Kindergarten Self-Talk Lesson Script: “Hello Inner Helper”

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Teacher (standing at carpet, holding 2 cards):
“Okay, friends! Please come sit in a circle right here. I have two cards I want to show you.”
(Shows one “helper” card and one “hider” card from Positive vs. Negative Self-Talk Cards.)

Teacher:
“Look at these. This one says, ‘I can try!’ (thumbs-up gesture) and this one says, ‘I can’t do it.’ (hands covering face gesture). Which card makes you feel happy inside? Who can show me with your face?”

Possible Student Response:
“‘I can try!’ makes me happy!”

Teacher:
“Why does it make you feel happy?”

Follow-Up Prompts:
• “Does that helper card sound like a friend cheering you on?”
• “What feeling do you get with the other card?”

Teacher:
“Great thinking! Our thoughts can feel like friends—our helper voices—or like foes—our hider voices. Today we’ll learn to spot both!”

Introduction to Self-Talk (5 minutes)

Teacher (clicks to first slide of Self-Talk Introduction Slide Deck):
“Here’s our title slide: Hello Inner Helper! Self-talk is the voice inside your head that talks to you. It can be kind or unkind.”

Teacher (clicks to “What Is Self-Talk?” slide):
“Can you say, ‘self-talk’ with me? (choral) Self-talk! That’s the voice we hear when we think. It might say, ‘I can’t’ or ‘I can try!’”

Teacher (clicks to “Helper Voice vs Hider Voice” slide, does thumb gestures):
“Helper voices say, ‘I can try!’ Hider voices say, ‘I can’t do it.’ Let’s pretend I’m going to draw a picture. If I say, ‘Oh no, mine won’t look like yours,’ is that helper or hider?”

Student Response:
“Hider!”

Teacher:
“Right! But if I say, ‘Mistakes help me learn!’ that’s a helper voice. Turn to a partner and whisper one helper phrase you could say.”

(Give 20 seconds; circulate praising helpers.)

Read-Aloud & Discussion (8 minutes)

Teacher:
“Now we’ll read The Brave Little Rabbit. I want you to listen for when our rabbit uses a helper voice or a hider voice.”

(Begin reading The Brave Little Rabbit Story.)

Pause #1 when rabbit sees big hill:
Teacher:
“The rabbit says, ‘This hill is too big for me.’ Was that helper or hider?”

Student Response:
“Hider voice!”

Teacher (writes on Self-Talk Anchor Chart in red):
“‘This hill is too big for me.’ goes in our Hider column.”

Continue reading. Pause #2 when rabbit tries again:
Teacher:
“The rabbit now says, ‘I can hop carefully.’ Helper or hider?”

Student Response:
“Helper!”

Teacher (writes in blue):
“‘I can hop carefully.’ goes in Helper.”

Finish story.

Guided Practice Activity (8 minutes)

Teacher:
“Time to be detectives! I will give each pair of friends some self-talk cards. Your job is to sort them into Helper pile and Hider pile.”

(Distribute cards from Positive vs. Negative Self-Talk Cards.)

Teacher (circulating):
• “Which pile does that card go in? How do you know?”
• “If it’s a hider card, can you turn it into a helper card? Try changing the words.”

(After 4 minutes, gather attention.)

Teacher:
“Who would like to share one hider card and show us how you made it a helper?”

Invite 2–3 pairs to present:
Pair Student:
“We had ‘I’m not good at this.’ We changed it to ‘I can get better with practice!’”

Teacher:
“Fantastic change! That helper phrase will give you courage.”

Wrap-Up & Reflection (4 minutes)

Teacher (gather students at chart):
“Let’s look at our Helper column. These are the voices we want inside our heads.”

(Points to chart.)

Teacher:
“Now I want each of you to whisper one helper phrase I heard today. Let’s whisper it quietly.”

(Pause for whispers.)

Teacher:
“You all did amazing! Remember, your inner helper can cheer you on any time. Keep practicing these kind words to yourself this week!”

Praise & Dismiss:
“Thank you for being such great listeners and learners. You may now line up quietly for our next activity.”

The Brave Little Rabbit Story

Once upon a time, there was a little rabbit named Ruby. Ruby loved to explore the forest, but she felt nervous when she saw tall hills or big logs in her path. One morning, Ruby hopped up to a tall rock.

Ruby stared at the rock and thought, “I can’t do this. It’s too big for me!” This was her Hider Voice, the quiet thought that made her feel small.

Ruby’s friend Squirrel scampered by and said, “You can try, Ruby! I believe in you.” Ruby took a deep breath and whispered, “I can try. I can be brave.” This was her Helper Voice, the strong thought that gave her courage.

With a hop and a wiggle, Ruby jumped—and landed on top of the rock! She felt her heart beat fast, but she was proud. “I did it!” she cheered.

Later that day, Ruby saw an even bigger hill. Her Hider Voice whispered, “You will never reach the top.” Ruby paused and closed her eyes. Then she said, “I can take one step at a time. I am getting stronger!”

Step by step, Ruby climbed the hill. When she reached the top, she looked out at the sunny forest and smiled. Ruby realized that the kind words she said inside her head—her inner helper—made all the difference.

Whenever you feel worried or small, remember Ruby’s Helper Voice: you can try, you are brave, and you can keep going!

Self-Talk Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Objective: Get students noticing the difference between a “Helper Voice” (positive self-talk) and a “Hider Voice” (negative self-talk).

Materials:

• Positive vs. Negative Self-Talk Cards

Steps:

1. Gather students in a circle on the carpet so everyone can see the cards.
2. Hold up two cards—one helper phrase (e.g., “I can try!”) and one hider phrase (e.g., “I can’t do it.”) from Positive vs. Negative Self-Talk Cards.
3. Ask:
   • “Which card makes you feel happy inside? Which one makes you feel worried or sad?”
   • Invite 2–3 volunteers to show on their faces and say why.
4. Emphasize: “These thoughts are like voices in our heads. The Helper Voice cheers us on, and the Hider Voice holds us back.”
5. Turn-and-Share:
   • “Turn to your partner and whisper a helper phrase you could say if something feels hard.”
   • Give 20 seconds, then ask a few pairs to share out.
6. Transition: “Great job! Now that our ears are tuned to helper and hider voices, let’s learn more about self-talk.”