Social and emotional learning (SEL), also called social and emotional wellness (SEW), is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. The resources below offer parents and educators tools to support healthy social and emotional learning for K-5th grade kids.
Families Connected Resources
Videos to foster a sense of belonging and develop social skills
Fostering Belonging, from Leah Niehaus, LCSW.
Teaching Interactions to Facilitate Social Skills, from Monica Fyfe, MFT, BCBA, RPT-S
Tips for parents/guardians for healthy development
Click HERE to view in Spanish
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Click HERE to view in Spanish
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Related topics on the Families Connected website
Social emotional wellness resources for parents/guardians of middle school kids
Access resources created for teens
Curated Gallery of Resources
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SEL/SEW tools
Click on any organization’s logo to access outstanding social-emotional parenting tools to help build character, resilience, and foster empathy and compassion in children aged K-5 and beyond.
Featured national social-emotional wellness articles and podcasts
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How to Ask What Kids are Feeling During Stressful Times (Child Mind Institute)
Connected Parenting podcasts (free podcasts on a wide variety of parenting topics)
A Parent's Resource Guide to Social Emotional Learning (Edutopia, by the George Lucas Education Foundation)
Growth Mindset, Clearing Up Some Common Confusion (KQED - MindShift)
Tips and Guides for Social Emotional Wellness at All Stages (NBC News, Educaiton Nation)
A Comprehensive List of Resources for Teaching Growth Mindset (Edutopia, by the George Lucas Education Foundation)
Why Talking to Kids About Emotions Early Matters (Parent Co.)
The Science of Character, Developing Positive Learning Traits (KQED - Mindshift)
Teaching Character (KQED - MindShift)
How to Help Students Develop a Love of Reading (KQED - MindShift)
6 Ways to Help Our Children Know and Love Ourselves (Janet Lansbury)
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Why Understanding These Four Types of Mistakes Can Help Us Learn (KQED)
4 Small Ways to Build Confidence in Kids (Child Mind Institute)
Keep Calm and Parent On (PaloAltoOnline.com)
15 Questions to Replace, "How Was School Today?" (Edutopia, The George Lucas Educational Foundation)
Is My Child’s Anger Normal? (Child Mind Institute)
For More Youth Wellness Resources, Visit:
For South Bay parents and caregivers
Go to the South Bay Families Connected landing page to view local events, the Teen Resource Center, to sign-up for the SBFC monthly parent e-newsletter, and more.
For parents and caregivers in the U.S.A
Visit the Families Connected landing page for non-region-specific, free youth wellness online resources.