Superflex A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum

The social world is a big, complicated place! We are all social detectives as we observe, gather, and make sense of the clues within different social contexts (settings, situations, and the people in them) to figure out the hidden rules for expected behaviors. This leads us toward understanding how we each feel and think about others in a situation and how we choose to respond to each other’s actions and reactions. We are good Social Detectives when we use our eyes, ears, hearts, and brains to figure out what others are planning to do next or are presently doing and what they mean by their words and actions. This revised, expanded 2nd edition of the awarding-winning storybook teaches from the social learner’s perspective about the power of observation, reading context, and interpreting clues before choosing how to respond in ways that meet their social goals. A new structured approach to observation, new illustrations reflecting a broader range of inclusion and diversity in characters, practice pages and activities for deeper learning, specific teaching tips, and a glossary of Social Thinking Vocabulary and concepts are just some of the new material you’ll find inside. This is the first book in the Superflex® series. It guides readers on a journey of discovery where they can: · Learn formulas for gathering clues by observing a setting, situation, and people in it · Be empowered to figure out how the social world works through their own detective lens · Learn to identify feelings and emotions and connect them to behaviors · Understand that all feelings are okay, even uncomfortable ones, and we can still learn and grow · Get support from emojis and special word banks · Find core Social Thinking® Vocabulary words highlighted throughout to support and strengthen key learning concepts · Have numerous opportunities to make smart guesses about hidden social rules in various situations · See examples and tips for school, home, and community life · Celebrate how all of us are social observers who are affected by others’ actions and reactions

This curriculum is for elementary school children (grades K-5) as well as immature older students.

You Are a Social Detective: Explaining Social Thinking to Kids.

Pair of card games to supplement teaching the Superflex Curriculum

"... a curriculum geared toward helping students gain skills in consciously regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased control and problem solving abilities. Using a cognitive behavior approach, the curriculum's learning activities are designed to help students recognize when they are in different states called "zones," with each of four zones represented by a different color. In the activities, students also learn how to use strategies or tools to stay in a zone or move from one to another. Students explore calming techniques, cognitive strategies, and sensory supports so they will have a toolbox of methods to use to move between zones. To deepen students' understanding of how to self-regulate, the lessons set out to teach students these skills: how to read others' facial expressions and recognize a broader range of emotions, perspective about how others see and react to their behavior, insight into events that trigger their less regulated states, and when and how to use tools and problem solving skills. The curriculum's learning activities are presented in 18 lessons. To reinforce the concepts being taught, each lesson includes probing questions to discuss and instructions for one or more learning activities. Many lessons offer extension activities and ways to adapt the activity for individual student needs. The curriculum also includes worksheets, other handouts, and visuals to display and share. These can be photocopied from this book or printed from the accompanying CD."--Publisher's website.

NOTE: This storybook includes a read-aloud option which is accessible on Google and IOS devices. Blast off with the gang to an alien planet in outer space. In storybook 3 of the We Thinkers! Vol. 1 social emotional learning curriculum for ages 4-7, Molly, Evan, Jesse, and Ellie learn how to communicate with friendly aliens by thinking with their eyes since they don’t speak Bleep! Bleep! Bloop! They quickly learn that our eyes are like arrows that point to what we are looking at and probably thinking about, too. They figure out what the aliens might be thinking and feeling by using their eyes to follow what the alien’s eyes are pointed toward and the expression on its face. It’s so much fun to figure out what’s going on in a situation, communicate, and make new friends—all by using our eyes! Continue building on this important social concept with the fundamental concepts taught in storybooks 4-10, which align with the corresponding teaching units within the related curriculum. Best practice: teach these concepts in order, starting with storybook 1 of 10 while using the corresponding curriculum.

Introducing Social Thinking Vocabulary concepts to school-age children