Stephanie Finne - I Feel Confident

TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS

Social and emotional learning (SEL) helps children manage emotions, create
and achieve goals, maintain relationships, learn how to feel empathy, and
make good decisions. The SEL approach will help children establish positive
habits in communication, cooperation, and decision-making. By incorporating
SEL in early reading, children will be better equipped to build confidence
and foster positive peer networks.

BEFORE READING

Talk to the reader about confidence. Explain that confidence comes from within.

Discuss: What does it feel like when you are confident?
What helps you feel confident?

AFTER READING

Talk to the reader about confidence and self-awareness.

Discuss: What are some things you are good at? How does doing
those things make you feel? What small goals can you set and achieve
to build confidence?

SEL GOAL

Some students may struggle with confidence. They may not be able to see
their own strengths. Help readers develop a vocabulary to voice their feelings.
Help them learn to stop and think about what they are good at and how that
makes them feel. Help build confidence by acknowledging achievements and
hard work.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER

CONFIDENCE IS KEY

Can you think of a time you felt proud?
Maybe it was the time you hit the winning
run. Or it could be when you got a perfect
score on a quiz. You felt good about yourself.
You knew you could do anything if you tried!

Feeling is believing in your
own abilities. When you are confident,
you see the good things you can do.
You trust in your own skills.

When we are confident, we are
comfortable talking to others.
We are comfortable feeling
heard. Have you seen friends or
classmates who are confident?
How do they speak and act?

Meg is comfortable speaking
in front of the class. How can
we tell? She makes eye contact.
She smiles. She uses .

Confidence shows in our
It helps
some of us walk tall and
proud. It helps some of
us speak up and look
at others when we do.

TRY IT!

Test out your confident body language.
Stand up straight with your shoulders
back. Keep your chin up. You could even
try standing like a superhero! Stand with
your feet apart and your hands on your
hips. How do you feel?

CHAPTER

GROWING
CONFIDENCE

Confidence helps build to try new
things. It also helps you mistakes.
When you are confident, you know you
can do anything if you try hard. It took
Mark all season to learn how to dive.
N ow he does it all the time!

Mark is ready to dive off of the
diving board! He trusts himself.
He knows that it might be scary,
but he has been practicing.
He can do it!

diving board

O ne way to build confidence is
through meeting . Steph
wants to learn to build a robot
on her own. She writes down
her goal. She makes a list of
steps she has to take to reach
it. Then she starts working on
them one at a time.

What is a goal you want to reach?
Start working on your steps.
There will likely be .
This is OK ! It takes effort to
accomplish a goal. Work hard
for it! Do not give up when
things are difficult. This is
called .

TALK WITH CONFIDENCE

You may doubt your abilities, especially if
you believe This can
sound like, This is too hard.
You may tell yourself you
cant do it. If that happens,
think positive! Tell yourself,
This is hard, but I can do it!

CHAPTER

SPREADING
CONFIDENCE

Sometimes it helps to share
your goals. Talk to your friends
about what you want to do.
Ask them what their goals
are. Celebrate when you
reach your goals. This will
help you all gain confidence.

Think of ways you can do what you are good
at every day. Help friends or classmates find
what they are good at. You can always work
on growing your confidence.

Maya and Tammy want to grow
confidence in their .
They help clean up the beach.
Doing kind things feels good.
They see how their work helps.
It is another way to spread
confidence to the world.

When you are confident, you feel
good about yourself. You want to
help others feel the same way.
You can spread confidence!
How will you do it?

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath.