PATHS Curriculum

The PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) Curriculum is widely used in Western Australian schools to promote the emotional development of students. This program helps students learn what emotions are, how to identify them and strategies they can use to manage them. It proves students with examples and strategies of how to use self control, how to think before they act and how to express their anger or frustrations. The curriculum is heavily scripted, which can be a good thing as it provides teachers with a fail safe lesson plan and plenty of conversation starters to use with the lesson.

I have used this curriculum in the classroom on several occasions. Recently I was in a year one class and taught a lesson on self control. I read students the story provided in the PATHS curriculum and showed them the accompanying pictures. We then discussed the questions provided with the lesson plan and practiced the "Turtle" movement. (This is a movement mimicking a turtles which promotes self control). Following this the students completed the worksheet, below are examples of student's worksheets that were completed during a PATHS lesson.



I have found this style of explicit teaching very useful especially with the younger students. The program is very scripted and this makes it easier as a relief teacher to come into a class and teach the lesson. I still find there to be plenty of opportunity to adjust the lessons to suit students needs and to include students own experiences.  

For more information about the PATHS Curriculum see the link below.

http://www.channing-bete.com/prevention-programs/paths/paths.html