Rooted Kids Collective — Week 1: I Know Who I Am

Week 1 · Lesson Plan

I Know Who I Am

A complete facilitation guide for parents and educators. No prior SEL training required.

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Lesson Plan · Week 1

Foundations of Self-Concept and Positive Self-Talk

Age Range

PreK – Kindergarten (Ages 3–6)

Duration

3–5 sessions of 20–30 minutes each, or used flexibly across one week

Big Idea

Children begin building a secure sense of self by learning to name their strengths, recognize their inner voice, and understand that they are valued exactly as they are.

SEL Alignment

CASEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness (accurate self-perception, self-confidence) and Self-Management (self-motivation, positive self-talk)

Learning Goals

Child can name at least one thing they are good at
Child can identify a "Brave Voice" thought vs. a "Worried Voice" thought
Child can repeat a simple positive affirmation with meaning
Child can draw or describe themselves as a unique person

Materials

Worksheet 1 (This Is Me), Worksheet 2 (My Brave Voice), Activity Cards, crayons or markers, mirror (optional but powerful for Session 1)

Session 1
~25 min

This Is Me — Identity Portrait
Open with the mirror activity (optional): let the child look at themselves and name one thing they notice. Ask: "What makes you, YOU?" Read aloud or tell a short story about a character who discovers what makes them special. Move to Worksheet 1 together. Celebrate every answer — there are no wrong ones.

Therapist Note — CBT Lens

Self-concept in early childhood is largely shaped by reflected appraisals — what children see mirrored back from caregivers and peers. This activity deliberately creates positive reflection. Avoid correcting or improving their self-description; your job is to receive and celebrate it.

Session 2
~20 min

Brave Voice / Worried Voice
Introduce the idea that our brain has two voices: a Brave Voice that helps us try things, and a Worried Voice that sometimes tries to stop us. Use Worksheet 2 and Activity Card 1. Practice out loud together — say a Worried Voice thought, then flip it to a Brave Voice thought as a team.

Facilitation tip: Use puppets or stuffed animals to voice the two sides if the child is shy — externalising the voices through characters reduces defensiveness and increases engagement dramatically for this age group.

Facilitator Script

Here is an example of how to guide this activity with your child or student:

You: Today we are going to talk about two voices that live in our heads. Every single person has them, even grown ups. One is called the Worried Voice and one is called the Brave Voice.

Let me show you what I mean.

The Worried Voice might say something like: What if I get it wrong? What if nobody wants to play with me? I am not good at this.

Does that sound familiar? Have you ever had a thought like that?

[Pause and let the child respond. Validate whatever they share.]

Now here is the thing about the Worried Voice. It is not trying to be mean. It is actually trying to keep us safe. But sometimes it gets a little too loud and stops us from trying things we actually can do.

That is where the Brave Voice comes in.

The Brave Voice says things like: I can try. I might surprise myself. It is okay if it is hard at first. I am figuring it out.

Let us practise together. I am going to say a Worried Voice thought and you tell me what the Brave Voice might say back.

Worried Voice says: I cannot do this, it is too hard.
What does the Brave Voice say?

[Let the child respond. If they need help offer: Maybe it says I can try and see what happens.]

Worried Voice says: Nobody wants to play with me today.
What does the Brave Voice say?

[Let the child respond. Offer if needed: Maybe it says I can ask someone or find something fun to do on my own.]

Great work. You just used your Brave Voice. How did that feel?

[End by affirming their effort not their answer. Example: I loved how you thought about that. That is exactly what the Brave Voice sounds like.]

Session 3
~20 min

Affirmations — Making Them Real
Use Activity Cards 2 and 3. Read each affirmation aloud together. Ask the child to colour in or circle the ones that feel true for them today. Then pick one together to be their "Week Affirmation" — write or draw it somewhere they'll see it daily (bathroom mirror, bedroom door).

Therapist Note — Why Affirmations Work

Affirmations are most effective when the child selects them (autonomy) and when they are repeated with some regularity in a low-pressure context (not as correction). Avoid using them to override distress — they work best as a proactive foundation, not a crisis tool.

Session 4–5
~25 min

Brave Moments — Noticing and Celebrating
Use Activity Card 4. Review the week together. Ask: "Can you think of a moment this week where you used your Brave Voice?" Celebrate small moments — trying something new, asking for help, saying how you feel. Let the child star or decorate their brave moment.

Note for parents: The goal this week is noticing, not performing. A child who watches quietly while others play and then takes one small step toward joining — that is a brave moment. Name it. It counts.

Recommended Books

Recommended Books for This Week

Stories That Support This Week's Theme

The Invisible String

Patrice Karst

A gentle story about connection and love that helps young children feel secure in who they are and where they belong, which forms the foundation of confident self talk.

Talk About It Together

What is one person you feel connected to even when they are not with you? What does that connection feel like?
If you could send a message through your invisible string to someone you love right now, what would you say?

I Am Enough

Grace Byers

A lyrical affirmation book that mirrors exactly what children are building in this unit. The language of self acceptance and inner strength runs through every page and pairs naturally with the I Am statements in Activity Card 2.

Talk About It Together

What is one thing about yourself that you think is really special? It can be something you do or something you feel.
The book says you are enough just as you are. What do you think that means?

The Most Magnificent Thing

Ashley Spires

A story about perseverance, frustration, and trying again that gives children a narrative framework for the Brave Voice concept. Ideal to read before or during Session 2.

Talk About It Together

Have you ever tried something really hard and wanted to give up? What happened when you kept going?
What did the girl in the story do when she felt frustrated? What do you do when you feel that way?

Differentiation

For younger learners (3–4): Focus on Sessions 1 and 3 only. Verbal responses instead of writing. Prioritise drawing over text.

For children with anxiety or low self-esteem: Do Session 1 with the mirror activity. Spend extra time in the mirror moment. Let silence be okay — you don't need to fill it with prompts.

Coming Next

Week 2: My Body Knows — body autonomy, somatic awareness, and trusting safe vs. unsafe feelings.

Worksheet 1 · Week 1

This Is Me 🌿

Name:

Date:

✏️ Draw and write (or tell a grown-up to write for you!) — there are no wrong answers here.

Draw a picture of YOU in the box below

My name is:

I am _______ years old.

🌟 Three things I am good at — draw or write one in each box:

One thing that makes me special is:

My favourite thing to do is:

How am I feeling today? Circle the face that matches!

😄

Happy

😊

Good

😐

Okay

😟

Worried

😢

Sad

Worksheet 2 · Week 1

My Brave Voice 🦁

Name:

Date:

✏️ Our brain has two voices. The Worried Voice says "I can't" — and the Brave Voice says "I'll try!" Let's practise finding our Brave Voice.

Draw your Worried Voice (what does it look like?)

Draw your Brave Voice (what does IT look like?)

🔄 Flip it! Read the Worried Voice thought — then write or circle the Brave Voice flip:

Worried Voice

"I can't do it. It's too hard."

→

Brave Voice

"I can try. I might surprise myself."

Worried Voice

"Nobody wants to play with me."

→

Brave Voice

Worried Voice

"I'm going to get it wrong."

→

Brave Voice

MY Brave Voice says:

"I am brave because ___________________________________."

Draw a time you used your Brave Voice:

Activity Cards · Week 1

I Know Who I Am

Print, cut along the borders, and use throughout the week. Laminate for repeated use.

Activity Card 1 · Partner or Solo

🦁 Brave Voice Practice

How to play:

One person says a Worried Voice thought out loud.
The other person (or you!) flips it to a Brave Voice.
Take turns. Keep going until you've done 5 flips each.

Starter thoughts to use:

"I don't know how to do this."
"What if I make a mistake?"
"I'm not as good as them."

Activity Card 2 · Affirmation Cards

🌟 I Am Statements

Read aloud together — circle your favourites:

"I am enough, just as I am."

Circle if this is you!

"I am brave, even when I'm scared."

Circle if this is you!

"I am loved and I belong."

Circle if this is you!

"I can do hard things."

Circle if this is you!

Activity Card 3 · Movement Game

💪 Strong Body, Strong Mind

Power pose practice (2 minutes):

Stand tall — feet apart, hands on hips. Say: "I am strong!"
Arms wide open, chin up. Say: "I am brave!"
Hands over heart, eyes closed. Say: "I am kind to myself."
Big stretch to the sky. Say: "I can do this!"

Repeat 3 times. Giggling is allowed and encouraged.

Activity Card 4 · Week Reflection

⭐ My Brave Moment

Talk it through together:

What was one brave thing you did this week?
Did you try something new? Ask for help? Say how you felt?
How did it feel AFTER you did the brave thing?

Celebrate it: Draw a star below and write or draw the brave moment inside it. Put it somewhere special.

Week 1:I Know Who I Am

Week 1:
I Know Who I Am