Learning how to self-regulate is an important skill for students in the early grades, especially for those with disabilities, and students on the autism spectrum. When students are able to recognize and manage their emotions, they are better equipped to navigate difficult situations in the classroom.This includes times when they may feel frustrated or overwhelmed.

By having good strategies in place to self-regulate, students can effectively communicate their needs to their teachers and advocate for themselves in a productive and appropriate manner. This not only helps the student feel more in control of their learning but also fosters a positive and inclusive classroom environment.

Three Short Social Stories For Self Regulation and Self Advocacy

I’ve created this social-emotional packet which contains three versions of social stories, each designed to help students regulate their emotions and advocate for themselves. Additionally, the stories provide students with real-life scenarios that they can relate to and learn from.

The first social story focuses on a scenario where a student may be experiencing strong feelings and emotions. Also, these emotions may be confusing to them and they may not know how to deal with them. Through this story, students learn that they can ask for a break to calm down and regulate their emotions.

The second social story addresses the issue of a student’s frustration with their workload. In this story, students learn to ask for help if they need it and to use self-regulating tools. For example, they can use tools like checklists and choice boards to manage their emotions.

The third social story walks students through the entire process of how to ask for a break. By using break cards and other self-regulating tools, students can learn to recognize when they need a break. Hence, how to ask for one in a respectful and appropriate manner.

Calm Down Posters, Checklists, Choice Boards and Brake Boards

The self-regulation packet features two calm-down posters with four strategies each that can be placed in the calming areas of the classroom. In addition, there are choice boards with the many strategies a child can employ. The “I Need a Break” card features real-life photos of diverse kids in relaxing/calming poses for them to choose from. Also included in the tool kit are visual break cards with 1, 2, or 3 breaks. Students will know how many breaks they are allowed per class session or school day.

Finally, the “AM I Ready To Learn” checklist, allows students to self-assess their emotions and readiness to learn. They will ask themselves these 3 questions and check them off before resuming their classwork:

This self-regulation packet is a low-prep, laminate once, social-emotional learning tool kit that will benefit all your present and future students for years to come.

Standards Addressed: New York State Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks (NYSSEL)

Early Elementary K-3:

1A.1a. Recognize and describe emotions and how they are linked to behavior.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           1A.1b. Demonstrate control of impulsive behavior.

Late Elementary 4-5:

1A.2b. Describe and demonstrate ways to express emotions in a constructive manner.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1A.2c. Demonstrate control of behaviors that interfere with time on task.

What Educators Are Saying

These are great materials to work with self advocacy for my friends with autism or pragmatic language concerns. The information is presented in a non-judgmental, neurodiversity-affirming way.

— Amy G.

This packet is a comprehensive system for organizing your classroom and teaching students how to take care of their feelings and emotions in a gentle and appropriate way to promote self-care and self-advocacy in the classroom. It is also a way to ease high emotions that can become problematic behaviors that impede learning.

Additional Resources and Materials

If you are looking for more resources for self-regulation strategies, you can read my other article here. If you are looking for a lesson on feelings and emotions for your nonverbal students, students on the spectrum, or K-1 elementary students, you may like this one.

I’d like to invite you to come join the vortex 2 learning club and gain exclusive access to the freebie library of resources— a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, worksheets, workbooks and more.

The post Self Regulation Strategies For Self-Advocacy appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.

SEL involves developing emotional awareness to understand and manage one’s own feelings and recognizing and addressing them in others. This helps improve communication and benefits everyone involved.

Having SEL programs and systems in place helps students and teachers build more trusting and collaborative relationships. In fact, studies show that students become better communicators, build stronger identities and become better decision makers.

Social Emotional Learning Makes A Difference

Marc Brackett, is the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. He serves on the board of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Additionally, he is the lead developer of RULER— an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning. RULER is an acronym for the five skills of emotional intelligence (recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating). According to CASEL, “an education that promotes SEL has a positive impact on a wide range of outcomes, including academic performance, healthy relationships, mental wellness, and more.”

In Brackett’s book, Permission To Feel (*affiliate link) we discover that our emotions, not cognition, control attention, focus, and memory. This has significant implications for the classroom because when students can identify, label, and understand their emotions, they can use strategies to regulate them, which can improve academic and behavioral outcomes.

Self-Regulation Toolkit

I’ve created these low prep social emotional learning tools and calming strategies to help your students self regulate better. They will be able to identify their feelings and emotions, learn different coping skills and self regulations strategies. They will also learn to communicate and express their feelings more appropriately and find the equilibrium needed to overcome obstacles in their day.

Feelings/Emotions/Behavior Flashcards

Included in this resource are 16 emotions flashcards to identify and label emotions. The flashcards have been color coded to group a range of emotions that have similar characteristics. For example, The goal would be to have students work through their emotions to bring them to the green level where the range is (happy, joyful, feeling good and calm).

To clarify, we aim for the “green” zone as it is the most conducive for learning, but it’s important to acknowledge and respect the child’s emotional state regardless of where they are on the spectrum.

These flashcards include the following emotions and/or behaviors commonly expressed in a classroom:

Happy, Joyful, Feeling Good, Calm, Bored, Disappointed, Tired, Sad, Frustrated, Silly, Worried, Stressed, Angry, Yelling/Hitting, Mean and Out of Control

Self Regulation/Coping Skills Cards

Downloadable are 16 self-regulation cards containing calming strategies for students to practice and use. These cards can be laminated and placed on key rings, then kept in the cool down areas of the classroom or given to each student for easy access. These cards are particularly helpful for students who have frequent behavioral incidents and can be incorporated into a student’s behavior or social plan to aid in reducing undesired behaviors and increasing desired behaviors.

These self-regulations cards are also color coded to work with the feelings/emotions flashcards. The strategies are to be used with the emotions that surface on the corresponding flashcards of the same color. There are 4 strategies per emotion to choose from.

Self Management Skills Posters

These posters combine emotions and coping strategies, making them perfect for your classroom’s calming or SEL area. Your students can use them as a reference or model to practice self-regulation skills. With four different strategies to choose from, they will be able to find the one that works best for their current emotional state. These posters will help you empower your students with choices and a tools to help them manage their emotions.

Differentiated Feelings and Emotions Boards With Symbols

The toolkit for emotional self regulation includes “My Feelings Boards” for identifying and expressing feelings, symbols with real pictures for real life connection, and word symbols for fluent readers. It also includes a choice board home page for storing symbols and a pinwheel with 8 more coping strategies for students to learn and practice.

This Self Regulation Coping Skills Toolkit Is Great For:

Standards Addressed: New York State Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks (NYSSEL)

Early Elementary K-3:

1A.1a. Recognize and describe emotions and how they are linked to behavior.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           1A.1b. Demonstrate control of impulsive behavior.

Late Elementary 4-5:

1A.2b. Describe and demonstrate ways to express emotions in a constructive manner.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1A.2c. Demonstrate control of behaviors that interfere with time on task.

This tool is simple to incorporate in your classroom and allows for creativity in its usage. The color-coded components make it easy to identify intense and problematic emotions, with the red ones requiring more immediate attention. Encouraging students to regulate themselves to a green state, which is optimal for learning, focus, and attention, is the ultimate goal.

The toolkit emphasizes five essential skills: recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating emotions. These skills enable students to manage their emotions effectively and promote self-regulation.

Additional Resources and Materials

If you are looking for a lesson on feelings and emotions for your nonverbal students, student on the spectrum or K-1 elementary students, you may like this one. You may also like Self-Regulation: Social Stories, Calming Strategies, Break Cards, and Checklists to help your students self-advocate.

I’d like to invite you to come join the vortex 2 learning club and gain exclusive access to the freebie library of resources— a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, worksheets, workbooks and more.

The post Self Regulation Strategies and Tools For The Classroom appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.

The research shows that social emotional education raises emotional intelligence, social skills and confidence. Also, It enables success in other academic areas as it is highly aligned with Common Core State Standards in ELA. Every state with common core standards can determine what their SEL standards will look like.

New York State’s Social Emotional Learning standards now has benchmarks for grades K-12. The benchmarks consists of 5 core competencies; self-awareness, self-management skills, responsible decision making, social awareness and relationship skills. Collectively, these are essential competencies that will enable an individual to thrive in school, home, work and life in general.

Social Skills Activities For Kids: Positive Attributes In A Good Friend

Creating Explicit and structured lessons on social emotional learning particularly in the area of social skills was a big part of my teaching and planning routine. Chiefly, because students on the spectrum require plenty of social skills instruction and opportunities to practice these skills.

I created the following social skills activity to help your students identify positive qualities in a person when they are making new friends— great for children in grades K-3. Coincidentally, this is the time that children begin to establish strong peer networks and social relationships in school.

This qualities of a good friend activity aligns with NYSSEL goal 2- using social awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships: Recognize individual and group similarities and differences: Describe positive qualities in others.

This social skills activity packet contains many differentiated worksheets to inform comprehension and keep your early elementary students engaged.

What Makes A Good Friend Activities for Early Elementary Students

These short reading comprehension worksheets will help your students identify positive qualities in a person. The reading passage is differentiated for your independent or fluent readers (short answers) and your emergent readers (multiple choice).

Plus, your students will also be working on identifying the main idea and key details. (Common Core alignment to ELA Standards)

Thinking maps are a type of graphic organizers that help students frame their thinking around certain cognitive processes. Thus, we went through extensive professional development in its use. If your school uses them, you will enjoy these differentiated bubble map templates for brainstorming and describing the positive attributes of a friend. For students who are not writing yet, I have included a cut and paste worksheet.

Students can use the bubble maps to assist them in writing short sentences and paragraphs about what a good friend looks like. There are four writing worksheets to write and draw about the qualities of a good friend.

These No prep fun coloring pages are great for early finishers and extension activities (Art).

This social skills packet includes 23 pages of differentiated readers and thinking map templates. Also, included are cut and paste, writing, drawing and coloring worksheets. Lastly, character building posters to decorate your bulletin boards and reinforce positive attributes in your students.

What Educators Are Saying

These activities have been a great addition to our social groups.

Sarah B.

Additional Resources and Materials

I have just begun to create materials for social emotional learning. However, if you’re looking for a lesson on feelings and emotions for your nonverbal students or Pre-K students, you may like this one. A great majority of my activities are available digitally on the Easel by TPT platform. You can assign the work to your students on Easel and they can access it from any device. Additionally, you’ll be able to monitor their progress and give them timely feedback.

In closing, come join the vortex2learning club and gain exclusive access to the freebie library of resources— a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, printables, worksheets, workbooks and more. You will be given a password that will allow you access at any time.

The post Social-Emotional Learning Activities: Qualities Of A Good Friend appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.