Control the Moment is a Tier 1 social and emotional learning curriculum for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Tier 1 means it is intended for every student, not only students who have already been identified as struggling.

It was created because coping skills have never been taught with the same structure, consistency, or importance as reading and math.

Most of our grandparents were not taught how to understand emotions, manage stress, or work through difficult moments. Most of our parents were not taught those skills either. Many of us grew up being told to calm down, toughen up, or get over it without anyone showing us how.

We now understand more clearly that coping is a skill, and skills have to be taught.

We would never expect a child to read without first teaching letters and sounds. We would never expect a child to do math without first teaching numbers. Both begin with a foundation and grow as the child grows.

Coping skills should be taught the same way.

Children need to understand what emotions are, recognize what is happening inside them, and know what they can do when something feels hard. They need those skills before they are overwhelmed, before a problem becomes visible, and before a difficult moment becomes a crisis.

That is proactive prevention.
It means giving children the tools before they need the tools instead of trying to introduce those skills for the first time after the problem has already grown.

Control the Moment fills the gap between recognizing that children need support and preparing them before they reach a crisis.

Reaching every student matters because struggle does not always look the same. Some children act out. Others become quiet, pull away, or keep everything inside. Some appear to be doing fine until they are not.

Support generally begins after a student has been identified, referred, or reached a crisis, children whose needs are not yet visible can be missed. Control the Moment does not wait for a diagnosis, behavior plan, referral, or crisis before a student is included.

Control the Moment is not therapy, counseling, special education, or mental-health treatment, and it is not meant to replace them. Its role is to give every student a foundation of practical coping skills before more intensive support may be needed.

Coping skills should not be introduced for the first time in a crisis. They should be taught early, strengthened over time, and available when the difficult moment comes.

That is what is missing, Control the Moment was created to provide the missing link. 

The Curriculum section explains how those skills are developed from kindergarten through twelfth grade.