SHAPE America Skill Cue Teaching Videos
Want to teach the health skills outlined in the SHAPE America National Health Education Standards, but not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. These short, to-the-point teaching videos break down each health skill with a clear, compelling action word or phrase and a simple, step-by-step guide for practicing the skill in class. Let’s explore!
Table of Contents
What is a Skill Cue?
Skill cues are the key to teaching the SHAPE America health skills. They provide students with a simple, step-by-step guide for practicing each skill. Each skill cue also features a corresponding action word or phrase. This is powerful because, let’s be real, we rarely consciously walk through every step of a skill. So by giving students a simple word or phrase to recall, they can be more intentional about practicing the skill in real life without actually needing to follow every step.
Scroll to watch Project School Wellness’ signature skill cues for each standard of SHAPE’s National Health Education Standards.
Standard #1: Use functional health information to support health and well-being of self and others.
The IDEA Skill Cues for Building and Applying Functional Knowledge:
I - Identify - Identify knowledge gaps and what you want/need to learn more about.
D - Discover - Using the PROVE It Protocol, find valid and reliable health knowledge.
E - Explore - Examine the new health knowledge and define ways it connects to your real life.
A - Apply - Take your new knowledge and apply it to your life and real-world health situations.
Standard #2: Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others.
The SCAN Skill Cues for analyzing influences:
S - Situation - Identify a health situation in your life to analyze (i.e. an element of the B.E.S.T. Model).
C - Core Influences - Make a list of the core influences impacting this aspect of your life.
A - Analyzing - Assess if the influence is positively or negatively impacting the scenario you outlined in Step 1.
N - Now, what? - Create a plan of action for how you will navigate each influence by setting boundaries and/or behavioral expectations for yourself.
Standard #3: Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self and others. (Accessing Valid Information)
The PROVE It Skill Cues for fact-checking and accessing valid information:
P - Purpose - Define the creator’s purpose for creating and sharing the content.
R - Recency - Check the publication date or the most recent update (or review) date.
O - Objective - Determine if the information is objective and unbiased.
V - Verifiable - Verify if the information is accurate and valid.
E - Expertise - Assess if the creator is regarded as an authority and expert on the matter.
Standard #3: Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self and others. (Accessing Health Services)
The ACT Skill Cues for accessing services:
A - Acknowledge - Recognize the red flags in your life and acknowledge you need help.
C - Check How Big Of A Deal It Is And Consider Your Options - Check the severity of how big of an issue it is. Then identify potential people/organizations who can help you.
T - Take Action - Choose an option and take action.
Standard #4: Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self and others. (General Communication)
The TALK Skill Cues for general interpersonal communication skills:
T - Think Before Speaking
A - Actively Listen
L - Listen to Learn
K - Keep it Kind
Standard #4: Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self and others. (Setting Boundaries)
The STOP Skill Cues for setting boundaries:
S - Set Your Limit
T - Tell Your Boundary
O - Own It and Follow Through
P - Protect Yourself
Standard #4: Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self and others. (Refusal Skills)
The NOPE Skill Cues for refusal skills:
N - Say “No”
O - Own Your Decision
P - Push Through the Pressure
E - Exit the Situation
Standard #4: Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self and others. (Conflict Resolution)
The TOOLS to Work It Out Skill Cues for conflict resolution:
T - Take Time to Calm Down
O - Open Up the Discussion
O - Own the Part
L - Looking for Understanding
S - Seek a Resolution
Standard #4: Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self and others. (Collaboration)
The COLLAB Skill Cues for collaboration:
C - Create a Plan
O - Open Mind
L - Learn From Each Other
L - Let Everyone Lead
A - Keep Each Other Accountable
B - Be a Team Player
Standard #5: Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and others. (Simplified Decision-Making Tool)
The TALK Skill Cues for general interpersonal communication skills:
T - Think Before Speaking
A - Actively Listen
L - Listen to Learn
K - Keep it Kind
Standard #5: Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and others. (WISE Decision-Making Tool)
The WISE Skill Cues for decision making:
W - What’s going on? - Identify what specific decision you need to make.
I - Identify Your Options - Explore your options and predict the potential outcomes of each option. Ask yourself, “What’s BEST?” to consider how each decision may impact your overall well-being.
S - Select the BEST Choice - Once you’ve determined which option is BEST, make your decision.
E - Evaluate the Outcome - Look back on your decision and its impact. Did it enrich or harm your well-being? What can you learn for next time? And if the decision has already been made, use the same steps to evaluate your choice.
Standard #6: Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others.
The GROW Skill Cues for goal setting:
G - Get Real - Assess your current situation and identify your starting point.
R - Reach - Set realistic, meaningful goals to strive toward.
O - Outsmart the Obstacles - Identify potential challenges and plan strategies to address them
W - Work - Take actionable steps to achieve your goals, staying consistent and focused. Reflecting and reevaluating often.
Standard #7: Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self and others. (Self-Management)
The Pause, Reflect, and Act Skill Cues for self-management/health-enhancing behaviors:
Pause - First, take a moment to breathe and create space for intentional action, rather than simply acting on autopilot.
Reflect - Next, reflect inward and determine what’s going on internally.
Act - Once you’ve reflected inward, decide on how you will act.
Standard #8: Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others. (Advcoating for Others)
The VOICE Skill Cues for advocating for others:
V - Validate the Need - Identify and acknowledge the issue you want to advocate for.
O - Organize Your Thoughts - Gather relevant information and plan what to say.
I - Identify How You Can/Will Help - Make a plan for how you will advocate.
C - Champion Your Cause - Time to put your plan into action and become an advocate.
E - Evaluate the Impact - Follow up on your advocacy efforts and assess their effectiveness.
Standard #8: Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others. (Self-Advocacy)
The ASK Skill Cues for self-advocacy:
A - Assess Your Needs - Recognize what you need.
S - Speak Out - Communicate your needs clearly and confidently to the right person.
K - Keep Advocating - Stay determined and adapt your approach as needed.