Students at Sanborn Elementary School in Chandler are learning to control their anger.
The lessons are part the Second Step program, a comprehensive violence prevention program, recently implemented in kindergarten though sixth grade. All teachers teach the program.
"We are trying to teach pro-social behaviors and get them ready for later in life," principal Diane Wells said.
Teachers were trained earlier this year by two teachers who learned the program from the nonprofit Seattle-based Committee for Children headquarters.
Trainer Lori Lyford said teachers usually present a 20- to 30-minute lesson once a week.
"This is something that doesn’t take a huge amount of time but is something the students can take with them through life," she said.
The program involves empathy training, problemsolving, self-control and anger management.
"What the kids learn can be used anywhere, even with their family," Lyford said. "It teaches kids how to calm down and stay emotionally in control."
Because the program is new at the school, it is too early to judge the impact on students, Wells said.
