Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become an important tool to help students learn the so-called “soft skills” of life – emotional regulation, social interactions, empathy, decision making.
We may call them “soft”, but these skills are actually essential for every child to master as they mature into a mentally healthy adult who can successfully navigate the world beyond the playground. school.
The following free SEL resources will provide a solid foundation for educators to understand and implement SEL in their classrooms and schools.
Social and emotional learning activities and lesson plans (opens in a new tab)
10 easy-to-implement lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school students include SEL activities for distance learning, classroom community building, current events, and more.
Powerful SEL Activities (opens in a new tab)
A profile of Summit Preparatory Charter High School in Redwood City, CA, highlighting 13 simple, yet powerful, classroom activities to support social-emotional learning skills.
SEL in the Digital Life Resource Center (opens in a new tab)
From Common Sense Education, this excellent selection of lessons and activities is a guide to putting SEL into action in your classroom. Lessons and activities incorporate self-awareness, social awareness, decision-making, and other key principles of SEL. Create a free account to access the courses.
What is SEL? (opens in a new tab) Still don’t know what SEL is? Longtime educator Erik Ofgang goes beyond the acronym, exploring concepts, history, research, and resources for understanding and performing social-emotional learning.
5 incredibly fun GAMES to teach self-regulation (opens in a new tab) Children love games and teachers love well behaved children. So a video demonstrating how games can help kids regulate their emotions is a win-win for everyone involved! This annotated video features five simple games, why they help kids, and the research base for the games.
Explaining SEL to parents (opens in a new tab)
This Tech & Learning article addresses the social media controversy over social-emotional learning and how to talk to parents so they understand the benefits for their children.
What is the CASEL Framework? (opens in a new tab)
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a pioneering nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting SEL research and implementation. The CASEL framework is designed to help educators use evidence-based SEL strategies based on their unique needs and priorities.
Improving social-emotional learning with Classcraft (opens in a new tab)
In this helpful and informative article, educator Meaghan Walsh describes how she practices SEL in her classroom with Classcraft.
5 Keys to Social and Emotional Learning Success (opens in a new tab)
This Edutopia video features educators discussing the elements of social-emotional learning as well as real-life examples of classroom SEL activities.
Harmony games room
A free app (iOS (opens in a new tab) | android (opens in a new tab)) from National University, Harmony Game Room is a stellar collection of social-emotional learning tools for PreK-6 students. Included are: Battle the Bully Bot Game (learn how to deal with bullies); The game of commonalities (finding out more about your friends); Relaxation stations (concentration and breathing exercises); and much more. After trying the app, go to Harmony SEL website (opens in a new tab) to access a free SEL program and educator training.
Social-Emotional Learning: The Magic of the Talking Circle (opens in a new tab)
How do talking circles help children relax and open up to their peers and teachers? “The Magic of Circle Talk” answers this question and describes three types of circles to implement in your classroom.
close the gap (opens in a new tab)
CloseGap is a free and flexible check-in tool that asks children developmentally appropriate questions to determine if they are quietly struggling to maintain good mental health. Then, students have the opportunity to complete quick, self-guided SEL activities, such as Box Breathing, Gratitude List, and Power Pose. Hmm, maybe not just for kids!
Dilemma (opens in a new tab)
How would you handle marauding Yashors on Braxos? A challenging fantasy game designed to develop a student’s ethical and critical thinking skills, Quandary includes a solid guide for educators. Teachers can track and monitor student progress and decide which ethical challenge to present.
myPeekaville (opens in a new tab)
Enter the magical world of Peekaville and interact with its people, animals and problems through a series of quests and activities. The research-based app contains a daily emotion logging tool, and is CASEL-aligned and COPPA-compliant.