Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become an important tool to help students with the so-called “soft skills” of life: emotional regulation, social interactions, empathy, and decision-making.
We may use the term “soft,” but these skills are, in fact, essential for every child to master as part of their maturation into a mentally healthy adult who can successfully navigate the world beyond the schoolyard. .
The following free SEL resources will provide a solid foundation for educators to understand and implement SEL in their classrooms and schools.
The Best Free Social Emotional Learning Sites and Apps
smiling mind iOS Android
Smiling Mind is an Australia-based company that aims to create a positive transformation in users' mental health and whose bold mission is lifelong mental fitness. The free Smiling Mind app is designed to guide kids through simple steps to developing a healthy meditation routine, starting with a simple two-minute session. With a useful offline option, the app is ad-free and can be used in the classroom or at home.
Humor classroom
Aimed at students in grades 5-9, Mood Classroom offers nine free Google Slides lessons that demonstrate proven methods for managing disruptive emotions. Each short lesson includes a music video and a discussion question. Although aimed at grades 5-9, these lessons would also be easily understood by third and fourth graders. Bonus: no registration required; just start exploring the resources.
Mood Tools: Coping Skills
Dozens of coping skills explained in colorful, simple, step-by-step animated guides that speak to kids in their own language. While mindfulness is the foundation of many of these tools, it is not mentioned directly, nor are other terms that have entered common adult language. Instead, short musical animations illustrate difficult emotional states and how children can easily manage them before they get out of control. No account required.
More self-regulation games and activities | Social-emotional learning
Is self-regulation the same as self-control? Not entirely, although they are closely related. This interesting and informative video briefly looks at self-regulation and then explores self-regulation games and group activities that teachers can use in the classroom. The video is well organized and offers easy navigation through progress bar dividers, a transcript, and links to free printables and research.
harmony academy
From National University, Harmony Academy is a free, comprehensive social-emotional learning curriculum. Take a few minutes to register and answer some basic questions about your teaching activities. Then go ahead and explore this full set of resources. There's a lot available here to research, from planning guides to printable resources and live Zoom demos for teachers to learn how to implement the curriculum.
CloseGap
CloseGap is a flexible tracking tool designed for schools that asks children developmentally appropriate questions to determine if they are silently struggling to maintain good mental health. Students have the option to complete quick, self-guided SEL activities such as Box Breathing, Gratitude List, and Power Pose. Hmmm, maybe not just for kids! The free basic tier offers generous features, including unlimited school and student accounts, registrations, daily summaries, analytics, and 24/7 support.
SEL in the Digital Living Resource Center
From Common Sense Education, this great 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 SEL principles. Create a free account to access lessons.
What is SEL?
Still not sure what SEL is all about? Longtime educator Erik Ofgang goes beyond the acronym and explores the concepts, history, research, and resources for understanding and effecting social-emotional learning.
Explaining SEL to parents
This technology & Learning article addresses the social media controversy over social-emotional learning and explains how to talk to parents so they understand the benefits for their children.
What is the CASEL framework?
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 according to their unique needs and priorities.
Social-emotional learning: the magic of circular conversation
How do talking circles help children relax and open up to their peers and teachers? “The Magic of Talking Circles” answers this question and describes three types of circles to implement in your classroom.
Dilemma
How would you handle the marauding Yashors on Braxos? Quandary, a challenging fantasy game designed to develop students' ethical and critical thinking skills, includes a solid guide for educators. Teachers can track and monitor student progress and decide which ethical challenge to present.
to me Peekaville
Enter the magical world of Peekaville and interact with its residents, animals and problems through a series of quests and activities. The research-based app contains a daily emotion monitoring tool and is aligned with CASEL and COPPA compliant.
