barnstable, MA
- First Grade SEL — Burlington, VT
- First Grade SEL — Kingston, NY
- First Grade SEL — Amherst, MA
- First Grade SEL — Chambersburg, PA
- First Grade SEL — Bangor, ME
- First Grade SEL — State College, PA
- First Grade SEL — Vineland, NJ
- First Grade SEL — Lebanon, PA
- First Grade SEL — Johnstown, PA
- First Grade SEL — Pittsfield, MA
- First Grade SEL — Glens Falls, NY
- First Grade SEL — Altoona, PA
- First Grade SEL — Lewiston, ME
- First Grade SEL — Williamsport, PA
- First Grade SEL — Watertown, NY
- First Grade SEL — Gettysburg, PA
- First Grade SEL — Ithaca, NY
- First Grade SEL — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- First Grade SEL — Chicago, IL
- First Grade SEL — Detroit, MI
- First Grade SEL — Minneapolis, MN
- First Grade SEL — St. Louis, MO
- First Grade SEL — Cincinnati, OH
- First Grade SEL — Kansas City, MO
- First Grade SEL — Columbus, OH
- First Grade SEL — Indianapolis, IN
- First Grade SEL — Cleveland, OH
- First Grade SEL — Milwaukee, WI
- First Grade SEL — Grand Rapids, MI
- First Grade SEL — Omaha, NE
- First Grade SEL — Dayton, OH
- First Grade SEL — Des Moines, IA
- First Grade SEL — Madison, WI
- First Grade SEL — Akron, OH
- First Grade SEL — Wichita, KS
- First Grade SEL — Toledo, OH
- First Grade SEL — Springfield, MO
- First Grade SEL — Lansing, MI
- First Grade SEL — Fort Wayne, IN
- First Grade SEL — Youngstown, OH
- First Grade SEL — Flint, MI
- First Grade SEL — Canton, OH
- First Grade SEL — Davenport, IA
- First Grade SEL — Ann Arbor, MI
- First Grade SEL — Peoria, IL
- First Grade SEL — Lincoln, NE
- First Grade SEL — Rockford, IL
- First Grade SEL — Green Bay, WI
- First Grade SEL — South Bend, IN
- First Grade SEL — Sioux Falls, SD
- First Grade SEL — Duluth, MN
- First Grade SEL — Cedar Rapids, IA
- First Grade SEL — Evansville, IN
- First Grade SEL — Fargo, ND
- First Grade SEL — Kalamazoo, MI
- First Grade SEL — Appleton, WI
- First Grade SEL — Champaign, IL
- First Grade SEL — Topeka, KS
- First Grade SEL — Rochester, MN
- First Grade SEL — Lafayette, IN
- First Grade SEL — Columbia, MO
- First Grade SEL — Joplin, MO
- First Grade SEL — Elkhart, IN
- First Grade SEL — Springfield, IL
- First Grade SEL — St. Cloud, MN
- First Grade SEL — Racine, WI
- First Grade SEL — Saginaw, MI
- First Grade SEL — Iowa City, IA
- First Grade SEL — Muskegon, MI
- First Grade SEL — Eau Claire, WI
- First Grade SEL — Oshkosh, WI
- First Grade SEL — Bloomington, IL
- First Grade SEL — La Crosse, WI
- First Grade SEL — Terre Haute, IN
- First Grade SEL — Waterloo, IA
- First Grade SEL — Kenosha, WI
- First Grade SEL — Janesville, WI
- First Grade SEL — Bloomington, IN
- First Grade SEL — Jackson, MI
- First Grade SEL — Traverse City, MI
- First Grade SEL — Rapid City, SD
- First Grade SEL — Monroe, MI
- First Grade SEL — Jefferson City, MO
- First Grade SEL — Niles, MI
- First Grade SEL — Sioux City, IA
- First Grade SEL — Bismarck, ND
- First Grade SEL — Wausau, WI
- First Grade SEL — Manhattan, KS
- First Grade SEL — Springfield, OH
- First Grade SEL — Battle Creek, MI
- First Grade SEL — Ames, IA
- First Grade SEL — Mansfield, OH
- First Grade SEL — Lawrence, KS
- First Grade SEL — St. Joseph, MO
- First Grade SEL — Sheboygan, WI
- First Grade SEL — Muncie, IN
- First Grade SEL — Sandusky, OH
- First Grade SEL — Michigan City, IN
- First Grade SEL — Kankakee, IL
- First Grade SEL — Grand Forks, ND
- First Grade SEL — Mankato, MN
- First Grade SEL — Fond du Lac, WI
- First Grade SEL — Bay City, MI
- First Grade SEL — Lima, OH
- First Grade SEL — Dubuque, IA
- First Grade SEL — Decatur, IL
- First Grade SEL — Cape Girardeau, MO
- First Grade SEL — Columbus, IN
- First Grade SEL — Kokomo, IN
- First Grade SEL — Midland, MI
- First Grade SEL — Grand Island, NE
- First Grade SEL — Minot, ND
South
- First Grade SEL — Dallas, TX
- First Grade SEL — Houston, TX
- First Grade SEL — Atlanta, GA
- First Grade SEL — Washington, DC
- First Grade SEL — Miami, FL
- First Grade SEL — Tampa, FL
- First Grade SEL — Orlando, FL
- First Grade SEL — Charlotte, NC
- First Grade SEL — Baltimore, MD
- First Grade SEL — San Antonio, TX
- First Grade SEL — Austin, TX
- First Grade SEL — Nashville, TN
- First Grade SEL — Virginia Beach, VA
- First Grade SEL — Jacksonville, FL
- First Grade SEL — Raleigh, NC
- First Grade SEL — Oklahoma City, OK
- First Grade SEL — Louisville, KY
- First Grade SEL — Richmond, VA
- First Grade SEL — Memphis, TN
- First Grade SEL — Birmingham, AL
- First Grade SEL — Tulsa, OK
- First Grade SEL — Greenville, SC
- First Grade SEL — New Orleans, LA
- First Grade SEL — Knoxville, TN
- First Grade SEL — Sarasota metro area, FL
- First Grade SEL — McAllen, TX
- First Grade SEL — Charleston, SC
- First Grade SEL — Baton Rouge, LA
- First Grade SEL — El Paso, TX
- First Grade SEL — Columbia, SC
- First Grade SEL — Cape Coral, FL
- First Grade SEL — Lakeland, FL
- First Grade SEL — Greensboro, NC
- First Grade SEL — Little Rock, AR
- First Grade SEL — Deltona, FL
- First Grade SEL — Winston-Salem, NC
- First Grade SEL — Palm Bay, FL
- First Grade SEL — Augusta, GA
- First Grade SEL — Durham, NC
- First Grade SEL — Fayetteville, AR
- First Grade SEL — Jackson, MS
- First Grade SEL — Chattanooga, TN
- First Grade SEL — Port St. Lucie, FL
- First Grade SEL — Huntsville, AL
- First Grade SEL — Pensacola, FL
- First Grade SEL — Lexington, KY
- First Grade SEL — Killeen, TX
- First Grade SEL — Wilmington, NC
- First Grade SEL — Corpus Christi, TX
- First Grade SEL — Ocala, FL
- First Grade SEL — Savannah, GA
- First Grade SEL — Brownsville, TX
- First Grade SEL — Gulfport, MS
- First Grade SEL — Myrtle Beach, SC
- First Grade SEL — Lafayette, LA
- First Grade SEL — Asheville, NC
- First Grade SEL — Naples, FL
- First Grade SEL — Mobile, AL
- First Grade SEL — Spartanburg, SC
- First Grade SEL — Beaumont, TX
- First Grade SEL — Tallahassee, FL
- First Grade SEL — Fayetteville, NC
- First Grade SEL — Montgomery, AL
- First Grade SEL — Shreveport, LA
- First Grade SEL — Hickory, NC
- First Grade SEL — Lubbock, TX
- First Grade SEL — Huntington, WV
- First Grade SEL — Gainesville, FL
- First Grade SEL — Clarksville, TN
- First Grade SEL — Columbus, GA
- First Grade SEL — Roanoke, VA
- First Grade SEL — Hagerstown, MD
- First Grade SEL — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- First Grade SEL — Kingsport, TN
- First Grade SEL — Waco, TX
- First Grade SEL — Longview, TX
- First Grade SEL — College Station, TX
- First Grade SEL — Tuscaloosa, AL
- First Grade SEL — Laredo, TX
- First Grade SEL — Slidell, LA
- First Grade SEL — Amarillo, TX
- First Grade SEL — Lynchburg, VA
- First Grade SEL — Daphne, AL
- First Grade SEL — Tyler, TX
- First Grade SEL — Lake Charles, LA
- First Grade SEL — Hilton Head Island, SC
- First Grade SEL — Macon, GA
- First Grade SEL — Fort Smith, AR
- First Grade SEL — Panama City, FL
- First Grade SEL — Charlottesville, VA
- First Grade SEL — Gainesville, GA
- First Grade SEL — Athens, GA
- First Grade SEL — Monroe, LA
- First Grade SEL — Punta Gorda, FL
- First Grade SEL — Jacksonville, NC
- First Grade SEL — Johnson City, TN
- First Grade SEL — Lexington Park, MD
- First Grade SEL — Warner Robins, GA
- First Grade SEL — Auburn, AL
- First Grade SEL — Florence, SC
- First Grade SEL — Charleston, WV
- First Grade SEL — Houma, LA
- First Grade SEL — Bowling Green, KY
- First Grade SEL — Dover, DE
- First Grade SEL — Midland, TX
- First Grade SEL — Burlington, NC
- First Grade SEL — Abilene, TX
- First Grade SEL — Jackson, TN
- First Grade SEL — Greenville, NC
- First Grade SEL — Blacksburg, VA
- First Grade SEL — Odessa, TX
- First Grade SEL — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- First Grade SEL — Homosassa Springs, FL
- First Grade SEL — Decatur, AL
- First Grade SEL — Hattiesburg, MS
- First Grade SEL — The Villages metro area, FL
- First Grade SEL — Florence, AL
- First Grade SEL — Dothan, AL
- First Grade SEL — Sherman, TX
- First Grade SEL — Valdosta, GA
- First Grade SEL — Winchester, VA
- First Grade SEL — Wichita Falls, TX
- First Grade SEL — Rocky Mount, NC
- First Grade SEL — Alexandria, LA
- First Grade SEL — Dalton, GA
- First Grade SEL — Texarkana, TX
- First Grade SEL — Albany, GA
- First Grade SEL — Morgantown, WV
- First Grade SEL — Hammond, LA
- First Grade SEL — Harrisonburg, VA
- First Grade SEL — Jonesboro, AR
- First Grade SEL — Wheeling, WV
- First Grade SEL — Cleveland, TN
- First Grade SEL — Salisbury, MD
- First Grade SEL — Staunton, VA
- First Grade SEL — Morristown, TN
- First Grade SEL — Elizabethtown, KY
- First Grade SEL — Lawton, OK
- First Grade SEL — Goldsboro, NC
- First Grade SEL — San Angelo, TX
- First Grade SEL — Brunswick, GA
- First Grade SEL — Anniston, AL
- First Grade SEL — Owensboro, KY
- First Grade SEL — Steubenville, WV
- First Grade SEL — Sebring, FL
- First Grade SEL — Pinehurst, NC
- First Grade SEL — Beckley, WV
- First Grade SEL — Sumter, SC
- First Grade SEL — Gadsden, AL
- First Grade SEL — Paducah, KY
- First Grade SEL — Rome, GA
- First Grade SEL — Victoria, TX
- First Grade SEL — Hot Springs, AR
- First Grade SEL — Hinesville, GA
- First Grade SEL — Parkersburg, WV
- First Grade SEL — Enid, OK
- First Grade SEL — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- First Grade SEL — Los Angeles, CA
- First Grade SEL — Phoenix, AZ
- First Grade SEL — Riverside, CA
- First Grade SEL — San Francisco, CA
- First Grade SEL — Seattle, WA
- First Grade SEL — San Diego, CA
- First Grade SEL — Denver, CO
- First Grade SEL — Portland, OR
- First Grade SEL — Sacramento, CA
- First Grade SEL — Las Vegas, NV
- First Grade SEL — San Jose, CA
- First Grade SEL — Salt Lake City, UT
- First Grade SEL — Fresno, CA
- First Grade SEL — Tucson, AZ
- First Grade SEL — Honolulu, HI
- First Grade SEL — Bakersfield, CA
- First Grade SEL — Albuquerque, NM
- First Grade SEL — Boise, ID
- First Grade SEL — Oxnard, CA
- First Grade SEL — Stockton, CA
- First Grade SEL — Colorado Springs, CO
- First Grade SEL — Provo, UT
- First Grade SEL — Ogden, UT
- First Grade SEL — Spokane, WA
- First Grade SEL — Reno, NV
- First Grade SEL — Modesto, CA
- First Grade SEL — Santa Rosa, CA
- First Grade SEL — Visalia, CA
- First Grade SEL — Vallejo, CA
- First Grade SEL — Salem, OR
- First Grade SEL — Santa Maria, CA
- First Grade SEL — Salinas, CA
- First Grade SEL — Anchorage, AK
- First Grade SEL — Eugene, OR
- First Grade SEL — Greeley, CO
- First Grade SEL — Fort Collins, CO
- First Grade SEL — Boulder, CO
- First Grade SEL — Kennewick, WA
- First Grade SEL — Olympia, WA
- First Grade SEL — Merced, CA
- First Grade SEL — Bremerton, WA
- First Grade SEL — San Luis Obispo, CA
- First Grade SEL — Bend, OR
- First Grade SEL — Yakima, WA
- First Grade SEL — Santa Cruz, CA
- First Grade SEL — Prescott metro area, AZ
- First Grade SEL — Bellingham, WA
- First Grade SEL — Las Cruces, NM
- First Grade SEL — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- First Grade SEL — Yuma, AZ
- First Grade SEL — Medford, OR
- First Grade SEL — St. George, UT
- First Grade SEL — Chico, CA
- First Grade SEL — Billings, MT
- First Grade SEL — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- First Grade SEL — Yuba City, CA
- First Grade SEL — Redding, CA
- First Grade SEL — El Centro, CA
- First Grade SEL — Idaho Falls, ID
- First Grade SEL — Pueblo, CO
- First Grade SEL — Grand Junction, CO
- First Grade SEL — Logan, UT
- First Grade SEL — Maui, HI
- First Grade SEL — Santa Fe, NM
- First Grade SEL — Hanford, CA
- First Grade SEL — Flagstaff, AZ
- First Grade SEL — Mount Vernon, WA
- First Grade SEL — Napa, CA
- First Grade SEL — Albany, OR
- First Grade SEL — Bozeman, MT
- First Grade SEL — Missoula, MT
- First Grade SEL — Wenatchee, WA
- First Grade SEL — Sierra Vista, AZ
- First Grade SEL — Twin Falls, ID
- First Grade SEL — Farmington, NM
- First Grade SEL — Longview, WA
- First Grade SEL — Cheyenne, WY
- First Grade SEL — Corvallis, OR
- First Grade SEL — Helena, MT
- First Grade SEL — Fairbanks, AK
- First Grade SEL — Pocatello, ID
- First Grade SEL — Grants Pass, OR
- First Grade SEL — Great Falls, MT
- First Grade SEL — Casper, WY
- First Grade SEL — Lewiston, ID
- First Grade SEL — Walla Walla, WA
- First Grade SEL — Carson City, NV
Cities and all 3,143 US counties are covered too — every place page is live. The campaign sitemap lists every one.
Related programs
Kindergarten SELAges 5-6
Second Grade SELAges 7-8
Morning MeetingAges 5-9
Classroom AgreementsAges 5-9
Classroom Calm CornerAges 5-9
Counselor Small GroupAges 5-10
Restorative PracticesAges 5-11
Behavior SupportAges 5-11
Tier One SELAges 5-11
Cafeteria and RecessAges 5-11
On the BusAges 5-11
Substitute-ReadyAges 5-10