Book 1.1 Communication

Use a yellow crayon to colour in one face which best describes you.

How do you see yourself?

Choose an answer that is honest and best describes you. Only you will be judging your own answer.

Recommended reading for I use my words respectfully when I am upset.

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How do you see yourself? Are your behaviours, actions and words similar to that of a character in the storybook?

I Can’t Believe You Said That! by Julia Cook Boys Town Press Boys Town, NE 2014 ISBN 978-1934490679

I am often not listening and will distract others.

How do you see yourself? Are your behaviours, actions and words similar to that of any of the people in these pictures?

A decision was made early on in the creation of this guide that for the benefit of the young students in the early primary grades the matrix scale would be kept simple and therefore limited to only 3 emoji choices instead of using a 4 or even 5 point scale. Additionally, it was decided that emoji faces would be used for their familiarity and easy to understand, meaningful depiction as opposed to other image choices. Lastly, it was decided purposefully to forgo a sad or upset emoji face due to the “negative” connotation associated with that expression. Instead, a “neutral” face was selected. The emoji faces are arranged from Big Smile to Closed Mouth Smile to Neutral face.

I am getting there and I am beginning to do more and more on my own.

I am just getting started and I learn best with help.

This online book should be used along with the PDF student materials for the core competency “Communication”.

Copyright Notice: Please respect that this program was the culmination of hundreds of hours of work spread out over three years. The Core Competency Visual Guides online and the PDF Student worksheets are the intellectual property of Chris Castellarin and protected by copyright law.

Recommended reading for I ask and answer questions.

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Suggested: Winter

The Mermaid and the Shoe by K. G. Campbell Kids Can Press Ltd. Toronto, Ont. 2014 ISBN 978-1-55453-771-6

How do you see yourself?

Student Self-Reflection of Core Competencies for Elementary School Students

Book 1.1 COMMUNICATION Statement 1 I am an active listener.

I use my words respectfully when I am upset.

If you are implementing the program twice per week, that will allow you to complete the 20 statements within 10 weeks and allow for the program to be implemented all the way through three times per school year. Therefore, three books on video have been provided. One per season - Fall, Winter and Spring. If you are implementing the program less, then it is your choice of which books you wish to use.

Watch the accompanying storybook The Squirrels Who Squabbled, I Can Cooperate and That Fruit is Mine read aloud on video.

To purchase a colour printed, bound hard copy paper book format of the Student Self-Reflection of Core Competencies Visual Guide or to obtain free of charge a Word and/or PDF emailed attachment of the student 3-point matrix scale worksheets to accompany the on-line version of the Visual Guide please email Chris Castellarin at School District 79 Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia at ccastellarin@sd79.bc.ca

Create your own skits with your class or watch the video shorts below that depict the above statement with an interpretation of the three emoji face choices.

How do you see yourself? Are your behaviours, actions and words similar to that of a character in one of the short videos?

I am a good listener because I have my eyes watching, my ears listening, my voice quiet and my body still.

How do you see yourself? Are your behaviours, actions and words similar to that of any of the people in these pictures?

Recommended reading for I ask and answer questions.

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty Abrams Books for Young Readers, New York. 2016 ISBN 978-1-4197-2137-3

Hello World by Kelly Corrigan Flamingo Books - Penguin Random New York 2021 ISBN 9780593206065

Dedicated to all the teachers that ask, “How, do I get my students to understand what doing a self-reflection is really about?” And to all the students who ask, “What is it exactly that my teacher wants me to do on this self-reflection thing?” I hope this visual guide helps.

Sometimes I hear the person talking but I don’t use my listening skills to “focus” on the speaker.

Addition Picture Storybooks Recorded to Video

The following three titles I’m Like You, You’re Like Me, The Six Cedar Trees and Beautiful Hands can be used for any of the six Core Competency areas.

I’m Like You, You’re Like Me by Cindy Gainer Free Spirit Publishing Golden Valley, MN 1998 ISBN 9781575420394

Recommended reading for I am an active listener.

Why Should I Listen? by Claire Llewelyn Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. Hodder Children’s Books London, UK ISBN 978-0-7641-3219-3

Beautiful Hands by Kathryn Otoshi Blue Dot Press Novato, CA. 2015 ISBN 978-0-9907993-0-6

Additional Student Self-Reflection Worksheets

How do you see yourself? Are your behaviours, actions and words similar to that of a character in one of the short videos?

I will only volunteer to answer questions if I am sure of the right answer, because I worry that I might get the answer wrong.

How Do You See Yourself?

Write an example of when you used your words respectfully when you were upset, or when you walked away upset but kept your anger inside, or when you were so upset you yelled at others.

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

I often let others decide what to do and tell me what to do. 

Core Competencies Self-Reflection.                                      

Communication - Connect and Engage with Others (to share and develop ideas)

“I am just getting there and am beginning to do more and more on my own”.

“I am just getting started and I learn best with help.”

Draw a picture of yourself asking and answering questions or of you worried or even scared to ask and answer questions because of a fear of making a mistake or a picture of yourself being distracted and not listening.

Draw a picture of yourself being an active listener or being distracted by others or of you distracting others.

I often don’t pay attention to what is being talked about so I don’t answer or ask questions because I was not listening.

Recommended reading for I work well with others.

“I Can Cooperate” by David Parker Scholastic Inc. New York 2004 ISBN 0-439-62812-1

Recommended reading for I am an active listener.

How do you see yourself? Are your behaviours, actions and words similar to that of a character in the storybook?

Lacey Walker Nonstop Talker by Christianne Jones Picture Window Books Inc. North Mankato, Minnesota. 2012 ISBN 978-1-4048-6796-3

Watch the accompanying storybook Willow Finds a Way, I Can’t Believe You Said That! and Ravi’s Roar read aloud on video.

The Six Cedar Trees by Margot Landahl Strong Nations Publishing Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada 2017 ISBN 9781771742559

Ask Me by Bernard Waber Houghton Mifflin Harcourt New York 2015 ISBN 978-0-547-73394-4

I might get frustrated and upset but I never use unkind words.

I work well with my classmates and always do my part to finish the work.

I often put my hand up to ask and answer questions.

Recommended reading for I work well with others.

That Fruit is Mine! by Anuska Allepuz Albert Whitman &amp; Company Park Ridge, Illinois 2018 ISBN 978-0807578940

Recommended reading for I use my words respectfully when I am upset.

Willow Finds a Way by Lana Button Kids Can Press 2013 ISBN 978-1554538423

Use a yellow crayon to colour in one face for each statement which best describes you.

Core Competencies Self-Reflection.                                    

Draw a picture of yourself using your words respectfully, or a picture of you walking away upset or of you yelling at others.

Watch the accompanying storybook Ada Twist, Scientist, The Mermaid and the Shoe and Ask Me read aloud on video.

For additional storybook videos on this specific statement go to the Appendix at the end of this book to watch The Three Questions, The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes and Hello, World! read aloud on video.

Definition of self-reflection Self-reflection is a simple way to dig deeper into your feelings and find out why you were doing something or feeling a certain way. It involves careful thought about your own behaviour and beliefs. It is meant to encourage a level of self-awareness and enable you to identify areas for improvement and also areas where you are strong.

Students should be reminded that what is important here is to be truthful in the answer they choose for each Core Competency statement. They should not select an emoji face answer they think their teacher wants them to pick or one that would make their parents pleased. Their teacher will not be judging their answers. They need to choose an answer that reflects their own honesty, an answer that they know best describes them in a truthful way. Their parents will not be judging their answers. Only they themselves will be judging their own answers.

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein Sourcebooks Jabberwocky Inc. Naperville, Illinois. 2011 Run Number 5010402

“The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright Scholastic Inc. New York 2017 ISBN 978-1-338-53803-8

When I am upset I often feel angry and need to yell.

1. How do you see yourself? Are your actions, behaviours, and words similar to the characters and/or people that you saw in the attached pictures, storybook(s) and/or video(s)? 2. Would you change how you usually act and behave when being an active listener? 3. What actions, words or behaviours should someone demonstrate when they are being an active listener/learner? What does being an active listener look like? Can you hear a speaker but not be actually listening? Is it okay to be hearing a speaker but not be looking at the speaker? Is it okay to be hearing a speaker but not be keeping your body still? Is it okay to be speaking at the same time as someone else who is speaking or to interrupt the speaker?

Implementing the Student Self-Reflection with the On-Line Visual Guide

Use of an iPad and Apple TV or a projector system will allow students to follow along on a TV monitor, Smartboard or Interactive whiteboard. The teacher (invigilator) can then choose a specific page(s) of the Visual Guide to display while students mark the 3-point scale on the matrix self-reflection worksheet and complete an illustration that connects to the core competency statement(s).

If a Smartboard, Interactive Whiteboard or a TV monitor connected to a tablet or computer is not an available option then an alternatively through the use of a set of classroom iPads, have individual students connect to the visual guide online and complete the Student Self-Reflection independently or with teacher guidance.

Ravi’s Roar by Tom Percival Bloomsbury Children’s Books New York 2019 ISBN 978-1-5476-0723-5

Watch the accompanying storybook Lacey Walker Nonstop Talker, Why Should I Listen, and/or My Mouth is a Volcano read aloud on video.

Write an example of when you were working well with others or when you allowed yourself to be told what to do by someone else or of when you let others do your work for you.

Core Competencies Self-Reflection.                                       

Draw a picture of yourself working well with others or being told what to do or letting others do your work for you.

The visual guide is divided into six sections with a total of 20 statements on core competencies for student self-reflection. The six sections are 1) Communication, 2) Creative Thinking, 3) Critical and Reflective Thinking, 4) Personal Awareness and Responsibility, 5) Positive Personal and Cultural Identity and 6) Social Awareness and Responsibility. Pick out one section to use or use them all in the order presented. In this version of the visual guide it is recommended that you complete one statement at a time. Suggested time lines have been provided on the next page. Each section of the guide comes with a statement page (in order to front load through discussion), followed by a picture storybook video, and then three pages with visual images and accompanying comments that depict each one of the 3 emoji faces found on the 3-point matrix scale worksheet. The matrix scale worksheet is found on the final page before moving on to the next statement. Each statement takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. For instance, you might spend 3 minutes discussing the three statements, 5 to 10 minutes for the video storybook, 3 minutes for the visual image pages, 2 minutes for the students to colour in the emoji face on the 3-point matrix scale and 5 to 10 minutes for the students to complete the illustration sheet related to that statement. If students were to do one statement per week, a total of 20 weeks split between the Fall/ Winter term and Spring term would be required to work through the entire visual guide. Therefore, you may decide to do the first three core competencies during Term 1 sometime through October, November, December and January and the remaining three core competencies during Term 2 sometime through March, April, May, and June. Or you may shorten the time period by doing two or more statements a week.

Special thanks to my wonderful colleagues at Drinkwater Elementary School whose invaluable input, suggestions, editing and exhaustive help made this book possible. Thank you to the teachers on staff; Sandra Arscott, Brandee Ganter, Lisa Hermant, Minisha Manj, Perri Espeseth. Resource Teacher Tara Janes, Librarian Teacher Jennifer Pattern-Regier and Educational Assistants Decia Reynolds, Kate Christian, and Debbie Wingham. Drinkwater Elementary School DUNCAN, BC CANADA 2019 - 2020

Contact: Chris Castellarin at   ccastellarin@sd79.bc.ca

I let everyone else do the work and sometimes even keep playing instead of helping out.

My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook National Center for Youth Issues Chattanooga, Tennessee 2005 ISBN 978-1931636858

Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have The Wiggle Fidgets by Barbara Esham Little Pickle Press Naperville, Illinois. 2018 ISBN 9781492669975

Write about an example of when you were an active listener or when you were being distracted by others or when you distracted others.

Appendix B contains the following three titles The Six Cedar Trees, Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets and Beautiful Hands which can be used for any of the six Core Competency areas.

Thank you for using our Core Competencies Visual Guide and Student Self-Reflection statements worksheets. If you have any suggestions, input or feedback please email me at We would like very much to hear from you as we are open to improvements and the possibility of making further changes.

Dependent on Report Card Dates of Delivery Term 1 and Term 2 Based on one statement per week for 20 weeks. (Compress time table if you choose to do more than one statement per week or use Version 2 of the guide).

Communication - 4 weeks to complete 20 to 30 minutes per statement completing one a week... from second week in October to first week in November.

Creative Thinking - 3 weeks to complete 20 to 30 minutes per statement completing one a week... from second week in November to fourth week in November.

Critical and Reflective Thinking - 3 weeks to complete 20 to 30 minutes per statement completing one a week... from first week in December to third week in January (taking into account the two week Winter Break).

Personal Awareness and Responsibility - 3 weeks to complete 20 to 30 minutes per statement completing one a week... from first week in March to second week in April.

Positive Personal and Cultural Identity - 3 weeks to complete 20 to 30 minutes per statement completing one a week... from third week in April to first week in May.

Social Awareness and Responsibility - 4 weeks to complete 20 to 30 minutes per statement completing one a week... from second week in May to first week in June.

Write about how you often ask and answer questions or how you are worried or even scared to ask and answer questions because of a fear of making a mistake or saying something that others would laugh at and make fun of you for saying, or write about how you often feel that it is difficult to listen to what is being said because you are often distracted.

Adult definition: The Communication competency encompasses the knowledge, skills, processes and dispositions we associate with interactions with others. Through their communication, students acquire, develop and transform ideas and information, and make connections with others to share their ideas, express their individuality, further their learning, and get things done. The communication competency is fundamental to finding satisfaction, purpose and joy.

Student definition: People learn and share information through communication. Using different kinds of communication, people can pass along their ideas and feelings. People also communicate without words. Body and face movements show feelings. Good communicators listen carefully, speak or write clearly, and respect different opinions. There should be cooperation and understanding between people and you should be able to give opinions or ask questions without being judged or made to feel bad. Strong communication skills can help  you interact respectfully with others. 

Even when I am upset I find a way to calm down and talk about it with my friends in a way that is safe and respectful.

The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth Scholastic Press New York 2005 ISBN 978-0439199964

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