Stay Cool, Count On-Ri.Qu

Yvonne Brown

Tier 3

Lesson Plan

Session 1 Plan

Introduce deep breathing and counting-to-five strategies; student will learn and practice both through modeling and role-play in one 30-minute session.

Teaching simple self-regulation tools helps students with ADHD pause and calm down during peer interactions, reducing impulsive reactions and boosting social success.

Audience

7th Grade Student

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Model, practice, and role-play strategies.

Materials

Strategy Steps Poster, and Scenario Role-Play Cards

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Print and display the Strategy Steps Poster.
Shuffle and review the Scenario Role-Play Cards.

Step 1

Warm-up

3 minutes

Greet Richard and explain today’s goal: learning two ways to stay calm with peers.
Ask him to share a recent time he felt upset talking with a friend.
Validate his feelings briefly.

Step 2

Teach & Model Deep Breathing

8 minutes

Show the breathing diagram on the Strategy Steps Poster.
Explain: “Deep breaths help calm our bodies.”
Demonstrate: place hands on belly, inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6.
Ask Richard to watch and follow along.

Step 3

Guided Practice: Deep Breathing

4 minutes

Guide Richard through five rounds of deep breaths.
Provide positive feedback on his technique.
Remind him he can use this whenever he feels upset.

Step 4

Teach & Model Counting to Five

6 minutes

Refer to the counting steps on the Strategy Steps Poster.
Explain: “Counting slowly gives us time to think before we react.”
Model counting out loud in a calm voice: “1…2…3…4…5.”
Discuss when he might use this strategy.

Step 5

Guided Practice: Counting

3 minutes

Practice counting with Richard using three short prompts (e.g., “Count when you feel mad”).
Encourage a calm tone and steady pace.

Step 6

Role-Play Practice

5 minutes

Draw a card from Scenario Role-Play Cards.
Read the peer interaction scenario.
Ask Richard to respond using deep breathing or counting.
Provide feedback and praise his effort.

Step 7

Cool-Down Reflection

1 minute

Ask Richard: “Which strategy felt easiest? Which felt hard?”
Reinforce that practice will make both strategies easier over time.

Slide Deck

Stay Cool, Count On – Session 1

Learn two strategies to stay calm when talking with peers.

Welcome Richard! Today we’ll start our first session of “Stay Cool, Count On.” We’ll learn two simple strategies to help you stay calm during peer interactions.

Learning Objectives

• Introduce deep breathing strategy
• Practice deep breathing together
• Introduce counting-to-five strategy
• Practice counting-to-five together
• Role-play responding calmly to peer scenarios

Review the session objectives aloud and check for understanding before moving on.

How to Deep Breathe

Place hands on your belly
Inhale slowly for 4 seconds
Exhale slowly for 6 seconds

(See diagram on the Strategy Steps Poster)

Display the Strategy Steps Poster and point to the breathing diagram. Explain each step clearly, demonstrating inhale/exhale timing.

Deep Breathing Practice

Let’s do 5 rounds together:
• Inhale (4 seconds)
• Exhale (6 seconds)

Notice how your body feels calmer.

Lead Richard through five rounds of breathing. Count aloud to keep pace: “In…2…3…4; Out…2…3…4…5…6.” Provide encouragement.

How to Count to Five

When you feel upset, pause.
Slowly count “1…2…3…4…5” in your head or out loud.
Decide your next action calmly.

(See steps on the Strategy Steps Poster)

Refer back to the poster’s counting steps. Demonstrate a calm, even pace as you count out loud.

Counting Practice

Practice counting to five when you feel:
• Teased by a peer
• Frustrated with a game
• Upset about a comment

Provide three real-life prompts (e.g., “Your friend teases you,” “You lose a game”). Have Richard practice counting each time.

Role-Play Scenarios

Draw a card from the Scenario Role-Play Cards
Read the peer interaction scenario
Use deep breathing or counting to respond
Share which strategy you used and why

Shuffle and draw a card. Read the scenario aloud. Encourage Richard to choose and use one strategy, then discuss how it felt.

Reflection & Next Steps

Reflection:
• Which strategy felt easiest?
• Which felt hardest?

Next Steps:
Practice these strategies daily and get ready for Session 2!

Ask each reflection question and give Richard time to answer. Praise his progress and preview Session 2, where he’ll also learn how to seek adult support.

Lesson Plan

Session 2 Plan

Review deep breathing and counting-to-five strategies, introduce seeking adult support, and have the student practice all three through modeling and role-play in a 30-minute session.

Reinforcing self-regulation tools and adding adult support gives Richard concrete ways to manage peer conflicts calmly and know when and how to get help, boosting his social success.

Audience

7th Grade Student

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Review, model, and role-play strategies.

Materials

Strategy Steps Poster, Adult Support Steps Poster, and Support Scenario Role-Play Cards

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Print and display the Strategy Steps Poster and the Adult Support Steps Poster.
Shuffle and review the Support Scenario Role-Play Cards.

Step 1

Warm-Up

3 minutes

Greet Richard and recap Session 1’s goal.
Ask: “Which strategies do you remember? How did it feel when you used them?”
Validate his experiences and transitions to review.

Step 2

Review Deep Breathing & Counting

7 minutes

Ask Richard to demonstrate deep breathing (5 rounds) and counting to five (3 times).
Provide feedback on pace and posture.
Invite him to share any times he’s used them since last session.

Step 3

Teach & Model Seeking Adult Support

6 minutes

Display the Adult Support Steps Poster.
Explain steps: identify a trusted adult, choose a calm moment, describe what happened, ask for help.
Model asking a teacher for help after a peer conflict using calm tone and clear words.

Step 4

Guided Practice: Adult Support

4 minutes

Present two brief vignettes (e.g., a classmate teases him, he feels overwhelmed).
Ask Richard to role-play seeking adult support for each.
Offer corrective feedback and praise clear requests.

Step 5

Integrated Role-Play Practice

8 minutes

Draw a card from the Support Scenario Role-Play Cards.
Read the peer interaction scenario together.
Have Richard choose one strategy (deep breathing, counting, or seeking adult support) to respond.
Discuss which strategy he used and why.

Step 6

Cool-Down Reflection

2 minutes

Ask: “Which strategy will you use most? Where will you practice it?”
Reinforce: “Practice helps make these tools second nature.”
Praise his effort and set a daily practice goal.

Slide Deck

Stay Cool, Count On – Session 2

Review and expand your calm-down strategies:
• Deep Breathing
• Counting to Five
• Seeking Adult Support

Welcome Richard back! Today we’ll review what you learned last time and add a new strategy: asking an adult for help when you need it.

Learning Objectives

• Review deep breathing and counting-to-five
• Introduce seeking adult support
• Practice all three strategies
• Reflect on which you’ll use most and set a practice goal

Read each objective and check Richard’s understanding. Emphasize that today is about practice and adding a new tool.

Warm-Up & Review

Which strategies do you remember?
How did it feel when you used them?
Share one time you tried a strategy since our last session.

Prompt Richard to name the strategies he remembers and describe how using them felt. Validate his experiences.

Review Breathing & Counting

• Deep breathing: 5 rounds (Inhale 4s, Exhale 6s)
• Counting to five: 3 times (1…2…3…4…5)

Have Richard demonstrate each strategy. Count out loud for breathing and prompt calm, steady counting for the count-to-five practice.

How to Seek Adult Support

Identify a trusted adult
Choose a calm moment
Describe what happened
Ask for help

Display the Adult Support Steps Poster. Explain each step clearly, modeling tone and body language for a calm request.

Adult Support Practice

Practice asking an adult for help when:
• A classmate teases you
• You feel too upset to manage alone

Read two short situations aloud (e.g., a peer teases you at lunch; you feel overwhelmed during class). Guide Richard to use the adult support steps.

Role-Play with All Strategies

Draw a scenario card
Choose: breathing, counting, or adult support
Respond calmly using your chosen tool
Discuss why you picked that strategy

Shuffle and draw a card from the Support Scenario Role-Play Cards. Encourage Richard to choose any of the three strategies to respond.

Reflection & Daily Practice

• Which strategy will you use most?
• Where and when will you practice?
• Daily goal: Try your strategy at least once each day

Ask each reflection prompt and give Richard space to answer. Reinforce daily practice and set a simple goal.

Activity

Strategy Steps Poster

🌬️ Deep Breathing Steps

Place hands on your belly. Feel your tummy rise.
Inhale slowly for 4 seconds. Count: 1…2…3…4.
Exhale slowly for 6 seconds. Count: 1…2…3…4…5…6.
Repeat 5 times. Notice how your body relaxes.

🔢 Counting-to-Five Steps

Pause. Stop what you’re doing and take a brief moment.
Count slowly to five. "1…2…3…4…5" (in your head or out loud).
Decide your next action. Choose a calm, respectful response.

Use these steps whenever you start to feel upset or overwhelmed.

Activity

Scenario Role-Play Cards

Use these cards to practice using deep breathing or counting-to-five when you feel upset. Draw one card at a time.

Card 1: Teased on the Playground
Your friend teases you in front of other students about how you play basketball. You feel your face get hot and your heart beat faster.

Card 2: Losing a Game
You just lost a video game at lunch and someone laughs at your score. You feel angry and want to yell back.

Card 3: Ignored in Group Work
During a group assignment, your classmates keep talking without asking your opinion. You feel left out and start to feel upset.

Card 4: Name-Calling in Class
A peer calls you a mean name when you answer a question incorrectly. You feel hurt and ready to snap back.

Activity

Adult Support Steps Poster

🤝 Steps to Seek Adult Support

Identify a trusted adult.
(e.g., a teacher, school counselor, coach, or family member.)
Choose a calm moment.
Wait until they are not busy and you feel ready to speak.
Describe what happened.
Share the facts: who was involved, what was said or done, and how you felt.
Ask for help.
Let them know what you need: advice, intervention, or just someone to listen.

Use these steps anytime you feel upset or worried about a peer interaction.

Activity

Support Scenario Role-Play Cards

Use these cards to practice choosing one of your calm-down strategies (deep breathing, counting-to-five, or seeking adult support) when you face a challenging peer interaction. Draw one card at a time and decide which strategy you’ll use.

Card 1: Gossip in the Hallway
You overhear classmates talking about you in the hallway after school. You feel upset and your stomach tightens.

Card 2: Teased During PE Class
A teammate makes fun of your skill during a gym game, and others laugh. You feel embarrassed and want to storm off.

Card 3: Left Out at Lunch
Your regular lunch group sits at a table without saving you a seat. You feel lonely and annoyed.

Card 4: Argument Over Homework
A classmate blames you for a mistake on a group homework assignment and raises their voice. You feel angry and stunned.

Lesson Plan

Session 3 Plan

The student will demonstrate the ability to choose and apply deep breathing, counting-to-five, positive self-talk, or seeking adult support in varied peer interaction scenarios, and begin to self-monitor their use in real-life.

Consistent practice and self-reflection are crucial for integrating new coping mechanisms, especially for students with ADHD, helping them generalize these skills to everyday peer interactions.

Audience

7th Grade Student

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Practice, self-monitor, and reflect.

Materials

Deep Breathing and Counting Poster (#strategy-steps-poster-session1), Adult Support Steps Poster (#adult-support-poster-session2), Positive Self-Talk Poster (#positive-self-talk-poster-session3), Real-Life Practice Scenarios (Updated) (#real-life-practice-scenarios-session3), and Stop and Think Strategy Check-In (#my-calm-kit-check-in-session3)

Prep

Prepare Materials

5 minutes

Print and display the Strategy Steps Poster, the Adult Support Steps Poster, and the Positive Self-Talk Poster.
Shuffle and review the Real-Life Practice Scenarios (Updated).
Print a copy of the Stop and Think Strategy Check-In.

Step 1

Warm-Up

3 minutes

Greet Richard and explain today’s goal: reinforcing all strategies and planning for real-life use.
Ask: “What’s one thing you remember about staying calm from our last sessions?”
Validate his memory and briefly connect to the new session.

Step 2

Review All Strategies

7 minutes

Ask Richard to briefly demonstrate deep breathing (2 rounds) and counting to five (1 time).
Review the steps for seeking adult support using the Adult Support Steps Poster and positive self-talk using the Positive Self-Talk Poster.
Discuss when each strategy might be most useful.

Step 3

Teach & Model Positive Self-Talk

6 minutes

Display the Positive Self-Talk Poster.
Explain steps: notice negative thoughts, challenge them, replace with positive ones.
Model turning a negative thought (e.g., "I'm going to fail this test") into a positive one (e.g., "I can study hard and do my best").

Step 4

Advanced Role-Play

8 minutes

Draw a card from the Real-Life Practice Scenarios (Updated).
Read the scenario together.
Ask Richard to choose one strategy (deep breathing, counting, positive self-talk, or seeking adult support) and role-play his response.
Provide specific feedback and discuss his choice of strategy.

Step 5

Introduce My Calm Kit Check-In

6 minutes

Present the Stop and Think Strategy Check-In.
Explain its purpose: to help him notice when he uses a strategy and how it helps.
Model how to fill out one entry based on a hypothetical scenario.
Emphasize that tracking helps build awareness and confidence.

Step 6

Cool-Down & Goal Setting

6 minutes

Ask: “How do you feel about using these strategies now?”
Together, set a realistic goal for using one strategy and tracking it on his Stop and Think Strategy Check-In sheet over the next week.
Praise his progress and commitment.

Slide Deck

Stay Cool, Count On – Session 3

Practice all your calm-down strategies and plan to use them in real life!

Welcome Richard! Today is our third session. We'll put all the calming tools you've learned into practice and plan how you'll use them outside our sessions.

Learning Objectives

• Review all four strategies
• Practice choosing the best strategy for different situations
• Learn to track your strategy use
• Set a goal for using strategies in daily life

Read through these objectives together. The key today is combining strategies and making a plan to use them daily.

Reviewing Our Calm Kit

Let's review our strategies:
• Deep Breathing (When do you use it?)
• Counting to Five (When do you use it?)
• Seeking Adult Support (When do you use it?)
• Positive Self-Talk (When do you use it?)

Ask Richard to quickly demonstrate deep breathing and counting. Then, ask him to explain when he would seek adult support and how he would use positive self-talk.

How to Use Positive Self-Talk

Notice your thoughts.
Are you thinking something negative like, "I can't do this" or "This is too hard"?
Challenge the negative.
Is that thought 100% true? Is there another way to look at it?
Replace with positive self-talk.
Turn negative thoughts into helpful, encouraging ones:
- "I can try my best."
- "I can ask for help."
- "I am capable."

Display the Positive Self-Talk Poster. Explain each step clearly and model how to change a negative thought into a positive one.

Real-Life Role-Play

Draw a card from Real-Life Practice Scenarios (Updated)
Read the situation
Choose: Deep Breathing, Counting, Seeking Adult Support, OR Positive Self-Talk
Respond using your chosen strategy
Discuss why you chose that strategy

Draw a card from the Real-Life Practice Scenarios (Updated). Read it aloud and prompt Richard to choose any of the four strategies and role-play. Provide supportive feedback.

Stop and Think Strategy Check-In

Use the Stop and Think Strategy Check-In sheet to:
• Track when you use a calm-down strategy
• See how it helps you
• Build confidence in your tools!

Introduce the Stop and Think Strategy Check-In. Explain its purpose and model how to fill out a sample entry, now including Positive Self-Talk.

Reflection & Next Steps

• Which strategy are you most ready to use this week?
• What's your goal for practicing?
• Remember: Practice makes these tools second nature!

Help Richard set a specific, achievable goal for using a strategy and tracking it. End with strong encouragement.

Activity

Real-Life Practice Scenarios (Updated)

Use these cards to practice choosing and using one of your calm-down strategies (deep breathing, counting-to-five, positive self-talk, or seeking adult support) in various situations. Draw one card at a time and decide which strategy you'll use.

Card 1: Accused of Cheating
A classmate loudly accuses you of cheating on a test, even though you didn't. You feel shocked and angry.

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Card 2: Friend Breaks a Promise
Your best friend promised to work on a project with you after school but cancels at the last minute to hang out with someone else. You feel disappointed and a little betrayed.

Card 3: Accidentally Knocked Down
In a crowded hallway, someone bumps into you, causing your books to fall, and they don't apologize. You feel frustrated and your face starts to get hot.

Card 4: Unfair Group Grade
Your group receives a lower grade on a project because one member didn't do their part, and now you're all being penalized. You feel angry at the unfairness.

Worksheet

Weekly Strategy Use Log

Name: ____________________________ Week Of: ____________________________

Use this log to keep track of when you use your calm-down strategies throughout the week. This will help you see how often you use them and how well they work!

Day	Strategy Used (Check all that apply)	How Calm Did You Feel (1-5)?
Monday	[ ] Deep Breathing [ ] Counting to Five [ ] Positive Self-Talk [ ] Seeking Adult Support	1 2 3 4 5
Tuesday	[ ] Deep Breathing [ ] Counting to Five [ ] Positive Self-Talk [ ] Seeking Adult Support	1 2 3 4 5
Wednesday	[ ] Deep Breathing [ ] Counting to Five [ ] Positive Self-Talk [ ] Seeking Adult Support	1 2 3 4 5
Thursday	[ ] Deep Breathing [ ] Counting to Five [ ] Positive Self-Talk [ ] Seeking Adult Support	1 2 3 4 5
Friday	[ ] Deep Breathing [ ] Counting to Five [ ] Positive Self-Talk [ ] Seeking Adult Support	1 2 3 4 5

Reflection for the week: What did you notice about using your strategies this week?

Worksheet

Stop and Think Strategy Check-In

Name: ____________________________ Date: ____________________________

Use this sheet to track when you use your stop and think strategies in real life. It helps you see what works and build your skills!

Date/Time:

What happened? (Briefly describe the peer interaction):

Which strategy did you use? (Circle one or write it in):

Deep Breathing
Counting to Five
Positive Self-Talk
Seeking Adult Support
Other: ____________________________

How did using the strategy help you?

On a scale of 1-5, how calm did you feel after using the strategy?

(1 = Not calm at all, 5 = Very calm)

1 2 3 4 5

Date/Time:

What happened? (Briefly describe the peer interaction):

Which strategy did you use? (Circle one or write it in):

Deep Breathing
Counting to Five
Positive Self-Talk
Seeking Adult Support
Other: ____________________________

How did using the strategy help you?

On a scale of 1-5, how calm did you feel after using the strategy?

(1 = Not calm at all, 5 = Very calm)

1 2 3 4 5

Activity

Positive Self-Talk Poster

✨ Steps for Positive Self-Talk

Notice your thoughts.
Are you thinking something negative like, "I can't do this" or "This is too hard"?
Challenge the negative.
Is that thought 100% true? Is there another way to look at it?
Replace with positive self-talk.
Turn negative thoughts into helpful, encouraging ones:
- "I can try my best."
- "I can ask for help."
- "I am capable."

Use positive self-talk to build confidence and stay calm when things get tough.