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I’ll be honest. I didn’t even realize SEL (Social Emotional Learning) was a thing until probably late last school year, thanks to the pandemic. I definitely incorporated Growth Mindset into my teaching day and even knew that students’ emotional well-beings were something that I addressed on the daily, but my mind was opened up to the concept of SEL as a “thing” due to so much (well-placed!) focus as things were shutting down.
Because of the weird start to our school year – we were 100% virtual for the first month and students slowly began trickling back into our building by grade level after that – we focused even more on social emotional growth than ever before. You can also see how I’ve incorporated a class motto into our day here and be sure to sign up below for my free editable class motto that you can use with your students!
If you know anything about my teaching style from my past blogs, you know that read alouds are my forte. That goes for social emotional learning read alouds, as well! So, here are some of my favorite social emotional books for upper elementary to have on hand in the classroom.
The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes
The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubenstein.
This is probably one of my very favorite SEL books ever. We follow a 9 year old girl who does everything perfectly. Until one day she makes a mistake. This book teaches kids resiliency that “perfect” is not all it is cracked up to be!
The Invisible Boy
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig.
Such a touching story and important lesson that taking just a moment to be kind can bring positive change.
Jabari Jumps
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall.
I came across this gem just this school year. Jabari wants to jump off the diving board, but keeps finding excuses as to why he can’t just yet. And when he finally does, he learns about overcoming his fears.
The Name Jar
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi.
Unhei is the new kid from Korea. She wants the other kids to like her and feels her Korean name will make her stand out in all the wrong ways. She asks her classmates to help her come up with a new name, but in the end she chooses her own name, after all. A great story with beautiful illustrations, that shows children we each have a unique heritage and that our names tell our stories.
The Juice Box Bully
The Juice Box Bully by Bob Sornson and Maria Dismondy
This picture book helps empower kids to stand up to bullies both for themselves and for others.
Those Shoes
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts.
A book about envy, wanting to fit in, not feeling “cool” enough, teasing, and more. This story teaches students about what really matters in life.
The Good Egg
The Good Egg by Jory John and Pete Oswald.
The whole The Bad Seed series by these authors is fun and full of teachable moments, but this one focuses on the importance of self-care and how attempts at perfectionism can wear us down.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.
A wonderful story about how we are each unique and being true to yourself.
Rosie Revere, Engineer
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty.
This book, like all the books from The Questioneers series, teaches students about creativity, perseverance, and to dream big.
If Everybody Did
If Everybody Did by JoAnn Stover.
This story uses simple black and white illustrations to show what would happen if everybody did things like leave their toys on the floor or throw trash out the window. It shows students that when we make good choices we are contributing to the greater good, as opposed to contributing to a mess of a world and the importance of personal responsibility.
A Bad Case of Stripes
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon.
One of my very favorite picture books! Here we meet Camilla Cream who loves lima beans, but refuses to eat them for fear it would make her unpopular among her classmates. Stunning illustrations and a fun fantasy story teach children to embrace themselves for who they are!
As a part of social emotional learning, my class and I recite our class motto daily. You can learn more about that in my blog post here. And make sure to sign up below to get your own free, editable copy of our class motto to use with your students!
Thanks for stopping by today, friends! I will see you again (virtually!) soon!
Deedee
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