Al's Pals
Children's growth and development are influenced by factors within their family, peer group, school, and community. Beginning with the preschool period, young children's attitudes and behaviors are shaped by relationships they have with others, the role models present in their lives, the opportunities they are given for independent thinking, and the expectations others have of them.
Even children from the most protective families need to be prepared to handle the challenges of a sometimes unpredictable world. All young children need certain building-block skills to help them deal with day-to-day life and grow into caring and responsible adolescents and adults. When children gain these skills in early childhood, they learn how to relate to other people, play together, meet their needs in socially acceptable ways, handle feelings, resolve conflict peacefully, and gain hope for tomorrow.
Al's Pals is designed to meet these goals by teaching children about good communication skills, empathy and caring, healthy coping skills, decision-making skills, self-control/discipline, independence, persistence, thinking flexibly, and much more.
(Taken from the Al's Pals Curriculum)
Al's Pals was brought to Marshall Elementary School through a counseling grant for the 2010 - 2011 school year. Two 15-minute lessons per week will be taught in the classroom through a puppet named Al and his pals Keisha and Ty. Look for parent letters that will be sent home with information about the lessons and follow-up ideas that you can use at home to reinforce concepts and to take an active, positive role in the social/character development of your child.
