The program includes a scope and sequence of 32 weekly lessons (8 lessons per school term) with each lesson consisting of learning intentions and success criteria. Lessons teach young children the Personal and Social Capabilities as described in the ACARA Personal and Social Capability learning continuum for Foundation Year and listed at the beginning of each lesson.

It also includes a Survey of Young Children's Social and Emotional Skills covering different aspects of

• Confidence (work, social, non-verbal), Persistence (work, chore),
  
• Organisation (goal orientation, active listening, time management, taking care of things),
  
• Getting Along (peer interaction, behavioural responsibility, conflict resolution, positive classroom behaviour, social responsibility), and
  
• Resilience (emotional self-regulation, behavioural self-control). A summary profile is also provided. 
  

Ideal for surveying all students or 'at risk' students during the middle of the school year and at the end. Great source of information for parent-teacher conferences.

The YCDI! Education Early Childhood Program is part of the New Program Achieve - Primary program. Please see our separate catalogue listing if you would like to learn more about and purchase the NEW Program Achieve social and emotional curriculum (Years 1 – 6).

The 32 lessons at each year level are organised to be delivered across four terms and cover the following topics:

1. Achievement: Work Confidence (growth mindset), Persistence, Organisation and Teamwork

2. Relationships: Values, Character Strengths and Getting Along Skills

3. Well-being. Resilience and Happiness (awareness, self-management, ABCs of emotions, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness) and

4. Social-Emotional Blockers: awareness and management of anger, not paying attention, procrastination, worry, feeling down.

Program Achieve has been recognised by the Australian government’s KidsMatter Mental Health and Wellbeing initiative as being a ‘best practice’ program meeting all essential criteria including evidence from research of effectiveness.

Lessons have been created based on the following framework.

Each social-emotional learning lesson addresses one or more aspects of the ACARA national curriculum's Personal and Social Capabilities.

The New Program Achieve curriculum has been written by 10 highly experienced teachers in social and emotional learning, along with Professor Michael Bernard.

Each lesson begins with a statement of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria followed by a lesson plan that includes the following elements:

1. Engage student

2. Share learning intentions and success criteria

3. Explicit teaching

4. Student activities

5. Students demonstrate success criteria and reflect

6. Weekly goal setting challenge

7. Coaching Points for the Week

This program is available online with teachers accessing digital lessons and being able to download Teacher Guides and Student Worksheets and a set of five hand puppets featured in the YCDI! Early Childhood Program Achieve (2nd Edition): Connie Confidence, Pete Persistence, Oscar Organisation, Gabby Get Along, Ricky Resilience

The NEW Program Achieve - Secondary includes 32 activities to be taught to students in years 7 & 8 and an additional 32 activities to be taught to students in years 9 & 10.

The activities are organised to be delivered across four terms and cover the following topics

1. Achievement. Work Confidence (growth mindset), Persistence, Organisation and Teamwork,

2. Relationships.  Values, Character Strengths and Getting Along Skills,

3. Wellbeing. Resilience and Happiness  - (self-awareness, self-management, ABCs, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness), and

4. Social-Emotional Blockers. Anger, Not Paying Attention, Procrastination, Worry and Feeling Down (awareness and self-management).

Each social-emotional learning activity addresses an aspect of the ACARA national curriculum's Personal and Social Capabilities.

Activities take 20+ minutes of class time to present to students and can be offered flexibly throughout the school week in either Home Groups, personal and social development classes or health and physical education. 

There is a psychological and neuro-scientific research-based foundation of the successful mind course. The collective work of cognitive-behavioural psychologists (Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck, Martin Seligman, Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth) has identified a range of both positive and negative attitudes that determine the ways people think (self-talk), feel and behave. CASEL and ACARA have identified core social-emotional skills incorporated in this program as well: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social management.

A successful mind is strengthened in young people through a variety of learning activities employed in this course including structured learning activities combined with small group interaction, discussion and application.

Part 1 has five sections each of which provides teachers with background information to integrate and communicate to students the five social and emotional skills (Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along and Resilience) and 12 Attitudes (e.g., Growth Mindset, Accepting Myself, Giving Effort, Goal Setting) now taught in YCDI! Education.

Part 2 presents YCDI! Education good practices from 100s of schools that have implemented YCDI! Education school-wide. A five-stage implementation model helps guide school leadership and YCDI! Education planning teams who have responsibility for decision making and school-wide annual and three-year leadership, management, accountability/assessment and professional development in YCDI! Education. The YCDI! Education School Audit is presented to facilitate a school’s self-assessment of its’ implementation of YCDI! Education, which can act as a guide for future planning. 

Part 3 contains a list of tips teachers, and others can employ with students who demonstrate any of five Social-Emotional Blockers: anger-misbehaving, anxious, feeling down, procrastination and not paying attention. 

The Appendix contains surveys teachers and students can use to assess students’ current development of attitudes and social-emotional skills. Additionally included, teacher self-surveys and student surveys that are useful for determining the extent to which teachers are effective and consistently communicating attitudes and social-emotional skills.

Recently published research has shown that this program has a powerful impact on strengthening students’ cognitive and emotional responses to bullying.

The course consists of four lessons (the second lesson can take two class periods to present). Delivery of this course is flexible and can be taught to classroom-sized groups of students or used with individual students who are currently being victimised by bullying. It includes four animated videos covering four elements

• Part 1. Bullying and its impact

• Part 2. Thinking makes it so

• Part 3. Things to say and do

• Part 4. Coping in action

Each of the four parts contains discussion topics, activities and a list of materials needed for running the group activities.

This program can be incorporated into school timetables. Alternatively, one session can be developed with students being shown the complete animated video program supplemented by activities drawn from the material in the teacher's guide.

International research continues to reveal that the quality of classroom instruction directly influences the development of students’ academic skills and achievement. However, as seen below the impact of instruction is enhanced (or inhibited) by students’ attitudes, and social-emotional skills for learning (SEL’s).

Goals of the AB4L Professional Development Program: 

• To increase knowledge of the role students’ attitudes and social-emotional skills play in their engagement and learning. 
• To learn about a group of attitudes and behaviours for learning that research indicates as having a major influence on student engagement in learning and in their development of their literacy, numeracy and other academic skills.
• To learn how to integrate the AB4L program in the teaching of literacy, numeracy and other key learning areas in order to increase student engagement and achievement.

Published research indicates that the AB4L teaching program strengthens students’ attitudes and social-emotional skills needed for engagement, cooperative learning, independent classwork and homework and leads to an improvement in reading comprehension of students in the lower 50% of achievement.

1. Develop the positive mindset of students
2. Share with students the goals/targets of the lesson and have them set their own learning goals
3. Identify behaviours for learning
4. Discuss positive and negative self-talk for learning
5. Communicate behaviour-specific feedback for learning

AB4L enables a student to:

• Begin their lessons with a positive mindset 
• Set a goal for what they want to learn during the class period 
• Apply behaviours for learning throughout lessons and during homework (e.g., staying calm when they don’t understand what the teacher is explaining, raising their hand to answer a difficult question; staying on task and not being distracted by others when working independently)
• Employ positive rather than negative self-talk when faced with schoolwork that is hard or when making mistakes

Presented to groups of parents during the day or after school, the sessions generally consist of a mini-lecture presentation, discussion, and activities.

We have also found that parents can also perform in the role of the leader in taking responsibility for the delivery of the sessions.

In consultation with their parent community, schools can select one or more sessions to offer parents throughout the school year.

Sessions are designed to be presented to groups of parents of any size and take between 60 – 90 minutes to present.

The topics and content covered in Investing in Parents fall into three categories: positive parents, effective parents, and positive children. The content included in each parent session is based on an extensive study of what international research in the fields of parenting, child development and related fields has discovered about ways that parents socialise and influence their achievement and wellbeing.

Positive Parents

The first sessions have a focus on parents, their goals and aspirations, the importance of their self-efficacy, parenting styles and their effects on children as well as how to manage stress and be resilient.

• • Session 1 - Parenting today: what do you want for your children?
  • Session 2 - The parenting style that matters most: ‘Authoritative’
  • Session 3 - Avoid common mistakes that parents can make (ineffective parenting)
  • Session 4 - Parent stress management and resilience

Effective Parents

The following sessions deal with different parenting practices related to parent-child relationships and communication, different ways parents can become involved with their children’s education, how parents can understand and cater for their children’s developing interests and different ways they can motivate their children.

• • Session 5 - Develop positive relationships with your children
  • Session 6 - Be involved in your children's education
  • Part A: Show interest
  • Part B: Manage homework
  • Part C: Tutor your child
  • Part D: Steps to take if your child underachieves
  • Session 7 - Provide children responsibility and involve them in decision-making
  • Session 8 - Provide activities that accommodate children's interests
  • Session 9 - How to motivate your children

Positive Children

The final sessions deal with how parents can teach their children social-emotional learning skills and develop character through teaching values and strengths.

• • Session 10 - Children's social-emotional learning at home
  • Session 11 - Character education at home: values and strengths
  • Part A: Values of good character
  • Part B: Character strengths

The sections of this coaching program include

I. Background: Cognitive-Behavioural Coaching

II. Coaching Program

• A. Pre-requisites for Coach

• B. 6-step Coaching Program

Overview

Step 1. First Meeting. Evaluation of Student's Social-Emotional Needs (surveys completed). Relationship Building. Setting Goals

Step 2. Second Meeting. Coaching Teachers and Parents

Step 3. Brief Contact. Progress Monitoring

Step 4. Third Meeting. Additional Goals and Further Coaching

Step 5. Brief Contact. Progress Monitoring

Step 6. Final Meeting. Evaluation of Progress (surveys completed)

III. Coaching Student Social-Emotional Strengths

• Confidence
  
• Persistence
  
• Organisation
  
• Getting Along
  
• Resilience
  

IV. Appendices, Social-Emotional Surveys and Blockers

• Screening Survey (Teacher Form)
  
• Screening Survey (Parent Form)
  
• Summary -Survey of Student Social-Emotional Strengths (Teacher Form)
  
• Survey of Student Social-Emotional Strengths (Parent Form)
  
• Summary Profile of Student's Social-Emotional Strengths
  

Michael Bernard shares what he has learned from coaching stressed teachers and principals, conducting professional development stress management workshops at schools, his experiences in working with teachers and principals retired from teaching due to stress worked, his own published research on stress-creating attitude and his earlier book, Taking the Stress Out of Teaching.

In this stress management series, an emphasis is placed on what you can do to take the stress out of your work. It incorporates the latest research in the field of neuroscience that has identified the importance of the pre-frontal cortex of your brain –sometimes called your inner CEO - as the source of resilience you need to combat stress. Many of the strategies described for managing stress are designed to activate and strengthen the pre-frontal cortex.

WAYS TO USE THIS STRESS MANAGEMENT SERIES

Teachers and others can be made aware of the availability of the program and its content and can be encouraged to download booklets, listen online to audio programs and identify stress-cards for personal study.

Throughout the school year, professional development sessions can be held either at a staff meeting or as a stand-alone session on different topics covered in this stress management program.

If a first- or second-year teacher has had little or no exposure to stress management and best practices for it management, it is strongly suggested that as part of a school’s induction program, teachers with the support of a mentor work through the program and developing as part of their individual professional development plan, areas of stress management to strengthen (e.g., relaxation, classroom management).

DOWNLOADABLE BEST-PRACTICE STRESS MANAGEMENT BOOKLETS

1. The Tsunami of Stress
   
2. Self-Assessment of Teacher Stress
   
3. The Resilient Mindset
   
4. The Strength of Self-Acceptance
   
5. Mindfulness and Relaxation
   
6. Lifestyle Management
   
7. Time Management
   
8. Classroom Management and Social-Emotional Learning
   
9. Relationships and How to Get Along with Difficult People
   
10. Support. Seek It Out and Give It
    
11. High Performing, Low-Stress School Principals

AUDIO ELEARNING STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

• Part 1. Taking Charge: How to Get What You Want Out of Your Job (and Life) 
• Part 2. The ABCs of Self-Management: Dealing with Difficult Situations and People 
• Part 3. Self-Acceptance and Goal Setting 
• Part 4. People Skills: Conflict Resolution and Communication at Work 
• Part 5. Classroom Management: From Chaos to ControL 
• Part 6. Managing Your Time and Overcoming Procrastination 
• Part 7. Relaxation: Keeping Calm Under Pressure 
• Part 8. Life Style Management: Exercise, Diet and Recreation

DOWNLOADABLE STRESS-RELIEF CARDS

1. Mindfulness
2. Self-compassion
3. Self-acceptance
4. Replay past achievements
5. Begin your day calmly
6. Seek support
7. Exercise
8. Time management
9. Time out
10. Catastrophe scale

“This series guides teachers and principals who want to take the stress out of their daily work life and the lives of others. The techniques and skills outlined here will make your workplace less stressful and more enjoyable. Promise!” – Michael Bernard

School-home benefits

• Strong connections between your school and your parent community 
  
• Opportunities to bring parents and staff together in a positive dialogue
  
• Valuable social and emotional learning at home 
  
• Practical tools to help parents manage the stress of modern parenting
  

Equipped with this knowledge and skills your parents can contribute even more to helping their children achieve to the best of their ability and to experience high levels of wellbeing.

All families and staff members gain access to the complete course catalogue of Parent E-learning courses including articles, audio and visual content. Modular and mobile-friendly it is easy for busy parents and teachers read at their own pace.

Short e-learning Parenting Programs

1. The Power of Parent Self-Talk 
   
2. The Authoritative Parent
   
3. Teaching Children Self-Discipline 
   
4. To Spank or Not to Spank 
   
5. Homework: What to Know, What to Do 
   
6. I Accept Myself No Matter What 
   
7. Teaching Very Young Children Positive Behaviour using Positive Reinforcement 
   
8. Teaching Children They Have Choices in the Way They Think 
   
9. A Family Discusses the Five Keys to Success and Happiness 
   
10. Stress relief for parents - Powerful techniques for managing stress
11. Flourishing Tree: Fun and empowering actions to help children thrive

1. Compass Program. How to Help Children Improve their Reading 
   
2. The Five Keys to Children’s Success and Happiness 
   
3. The Parenting Strengths of Highly Effective Parents
   

Parent Insight Articles

1. What does it mean to be a parent? 
   
2. Babies and crying 
   
3. Responsive parenting 
   
4. Temperament and childhood behaviour 
   
5. Childhood and social and emotional development 
   
6. From nurturance to setting limits 
   
7. Development of social and emotional strengths 
   
8. Steps to parents managing stress 
   
9. Becoming a happy, flourishing parent 
   
10. Parenting strengths that make a difference 
    
11. Children’s positive Habits of the Mind 
    
12. Five keys that unlock your child’s potential 
    
13. Flourishing Menu: daily actions 
    
14. The two-way conversation: How to talk and listen 
    
15. Namby-pamby kids, highly anxious parents 
    
16. Effective parenting in a digital world
    

Child and Adolescent Elearning

• YCDI! Motivational Audio Series: Boosting your Confidence, Motivating Yourself, Developing Self-acceptance, Setting and Achieving Goals, managing your Time and Getting Yourself Organised, Controlling Exam Anxiety and stress, Making Friends and Reducing Social Anxiety, Managing Your Anger and Behaving Assertively 
  
• YCDI! Education Video: Bullying: The Power to Cope (animation plus parent guide)