SEL printables to share with your students’ families

ByTrynia Kaufman, MS

How can you help your students develop a growth mindset? How can they build resilience and keep trying even when something is hard? Many families are working through these same challenges with their kids at home. And tackling them in partnership with families leads to better outcomes for your students.

Share these social-emotional learning activities with your students’ families. You can send them home to families or do an online workshop on how to help kids develop a growth mindset and resilience.

Keep in mind that many families may not have access to a printer. In that case, you can suggest copying these worksheets onto blank pieces of paper.

15 growth mindset questions 

15 growth mindset questions to askPDF

These growth mindset questions can help students focus on learning from mistakes, developing new strategies, and persevering even when something’s hard. Share them as examples of conversation starters families can use.

Growth mindset action plan

Growth mindset action planPDF

Students who learn and think differently sometimes hyperfocus on mistakes or avoid talking about them. This growth mindset action plan can help them find new ways of approaching challenges. It also reminds kids that mistakes are a normal part of the learning process.

Why I can do this

Why I can do thisPDF

This worksheet helps students get from “I can’t” to “I can because _______.” Families can use it to help kids think through the reasons they feel like they can’t do something — and why it’s still important to try.

Try saying something else

Try saying something elsePDF

As an educator, you know the importance of positive self-talk. Sharing this activity with families can help grade-schoolers find something else to say instead of “This is too hard” or “I give up.” 

This printable gives examples of phrases that show either a negative, fixed mindset or a positive, growth mindset. Families can help grade-schoolers sort the phrases and choose which ones they want to start using in the future. 

A variation of this worksheet for older students encourages them to come up with their own phrases that they could say instead of “I can’t.” Download it here:

What I Can Say InsteadPDF

Whether you’re using the printable for younger kids or the printable for older kids, it may be emotional for families. So you may want to be more explicit in how to model the positive statements. Consider organizing an online forum where families can discuss what statements resonate with them and how to turn negative statements into positive ones.

Strengths chain

Strengths ChainPDF

Recognizing strengths is just as important as working on challenges, especially for kids who learn and think differently.

This fun activity includes examples kids can use in academic and non-academic areas. Share it with families as a way to help kids identify and focus on their strengths. To save paper, you can suggest making the strips out of cereal boxes or toilet paper tubes.

Accomplishment box

Your child’s accomplishment box starter kitPDF

This printable guides families to create and decorate an accomplishment box to celebrate wins big and small. It includes examples of wins in four key areas: school, home, social skills, and extracurricular activities. Share it with families as a way to increase kids’ motivation at home.


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About the author

About the author

Trynia Kaufman, MS was the senior manager of editorial research at Understood. She is a former educator and presents nationwide at education conferences.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Christina Armas, MA teaches English as a New Language (ENL) in Queens, New York.