Early Childhood

This Early Childhood curriculum provides an integrated approach to character education designed for pre-kindergarten students. The program blends character development, life skills, academic learning, and kinesthetic experiences into a comprehensive program to help students successfully handle the complexities of contemporary society, reinforce social skills, develop critical and creative thinking skills, ethical decision making, conflict resolution, and build self-esteem.

The 8 core character traits promoted in this Program are: 1) Respect, 2) Responsibility, 3) Honesty/Trust, 4) Caring/Fairness, 5) Perseverance, 6) Self-Discipline, 7) Courage, and 8) Citizenship.

The Early Childhood program (Ages 3 and 4). The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most critical in his or her life to influence learning. Through the Learning for Life lessons, children ages 3 and 4 have a unique and fun opportunity to learn about character traits, life skills and cognitive, social and emotional skills.

The Learning for Life Early Childhood program consists of a Teacher’s Guide with 58 lesson plans including topics such as: Sharing, I am Special, I Can Listen, Being Brave and Healthy Eating. Lessons are based on the eight character traits and life skills and focus on cognitive, social and emotional learning. Each lesson plan also includes a Home/Family Activity to reinforce classroom learning in the home environment. To enhance vocabulary development, listening skills, and understanding the purpose of the printed word, a children’s book, Wonderfully Made Under My Bed by Janice Bloom, is included.

• Also included in the program is a DVD, Play It Safe which features ventriloquist Ronn Lucas. The emphasis of the DVD is to teach pre-school children the four rules of personal safety: 1) Check first 2) Go with a friend 3) It’s my body, and 4) Tell a trusted friend.

Kindergarten, 1^st and 2^nd grades

The curriculum offers an integrated approach to character education designed for K-2 youth. The program blends character development, life skills, academic learning, and kinesthetic experiences into a comprehensive program to help students successfully handle the complexities of contemporary society, reinforce social skills, develop critical and creative thinking skills, ethical decision making, conflict resolution, and build self-esteem.

The 8 core character traits promoted in this Program are: 1) Respect, 2) Responsibility, 3) Honesty/Trust, 4) Caring/Fairness, 5) Perseverance, 6) Self-Discipline, 7) Courage, and 8) Citizenship.

Grades K-2 each consist of 61 lessons plans, all age-appropriate and grade specific. Lessons focus on themes such as “Accepting Consequences,” “Gangs,” “Meeting Deadlines,” “Respecting Differences,” and “Sticking to What’s Right.” Through reflection activities in each lesson, students engage in analyzing their behaviors. Lessons are easily integrated into core curricula subjects. Each lesson plan also includes a “Home/Family Activity Worksheet” which teachers send to the student’s parent/guardian as an extension activity to reinforce the lesson plan in the home environment.

• Also included in the K-2 program is a Safety Seekers value added program book filled with many individual and group activities that review the four rules of personal safety. The four rules include: 1) Check with a parent, 2) Go with a friend, 3) It’s your body, and 4) Tell a trusted adult

3^rd and 4^th Grades

The 3^rd and 4^th grade programs combine character development, life skills, academic learning, and kinesthetic experiences designed for 3^rd and 4^th grade youth. The age appropriate, grade specific lesson plans focus on the following character traits: 1) Respect, 2) Responsibility, 3) Honesty/Trust, 4) Caring/Fairness, 5) Perseverance, 6) Self-Discipline, 7) Courage and 8) Citizenship. Life Skills, Science and Math lesson plans are embedded into the program.

Each grade book has 61 lessons plans focusing on many of the same themes as the K-2 Program; however, lesson plans progress in complexity and cognitive ability. Lessons focus on critical thinking, conflict resolution, perseverance, courage, interpersonal skills, and ethical decision making.

A Home/Family Activity is included with each lesson to extend student learning outside the classroom.

5^th Grade and 6^th Grade

Specifically designed for the cognitive and developmental levels of 5^th and 6^th grade students, these programs continue Learning for Life’s integrated academic/character education by focusing on the same 8 character traits found in grades K-4: 1) Respect, 2) Responsibility, 3) Honesty/Trust, 4) Caring/Fairness, 5) Perseverance, 6) Self-Discipline, 7) Courage, and 8) Citizenship.

Life Skill themes such as Money Management and Conservation are also part of the program.

The 61 age-appropriate, grade specific lesson plans in the book focus on topics such as "Being Responsible," "Making Good Decisions," "Code of Ethics," "Empathy," etc.

A Home/Family Activity is included with each lesson to extend student learning outside the classoom.

7^th Grade and 8^th Grade

The 7^th and 8^th grade programs incorporate career exploration, while reinforcing character, relationship building, and citizenship.

The middle school program is the starting point for a student’s college and career readiness and provides foundational knowledge for students interested in participating in the "hands-on" Career Exploring program. Students learn to evaluate the need for having a job and being employed, recognize obstacles, make mature and ethical decisions, and deal responsibly with their decisions.

The 44 age-appropriate lesson plans, ranging in topics from "Peer Pressure: Who Can I Trust," to "Self Assessment of Skills and Abilities," to "Problem Solving: The Intricacies of Relating to Others" are action-oriented and use teaching techniques such as role-playing, small group discussions, and reflective and moral-dilemma exercises.

Lesson plans in the book are designed to reinforce social, academic, and career education skills in various areas, such as critical and creative thinking, conflict resolution, decision making, interpersonal relationships, practical life skills, self-esteem, language arts, citizenship, and personal fitness.

The lessons are divided into 3 sections:

1. Character Development Lessons: focus on 4 traits.
   • Respect: with lessons on empathy and peer pressure
   • Responsibility: focusing on concepts such as Decision Making and Perseverance
   • Honesty/Trust: with lessons on commitment
   • Self Discipline: exposing students to courage and anger management
2. Building Relationships Lessons: develop understanding of concepts such as prejudice, problem solving, communications and family dynamics
3. Citizenship Lessons: discuss freedom, liberty, laws and diversity
4. Career Education Lessons: help students formulate work-related skills such as time management, job traits, and goal setting while helping them investigate careers for which they may possess an aptitude.

Community Role Models

The 7^th and 8^th grade program is designed to facilitate the introduction of community role models to students. Community leaders and role models meet with a specific class to discuss how the content they are learning relates to the real world. These role models should have backgrounds similar to those of the students and will share their personal paths to success, including the pitfalls and the high points. The goal is to facilitate access to mentors and role models and give students insight into personal decisions, educational goals, and career choices.

Life Choices: A Character Game

A computer interactive game that gives students opportunities to practice ethical decision making skills. A series of situations is presented where the student must make a choice. The computer gives the student immediate feedback by providing a consequence of the choices made while playing the game. Reports are given at the end of the game, summarizing how the student performed in some key elements of character.

High School

The Learning for Life High School Program is designed to extend the learning experiences taught through Learning for Life and to guide youngsters in making a successful transition from high school into real-world endeavors, including post-secondary education, acquiring a job, being a productive citizen, and establishing and maintaining positive relationships with others.

The Learning for Life High School program, when combined with our "real-world" Career Exploring program is designed to optimize college and career readiness with a unique blend of academic curriculum, character & leadership development, and hands-on career experiences.

There are two books included in the High School program.

"A Personal Compass for Daily Living":

• Habits of Character
• Service to Others
• Ethical Dilemmas

"A Roadmap for the Future":

• Life Skills
• Career Education
• College Life

Supplemental High School program materials:

• "Personal Safety Awareness" DVD
• "Life Choices: A Career Game" CD ROM – This is an interactive game that presents situations that involve character choices that could have career implications. The game culminates with an interactive job interview.
• Drug Abuse Prevention guide for Teens: This is a publication created in cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). It is aimed at helping give teens information on the dangers of drugs so they can make good choices. It can be downloaded free of charge.
• Student Career Interest Survey – is a resource that helps to identify potential career fields and opportunities for students to participate in the Career Exploring program.

Substance Abuse Prevention Program

Learning for Life offers a substance abuse prevention program for students in Kindergarten through 6th grades. Learning how different substances affect their bodies, students are taught to practice healthy habits and to only take medicines that have been prescribed to them and/or given to them by their parents. The program incorporates many of the “best practices” of teaching, that include having students work in cooperative groups, engaging in kinesthetic activities, using higher-order thinking skills, and defending their understanding.

The Substance Abuse Prevention Education program includes:

• Making good decisions and understanding consequences of behavior
• Practicing healthy habits
• Engaging, interactive, multi-modal learning activities
• Use of higher-order thinking skills and best practices of teaching
• Family-Home Activities for each lesson
• Core curriculum embedded within the lessons

Visit our Substance Abuse Program page for sample lesson plans and more details

Special Needs

Learning for Life offers a program for Special Needs students called Champions™.

The Champions™ Special Education program is organized into two major Components:

• Champions™ Daily Living Skills
• Self-concept
• Personal & Social skills
• Life Skills
• Champions™ Transition Program
• Personal & Social skills
• Life Skills
• Vocational Skills

Visit Champions™ Program page for more details