Social Emotional Learning Teaching Resources
Are you on the hunt for social emotional learning activities, printable PDFs and more to bring SEL to life in your elementary lessons this school year? The list of academic benefits of SEL instruction is a mile long, and the Teach Starter teacher team has created a robust collection of social and emotional learning resources made with teachers – and your students — in mind.
We've made planning your social-emotional learning lessons simple with printable SEL worksheets and digital social and emotional activities designed specifically for the needs of elementary school students. Each resource in this collection has undergone rigorous review by the expert teachers on our team to make sure you'll be comfortable passing them out in the classroom or sending them home in a student's backpack.
Pardon us if we're sharing something you already know (feel free to skip right to the social emotional learning activities!), but if you're new to incorporating SEL into your classroom, you may need a quick refresher! Read on for a guide from our teacher team, including a handy definition of social emotional learning, and ways to implement the five core competencies of SEL.
What Is Social-Emotional Learning? A Simple Definition
The most common social-emotional learning — or social and emotional learning — definition describes SEL as "the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions."
What Are the Social Emotional Learning Core Competencies?
We know are definition is a bit of a mouthful, but essentially social and emotional learning covers the following five core competencies:
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Social Awareness
- Relationship Skills
- Responsible Decision Making
Where Did Social and Emotional Learning Come From?
Teachers have been teaching many of the skills that now fall under the social and emotional learning curriculum for centuries. It's always been our goal to help shape little minds to be caring, productive, and engaged citizens.
But the roots of what we now consider SEL can be traced back to a project in the New Haven, Connecticut schools where school administrators worked with Yale researchers, parents, mental health workers, and teachers to refocus not just the school's academic programs but their social ones too. The project started in the 1960s at two schools considered "underperforming," and by the 1980s, these same schools had academic scores that were at the top of the nation's rankings.
From there, the K-12 New Haven Social Development program was born, establishing a framework for incorporating social and emotional learning into the curriculum. Meanwhile, the non-profit Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) was born in 1994, helping to really bring the term "social and emotional learning" into the zeitgeist.
CASEL was born out of the New Haven projects and helped shape the official definition of SEL listed above in 1997. It now works to expand SEL in schools around the country.
Why Is Social-Emotional Learning Important?
Not sure you have time to fit all of this in alongside the state standards that you're preparing students to meet? A solid social and emotional learning curriculum will help students with everything from managing emotions and developing coping skills to setting positive goals, engaging in positive relationships, and solving problems effectively.
The importance of SEL is hard to overstate, but here are a few core benefits:
- Promote mental health and well-being — Teaching social and emotional lessons in the classroom can help students develop the skills they need to manage their emotions, build positive relationships, and cope with stress and challenges. It's a small step toward better mental health for all.
- Improve academic performance — There's strong research showing that students who have strong social and emotional skills are more likely to be engaged in learning and perform better academically.
- Create a positive classroom culture — Teaching social and emotional lessons can help create the kind of classroom culture where students feel safe, respected, and supported — exactly what we all strive for!
- Prepare students for life after school — Social and emotional skills are essential for success beyond the classroom, be it at home in the immediate future or in college or the workforce. Teaching these skills helps students be better equipped to handle the challenges they will face.
- Address specific social and emotional needs — Teaching social and emotional lessons can help address students' specific needs, such as building self-esteem, managing emotions, and developing empathy for others. This can also help to create a more inclusive and equitable classroom where all students feel respected and valued. It's also good for your overall classroom management.
How to Teach Social and Emotional Lessons
There's little question that there's value in social and emotional learning, but how do you actually teach it? There's no simple answer here, as the exact methodology will differ based on grade level, individual student needs, and even your classroom dynamics!
That said, here are some strategies from our teacher team to keep in mind as you consider how you're incorporating the components of SEL in your instruction:
- Modeling — This is likely no surprise — we are our students' role models in the classroom for so much. Don't underestimate the value of your own active listening, displays of empathy and self-regulation, and other skills that are essential for your students' social and emotional development.
- Classroom Culture — Establishing a safe and supportive learning environment where students feel respected, valued, and empowered goes a long way. Fostering a sense of community, promoting positive communication, and encouraging collaboration and teamwork are all helping kids build their SEL quotient!
- Integration — Of course, you can (and should) have explicit instruction on SEL, but you can also incorporate SEL concepts into your core subject lessons. Discuss emotions related to a character in a book or working on group projects that require collaboration and communication. If you're teaching math, emphasize the importance of perseverance and problem-solving skills. Teaching social studies? Discuss empathy and the ability to understand different perspectives. It all comes together!
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Listening to Others – Discussion Task Cards and Poster
Give students the opportunity to work on their listening skills and learn what it means to be a good listener with this set of 42 discussion cards and classroom poster.
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Sloth Mindfulness Coloring Pages
Use these sloth-themed coloring pages to bring a bit of creative calm into the classroom.
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Growth and Fixed Mindset Poster
Help your students decide which type of mindset they currently have with this poster.
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ABC's of Gratefulness - A to Z Gratitude List
Make a list of things to be grateful for with a printable A to Z gratitude list template.
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Choose Empathy Teaching Slides & Note Guide
Help your students understand the difference between empathy and sympathy while learning how to be empathetic with this set of teaching slides and note guide.
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Self-Esteem Heart Activity
Help students boost their self-esteem with this lovely heart-themed activity
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Showing Empathy Flipbook
Cultivate compassion in young minds! Download our printable empathy flipbook tailored for 1st and 2nd-grade students.
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Everyday Stress Coping Strategies Interactive Game
Develop your students’ ability to effectively cope with everyday stress using this interactive learning game.
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Guided Meditation Script for Kids (Body Scan)
Share this body scan meditation script with students to help them to regulate their emotions by breathing mindfully.
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Managing Emotions Mini-Book
Help your elementary students explore and manage their emotional responses with this printable mini-book.
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Empathy vs. Sympathy – 5th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Challenge your students to learn the differences between empathy and sympathy with this reading comprehension worksheet.
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Asking for Help Comic Strip Template
Discuss how and who to go to for help using this comic strip template.
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What is Cooperation?- Tessellation Art Project
Engage your students in practicing the art of cooperation by having them create a collaborative tessellation project.
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Cooperation Cause and Effect Worksheet
Discover the effects of uncooperative behavior with a cause-and-effect worksheet.
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I Can Use My Words Mini-Book
Develop strategies and skills for communicating with others when you don’t like something with this printable mini-book.
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Sprinkle Kindness - Bulletin Board Set
Get your students reflecting on ways to show kindness with this interactive bulletin board!
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Personal and Academic Goals Planning Sheet
Guide students in setting goals by helping them consider struggles and think of ways to overcome them, while reflecting on the benefits of pursuing personal growth.
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Positive Self-Talk Bookmark
A bookmark with positive self-talk affirmations.
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Developing a Growth Mindset Worksheets
Help your students develop a growth mindset and set achievable goals with a printable pack of growth mindset worksheets.
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Asking Politely Mini-Book
Help your students learn how to ask for things politely with this social story mini-book.
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Our Kindness Rock Garden Poster
Poster to display when creating a classroom kindness rock garden.
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Resilience Word Search
Use this resilience word search to immerse your students in the key vocabulary related to this important social-emotional skill.
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Positive Self-Talk Worksheet
Encourage students to analyze their individual self-talk practices and establish a growth mindset with this personal assessment worksheet
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Circle of Kindness Affirmations for Kids Templates
Promote kindness and boost morale with individual affirmations for kids with our Circle of Kindness affirmation activity.
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My Feelings Volcano Worksheet
Prevent students from being overcome by strong emotions with this volcano-themed coping skills worksheet.
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Breathing Colors – Guided Meditation Script for Kids
Print a guided meditation script for teachers to lead your students through a breathing colors meditation exercise.
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Self-Esteem Flipbook
Explore the topic of self-esteem with your students using this engaging flipbook template.
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Coping Skills Desk Plates
Download and print calm-down strategy desk plates for your students so they can respond appropriately to big emotions.
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Find a Friend - Intermediate Back to School Activity
Play a back-to-school find-a-friend game for students to get to know their classmates.
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We Can Cooperate Mini Book
Read to learn about cooperative behavior with a printable one-page foldable mini book.
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Digital Daily Discussions - Morning Meeting Questions and Activities
Use these slides to begin a routine of classroom morning meetings.
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Mindfulness Activities for Kids - Backpack Craft and Book
Promote mindfulness and social and emotional learning with this Mindfulness Backpack activity.
- Social Emotional Learning Templates
- Social Emotional Learning Posters
- Social Emotional Learning Worksheets
- Social Emotional Learning Games
- Social Emotional Learning for Pre-K
- Social Emotional Learning for Kindergarten
- Social Emotional Learning for 1st Grade
- Social Emotional Learning for 2nd Grade
- Social Emotional Learning for 3rd Grade
- Social Emotional Learning for 4th Grade
- Social Emotional Learning for 5th Grade
- Social Emotional Learning for 6th Grade