Ms. Bell asks Nadia and Theo to make a welcome banner for the new student. Nadia sits down at one end of the long paper. Theo sits down at the other. Both of them already know exactly what to make. Neither of them says it out loud.
Nadia is drawing a map, so the new kid can find things and not feel lost. Theo is drawing the whole class, big, so the new kid walks in and knows everybody was already waiting. The middle of the paper stays empty. Then their two plans meet in the middle, and the paper tears straight across.
Their teacher does not fix it for them. She sets a roll of tape on the floor and says: "I heard two waits. I haven't heard either plan."
We Both Had a Plan is Book 5 in the Young Learners Series, a picture book line for ages 4 to 7 that gives one social and emotional skill a story, a character, and something a child can practice. It is inspired by CASEL's Relationship Skills competency.
What children practice
Say your part. Ask their part. Decide together what comes next.
Classroom and library resources in the back of the book
- A Note for Grown-Ups on why conflict at this age so often starts with a plan nobody explained
- The Three Steps, in words a four-year-old can actually use
- The Two Ends, a two-person activity using a ribbon, a scarf, or a jump rope
- Three Things to Try, each one ending differently on purpose
- Seven Talk About It discussion questions
- CASEL and New York State SEL alignment notes for educators
Why this one is different
Planning together does not mean always giving in. A child may say no, keep a boundary, choose a separate activity, leave an interaction, or ask a trusted adult for help. Children do not owe compromise to someone who is being unkind, threatening, coercive, or unsafe. In this book, a child who says no has used the skill correctly.
Written for preschool and early elementary classrooms, school and public library collections, school counselors, homeschool families, and any grown-up teaching a child that the picture in their head is not yet visible to anyone else. 48 pages, illustrated throughout.
This title is independently published. Spence Heritage Press is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CASEL or the New York State Education Department.
