Best Free Social-Emotional Learning Sites and Apps

By Diana Restifo

Tech&Learning

Diana Restifo’s recent Tech & Learning article “Best Free Social-Emotional Learning Sites and Apps” provides educators with a curated list of free resources to support social-emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom. Emphasizing the role of SEL in fostering emotional regulation, empathy, decision-making, and interpersonal skills, Restifo presents various digital tools that can help students master essential skills for personal and social development.

Key SEL Resources

Smiling Mind is an Australian-based app focused on lifelong mental wellness, offering short, beginner-friendly meditation sessions that are ideal for school settings. It includes an offline option and is entirely ad-free, which enhances its suitability for young users who can benefit from structured mindfulness exercises at school or home.

Mood Classroom targets middle school students (grades 5-9) but can also be used by younger students. It provides Google Slides lessons that cover techniques for managing disruptive emotions, utilizing music videos and interactive discussion questions to engage students. Notably, it requires no signup, allowing teachers to quickly integrate these resources into their lesson plans.

Mood Tools: Coping Skills includes step-by-step guides in a child-friendly, animated format, offering coping skills for difficult emotions. This resource avoids heavy terminology, instead using short musical animations that illustrate emotional states and provide students with tools to manage them effectively. As with Mood Classroom, it requires no account setup, making it an easily accessible option for classroom use.

The More Self-Regulation Games and Activities video introduces self-regulation concepts through engaging games and activities that educators can use directly in the classroom. Accompanied by navigational tools and printable resources, this video serves as an organized introduction to self-regulation, distinguishing it from self-control and making the concept accessible for young learners.

Comprehensive SEL Programs and Tools

Harmony Academy from National University offers a full SEL curriculum available for free to educators. After a simple registration, teachers can explore extensive resources, including planning guides, printables, and live Zoom demonstrations for additional support in implementing SEL activities. Harmony Academy’s resources cater to various educational settings and offer extensive materials for structuring SEL throughout the school year.

CloseGap provides a flexible, check-in system for schools, asking students age-appropriate questions to gauge their mental health. Students can also access quick, self-guided activities like Box Breathing and Power Poses to help them manage their feelings. With 24/7 support, data analytics, and unlimited accounts, CloseGap offers robust SEL tracking for classrooms, potentially benefiting educators in identifying and supporting struggling students.

The SEL in Digital Life Resource Center by Common Sense Education serves as a guide for integrating SEL into digital citizenship lessons. This resource covers self-awareness, social awareness, and decision-making, with activities designed to address SEL needs within the framework of students’ digital lives.

SEL Frameworks and Guidance

For educators or parents new to SEL, Restifo includes resources for understanding its principles and framework. The CASEL Framework by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning offers evidence-based strategies for SEL implementation and highlights the importance of SEL in holistic student development. Additionally, the article suggests resources for explaining SEL to parents, addressing the sometimes controversial nature of SEL, and fostering parental understanding of its value for their children’s growth.

Lastly, interactive tools like Quandary and myPeekaville gamify SEL by presenting students with ethical and critical thinking challenges. For instance, Quandary asks students to navigate complex scenarios requiring ethical judgment, while myPeekaville offers an immersive experience where students can explore emotions and social interactions within a fictional community.

Overall, Restifo’s list of free SEL resources equips educators with a diverse toolkit for addressing students’ social and emotional needs, highlighting the value of SEL in preparing students to manage personal challenges and build constructive relationships. Each resource in the article can be accessed without cost, allowing educators to integrate these tools flexibly to fit classroom needs.

Original Article

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com