Shared Toolkits
New to the project? Start with Start Here or Use Shared Toolkits.
Literacy for Kids has two layers that work together.
- Domain Literacies are full curriculum sites that teach kids about the systems in the world — decisions, technology, media, money, civic life, emotions and relationships, law, the environment, and the body.
- Shared Toolkits are short life-skill modules that help kids use those literacies in real life.
The two layers answer two different questions:
Domain literacies answer: What systems should kids understand?
Shared toolkits answer: What skills help kids use that understanding in real life?
What shared toolkits are
Shared toolkits are short, reusable life-skill modules. They are not full 18-week curricula. They are designed to support every curriculum, and they can be used on their own, mixed into existing lessons, or revisited later as reference tools.
A toolkit is meant to be light. Pick up one lesson when it fits, use a printable card when a kid needs it in the moment, and come back to the rest whenever it's useful.
Why they exist
Kids do not just need to understand systems. They also need practical tools for working inside systems:
- handling stress
- communicating clearly
- solving problems
- learning effectively
- planning and following through
- collaborating
- focusing
- organizing information
A child can understand how media or money or rules work and still get stuck when a real moment arrives — a flash of frustration, a confusing message, a problem with no obvious first step. Shared toolkits are where those everyday skills live, so every curriculum can draw on them.
Which toolkit should I use?
| Situation | Start with |
|---|---|
| Big feelings, stress, shutdown, or reacting too fast | Coping Skills Toolkit |
| Misunderstanding, disagreement, explaining thinking, or asking for help | Communication Toolkit |
| Something feels confusing, broken, stuck, unfair, or too big | Problem Solving Toolkit |
| A child is trying to remember, practice, get feedback, or improve | Learning How to Learn Toolkit |
| A task is hard to start, organize, prioritize, track, or finish | Executive Function Toolkit |
| Shared work, group projects, roles, fairness, disagreement, or finishing together | Collaboration Toolkit |
| Information feels messy, sources are scattered, notes are hard to use, or ideas need sorting | Information Organization Toolkit |
For quick-reference cards from all seven toolkits, see the Shared Toolkit Printables.
Current toolkits
Seven toolkits are built and ready to use. Each has a short overview, eight 10–20 minute lessons, and a set of printable cards.
| Toolkit | Helps kids with | Start here | Printable cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🧰 Coping Skills | noticing body clues, pausing, grounding, calming, asking for help, recovering | Toolkit | Cards |
| 💬 Communication | listening, clarifying, explaining thinking, disagreeing respectfully, asking for help, feedback, repair | Toolkit | Cards |
| 🛠️ Problem Solving | naming problems, sorting facts and guesses, breaking down, brainstorming, testing, observing, adjusting | Toolkit | Cards |
| 📚 Learning How to Learn | forgetting checks, remembering practice, mistakes as data, teach-back, better questions, practice plans | Toolkit | Cards |
| 🗂️ Executive Function | clarifying jobs, tiny first steps, checklists, time and energy guesses, priorities, distractions, restart bookmarks, done-enough checks | Toolkit | Cards |
| 🤝 Collaboration | shared goals, visible roles, fair work, check-ins, disagreement, group repair, shared credit, finishing together | Toolkit | Cards |
| 🗃️ Information Organization | sorting, categories, labels, examples and non-examples, useful notes, diagrams and timelines, source tracking, findability | Toolkit | Cards |
Possible future toolkits
Further modules that may join the layer over time:
- Attention & Focus Toolkit
How to use shared toolkits
A few practical ways to put a toolkit to work:
- Use one lesson as a 10–20 minute mini-lesson.
- Use the printable cards as quick references kids can keep nearby.
- Use the local curriculum pages to connect a toolkit to a specific literacy.
- Use the "Moment" callouts inside weekly lessons to practice a skill in context.
- Do not require personal disclosure. Fictional examples are always allowed.
Safety and agency
Shared toolkits teach everyday skills. They are not therapy, medical advice, legal advice, or a replacement for trusted adults or qualified professionals. The goal is agency, understanding, repair, and practical action — not compliance.