Common Planner
Sign InCreate My Free Account!
Sign InCreate My Free Account!
K–12 Standards

Grades 3-5

Other Illinois Social Emotional Learning sets

Self-Awareness: Develop the ability to recognize and understand one’s own emotions, identities, biases, and values; reflect on how personal experiences, power, and privilege shape one’s attitudes and behaviors, and cultivate a sense of individual within social, cultural, and political contexts. Self-awareness enables young people to respond thoughtfully, affect change, cope with emotions, and motivate themselves to persevere when faced with personal, academic or work-related obstacles. 1

  • A

    Demonstrate awareness and understanding of one’s emotions and their influence upon behavior.1A

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)1A.2

      1. 1

        Identify a range of increasingly complex emotions and possible causes for those emotions.1A.2.1

      2. 2

        Identify coping strategies that help express emotions in a healthy manner.1A.2.2

  • B

    Demonstrate awareness of personal and collective identity encompassing strengths, areas for growth, aspirations, and cultural and linguistic assets.1B

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)1B.2

      1. 1

        Identify and explore opportunities to develop personal strengths and assets (e.g., unique cultural and language assets).1B.2.1

      2. 2

        Explain how one’s identity can be used to connect with peers, school, and community.1B.2.2

  • C

    Understand how external influences like culture, family, and community can deepen understanding of personal and academic goals.1C

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)1C.2

      1. 1

        Identify a change they want to see in their community and create a goal to accomplish it.1C.2.1

      2. 2

        Demonstrate the ability to access a variety of resources to accomplish goals.1C.2.2

Self-Management: Self-management includes abilities such as managing one's emotions, identifying and using stress management and self-care strategies, expressing emotions in healthy ways, exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation, setting personal and collective goals, using planning and organizational skills, showing the courage to take initiative, demonstrating personal and collective agency, and cultivating resilience and overcoming adversity. Self-management empowers individuals to regulate their emotions and behavior, cope with stress and adversity, and build resilience, agency, and hope—ultimately leading to stronger relationships, improved mental health, academic and life success, and the ability to achieve personal and collective goals.2

  • A

    Manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in effective ways.2A

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)2A.2

      1. 1

        Recognize early signs of stress or frustration and apply effective coping strategies.2A.2.1

      2. 2

        Adapt behavior in different settings to meet expectations.2A.2.2

  • B

    Demonstrate awareness of personal and collective identity encompassing strengths, areas for growth, aspirations, and cultural and linguistic assets.2B

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)2B.2

      1. 1

        Select and use appropriate coping strategies for different situations and celebrate small wins.2B.2.1

      2. 2

        Demonstrate flexibility when plans change or during academic or social challenges.2B.2.2

  • C

    Understand how external influences like culture, family, and community can deepen understanding of personal and academic goals.2C

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)2C.2

      1. 1

        Set short-term goals, identify steps to meet those goals, and modify the steps if needed.2C.2.1

      2. 2

        Identify personal needs and understand how well-being supports meeting goals. 2C.2.2

Social Awareness: Social Awareness is the ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those with diverse backgrounds, cultures, abilities, identities, contexts, and life experiences by recognizing perspectives, showing concern for others, and demonstrating mutual understanding in interpersonal interactions. Social awareness builds inclusive, safe learning environments and fosters empathy, compassion, and civic responsibility. It equips students to work effectively in diverse teams, strengthens relationships, reduces conflict, and enhances school culture, while preparing students to be culturally sensitive citizens in a global society. 3

  • A

    Recognize that others may have similar or different thoughts and feelings based upon their experiences, abilities, community, and cultural and social groups.3A

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)3A.2

      1. 1

        Identify similarities and differences in verbal and non-verbal communication between and within a variety of cultural and social groups.3A.2.1

      2. 2

        Identify how backgrounds can be similar and different and demonstrate acceptance of differing social beliefs and perspectives.3A.2.2

  • B

    Demonstrate a range of skills to interact and communicate effectively with others in social and academic settings.3B

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)3B.2

      1. 1

        Use calming signals or check-in signals to demonstrate understanding and focus.3B.2.1

      2. 2

        Attempt different roles in cooperative groups. 3B.2.2

  • C

    Demonstrate awareness of other’s emotions, perspectives, backgrounds, identities, languages, abilities and cultures. 3C

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)3C.2

      1. 1

        Acknowledge and appreciate cultural practices and traditions.3C.2.1

      2. 2

        Reflect on how learning about others helps build a stronger, more inclusive community.3C.2.2

Relationship Skills: The ability to establish, maintain, and restore healthy, rewarding connections with individuals and groups. This includes communicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking or offering help when needed. Relationship skills are the foundation for success in school, work, and life. Supportive, nurturing relationships with others is essential to the healthy and holistic development of all young people. Whether it's collaborating on a group project, navigating a disagreement with a friend, or working in a diverse team as an adult, strong interpersonal skills are what make these interactions effective and meaningful.4

  • A

    Recognize, value, and affirm individual and group similarities and differences to build stronger relationships within communities.4A

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)4A.2

      1. 1

        Analyze how similarities and differences among individuals and groups influence relationships.4A.2.1

      2. 2

        Engage in collaborative problem-solving that values input from all group members.4A.2.2

  • B

    Demonstrate effective communication and listening skills with individuals with diverse perspectives, cultures, languages, histories, identities, and abilities to build relationships.4B

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)4B.2

      1. 1

        Use inclusive language and avoid teasing or exclusion.4B.2.1

      2. 2

        Listen actively and allow space for communication by reducing distractions.4B.2.2

  • C

    Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve conflicts by interacting productively with others.4C

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)4C.2

      1. 1

        Identify self-regulation strategies and to take a break when conflicts arise.4C.2.1

      2. 2

        Identify the steps it takes to solve a problem and, with prompting, put those steps into action.4C.2.2

Responsible Decision-Making: The ability to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across various situations. Demonstrate intentional decision-making skills and behaviors that consider social, emotional, and physical safety and well-being in personal, school, and community contexts. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, as well as to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being. Responsible decisionmaking is the foundation of an individual’s participation in community. Each person needs the ability to solve problems by defining issues and decisions to be made, generating multiple solutions, anticipating the outcomes of each solution, and having the ability to evaluate and learn from the outcomes of their decision making.5

  • A

    Actively engage in a process of questioning, investigating, and seeking understanding about a topic or problem to construct knowledge and problem solving.5A

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)5A.2

      1. 1

        Demonstrate the ability to ask questions aimed at understanding different perspectives or experiences.5A.2.1

      2. 2

        Demonstrate interest as to why some people may have different life opportunities, needs, or perspectives.5A.2.2

  • B

    Consider multiple sources of information and diverse perspectives to make informed decisions about the potential impact on themselves and others. 5B

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)5B.2

      1. 1

        Compare different viewpoints or facts before choosing a course of action. 5B.2.1

      2. 2

        Reflect on how a decision impacted oneself and others. 5B.2.2

  • C

    Demonstrate the ability to make thoughtful, safe, and inclusive decisions when making choices in academic, social, and digital environments. 5C

    1. 2

      Late Elementary (Grades 3-5)5C.2

      1. 1

        Make safe choices online and use technology appropriately.5C.2.1

      2. 2

        Recognize when their decision did not lead to the intended outcome and identify an alternate solution.5C.2.2

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?
Grade 3, Grade 4, and Grade 5

Find this useful?

If so, you'll love the standards search built into Common Planner.

Keep exploring

Keep exploring Social Emotional Learning standards

Sibling grade bands, other subjects in this jurisdiction, and the same subject across other states.

More Illinois Social Emotional Learning sets

Social Emotional Learning

Social Emotional Learning in other jurisdictions

Social Emotional Learning