Choose a Literacy

You do not need to choose perfectly. Pick the literacy that matches the child's question, current friction point, or group goal. You can always add a Shared Toolkit when a skill need appears — and you can always switch.

Start with the question

If the child is asking…	Start with…	Why
"How do computers, files, coding, AI, or online tools work?"	Computer Literacy	Technology as a system kids can understand and use responsibly
"How do money, saving, spending, wants, needs, or tradeoffs work?"	Financial Literacy	Money as a system of value, planning, and tradeoffs
"How do I make better choices?"	Decision Literacy	Clear thinking, luck vs. skill, and weighing options
"How do ads, news, social media, sources, and claims work?"	Media Literacy	How information is constructed, spread, and checked
"How do communities, rules, government, voting, and public decisions work?"	Civic Literacy	How groups organize, decide, and solve shared problems
"How do rules, rights, responsibilities, agreements, and fairness work?"	Legal Literacy	The operating rules of society, at kid scale
"How do feelings, friendships, boundaries, trust, repair, and group dynamics work?"	Emotional & Social Literacy	Internal signals and social systems
"How do ecosystems, waste, water, climate, resources, and big environmental loops work?"	Environmental Systems Literacy	Earth as a physical system with loops and limits
"How do body systems, habits, sleep, stress, movement, food, and trusted health questions work?"	Health Systems Literacy	The body as a system worth understanding and maintaining

Start with the friction point

If the friction is…	Try this literacy	Add this Shared Toolkit
overwhelmed by a digital project	Computer Literacy	Executive Function or Information Organization
confused by online claims	Media Literacy	Information Organization
arguing about a group project	Civic, Computer, Media, or Environmental	Collaboration
worried about money choices	Financial Literacy	Decision Literacy or Information Organization
friendship conflict	Emotional & Social Literacy	Communication or Coping
rules feel unfair or confusing	Civic or Legal Literacy	Communication or Problem Solving
climate or waste worry	Environmental Systems Literacy	Coping or Problem Solving
health routine confusion	Health Systems Literacy	Executive Function

If you still are not sure

• Start with the child's own question.
• Choose the topic that has energy.
• Use one lesson, not a whole curriculum.
• If the issue is more skill than topic, start with a Shared Toolkit.
• If the issue is unsafe, medical, legal, therapeutic, or crisis-related, get appropriate adult or professional support first.

For a deeper comparison of the nine curricula — including settings, styles, and who each fits best — see the Curriculum Adoption Checklist.

Good pairings

• Computer + Information Organization
• Media + Information Organization
• Civic + Collaboration
• Environmental + Collaboration
• Financial + Decision
• Emotional & Social + Communication or Coping
• Health + Executive Function
• Legal + Information Organization

Next

• Use One Lesson — run your first 20 minutes
• Use Shared Toolkits — pick one skill
• Start Here for Parents · Start Here for Facilitators