PreK–5.

4Rs is an integrated curriculum that combines reading and writing instruction with the development of social and emotional skills: instead of teaching these areas separately, it uses the literature lesson as a natural setting for talking about feelings, relationships, and conflicts. Each grade, from preschool through fifth grade, receives its own set of books and topics selected by age, and what is covered in class is reinforced at home through family assignments.

Each lesson is built around the plot of a book in which the main character faces a difficult social situation. The teacher does not simply state the moral, but engages children in conversation: inviting them to imagine themselves in the character's place, think through the character's feelings, and together explore other ways to resolve the conflict — so children arrive at understanding themselves rather than being handed a ready-made conclusion.

The program builds empathy, relationship-building skills, conflict resolution, and social-emotional competence, while also strengthening academic skills through reading and writing. It can be used as a stand-alone course in a single classroom, or it can become the first step toward change across an entire school — where the atmosphere first shifts in individual classrooms, and a culture of care and mutual respect then gradually spreads throughout the whole school.

The program is divided into 7 thematic units (community, feelings, listening, assertiveness, problem-solving, diversity, and the ability to make things better), with a separate set of materials for each grade. Each grade has about 35 sessions — one per week throughout the school year. Each teacher receives a complete set of materials, including a grade-specific teaching guide and the children's books used in class. Initial teacher training usually takes 25–30 hours.

Hundreds of schools; the exact number of students and time period are not specified on the official website.

The main body of evidence was gathered in public schools in New York, USA; current international reach is not stated on official pages.

No information about translations of the program into languages other than English was found on the official website.

The program is listed in the CASEL Program Guide with SELect status. Since 1993, the center has worked with leading researchers on independent evaluations of its programs; the studies were funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

A randomized controlled study (2003–2006) covered 18 New York public elementary schools: 9 schools implemented the program and 9 served as a control group (without the program). After two years, children in schools with the program showed reduced aggression and hostile interpretation of others' actions (as rated by teachers), reduced depressive symptoms and attention/hyperactivity problems, and increased social competence. Children from higher-risk groups additionally showed improved attendance and academic performance. Independent observers, blind to which schools were participating in the program, recorded a more favorable classroom atmosphere.